Effects of an organic amendment on the physicochemical properties of an Andisol, in Túquerres, Nariño, Colombia

Abstract

The municipality of Túquerres (Nariño, Colombia) has been traditionally characterised by having the livestock and agricultural sectors as the cornerstone of its economy, however, livestock exploitation and mainly the production of cattle has caused alterations in the physicochemical properties of the soil, intensifying the degradation of this resource. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an organic amendment on the physicochemical properties of land for livestock use. To do this, a randomised block design with four treatments and three repetitions was used in an experimental area of 135 m². In each subplot, different doses of organic amendment obtained from the composting of guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) manure (1, 1.5 and 2 kg m^-2) were incorporated into the soil. Properties such as B_d, porosity, texture, humidity, MO, CIC, pH and CE were determined. The results showed differences (p ≤ 0.05) between some of the treatments with respect to control (T0), especially T2 (1.5 kg m^-2) which had positive effects on parameters such as MO, CIC and pH due to a superior mineralization process when compared to other treatments, showing a high potential to improve soils with MO deficiency. On the other hand, T3 (2 kg m^-2) presented the best effects on Da, porosity and moisture, mainly due to the interaction between the sampling time (210 days) and the amount of organic amendment incorporated in the soil.