Effects of different improvement methods on some soil properties in a secondary succession rangeland

Abstract

This study was conducted between 2005 and 2008 in a native pasture which was ploughed 30 years ago and abandoned, located in Ondokuz Mayis University Campus in order to investigate the effects of different improvement treatments on chemical characters of pasture soil. Treatment application started in 2006; i) control, ii) aeration, iii) early cutting, iv) commercial fertilization, v) sheep manure application, vi) reseeding, and their combinations. The effects of applied pasture improvement treatments showed differences both in the same year and among the years. There was an outstanding increase in the plots where manure alone was applied; however the increase was not so distinctive in the plots where manure was applied with other treatments (manure and its combinations). Soil physical properties were improved with extra organic matter. Electrical conductivity values of the soil samples of the experimental area were 0.568 – 0.793 dS/m in 2006, 0.459 – 0.675 dS/m in 2007 and 0.289 – 0.698 dS/m in 2008. Potassium, calcium and magnesium contents of the soil samples were very high and changed between 0.261 and 0.798; 28.333 and 37.417; 7.958 and 15.083 cmol kg-1, respectively. In the 3-year study, it was concluded that native pastures should definitely be improved by implementing appropriate improvement methods considering climatic conditions, soil characters, plant species and their botanical compositions.