This work aimed to study both the direct and residual effects of cattle waste manure, elemental sulphur at different rates, nitrogen in different forms and phosphate at different rates on some soil chemical properties as well as the availability of macronutrients in a calcareous soil. To fulfill this objective, a field trail was conducted on EI-Noubaria calcareous soil (CaCC>3>34%). Cattle waste manure was applied at a rate of 12 ton fed"1 with elemental sulphur at a rate of 0, 50 or 100% of its recommended dose, N in the form of urea, ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulphate at a rate of 120 kg fed"1 and P at a rate of 0, 50 or 100% of its recommended dose. The experimental plots were distributed statistically in a split-split design. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L, Giza 163) was cultivated within the first half of November 2005 then harvested in May 2006 and succeeded by maize (Zea maize L, single hybrid 10) to study the residual effect of the aforementioned treatments at the same experimental plots. Results revealed that applied elemental sulphur slightly increased soil salinity (EC) and soluble HCO3-, S042+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+ and inversely affected the soluble Cl-, soil pH, SAR and ESP.. Application of nitrogen in the urea form resulted in the lowest EC, highest soil pH, HCO3- and Cl- contents while SCV, Ca2+, Mg2* and Na* ions were slightly increased upon the application in ammonium sulphate. Application of ammonium sulphate was associated with higher values of the organic matter and CaCOa contents than the other studied nitrogen fertilizers. Increasing application of phosphorus rate was associated with increasing soluble SO42~ and decreasing soluble Ca2* contents in the studied soils. Moreover, increasing rate of the applied phosphorus seemed not to be of pronounced effect on concentrations of soluble Mg2+, Na+ and K+, however, it showed slight decreases in soil pH, SAR, ESP and CaCO3 content. The organic matter content increased with increasing rate of the applied phosphorus. The availability of macronutrients i.e. N, P and K increased and more obvious by increasing rate of the applied sulphur, ammonium sulphate form and phosphorus application rates. It could be concluded that effects of cattle waste manure associated with a recommended dose of sulphur (100 kg S/fed), ammonium sulphate as a nitrogenous fertilizer form and 150 kg P2Os/fed, may lead us to overcome a shortage of organic matter and the availability of essential nutrients dominated in the newiy reclaimed soils especially the calcareous ones. Keywords: Calcareous soil, cattle waste, sulphur, nitrogen, phosphorus |
