Organic amendments compared to topsoil replacement for prime farmland reclamation: Fid-Bau Portal

Organic amendments compared to topsoil replacement for prime farmland reclamation

Olsen, F.J. / Jones, J.H.

AbstractThe incorporation of organic amendments into reconstructed stripmine spoil may provide an alternative to topsoil replacement. This method offers an extra advantage when the topsoil on the premined land is thin or eroded. The objective of this study was to assess the chemical and physical properties of four parent materials amended with different organic materials compared to topsoil replacement for corn (Zea mays L.) production. This research was conducted at Southwestern Company's Captain Mine in Perry County, Illinois, U.S.A. Four rates of cattle manure (0, 50, 100 and 200 Mg ha^-1), a winter green manure crop and a sod crop were incorporated into four different soil materials (B horizon, loess, glacial till, and a belt mix excluding the A horizon).The organic amendments increased the organic matter contents of the four parent mateerials, however, they only had a slight effect on soil bulk densities at the 0–30 cm depth. Bulk densities were somewhat different for each parent material and increased with increasing depth of the soil profile. Corn grain yields on the loess and glacial till soil media were comparable to the B horizon. Both of these materials would be suitable alternatives for B horizon replacement. The organically amended soil materials gave corn grain yields comparable to replaced topsoil. Corn production on organically amended spoils offers an alternative to topsoil replacement on some stripmine prime farmland.