Organic amendment application influence soil organism abundance in saline alkali soil

A 6-month study was carried out at the China Agricultural University greenhouse to determine the effects of organic amendments (fertilizer) on the abundance and community composition of soil organisms in saline alkali soils. Treatments with two different organic amendments (cattle dung and vermicompost) were compared with treatments with a chemical fertilizer. Results showed increased soil nutrient content with both organic amendments and chemical fertilizers without significant alteration of soil pH or electrical conductivity. Compared with the chemical fertilizer treatment, organic amendments led to higher levels of soil microbial biomass, nematode abundance, and mite abundance. The increased level of soil organisms could be attributed to the increased level of soil organic matter, although no significant effect was observed on plant cultivation. Soil organism community composition varied among the different organic amendment treatments. The findings of this study suggest that the application of an organic amendment to saline alkali soil may directly or indirectly improve the growth of salt-tolerant plants by elevating the soil nutrient content and the abundance of soil organisms. (C) 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.