Catena 140 (2016) 18

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Catena
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/catena

Changes in biological and chemical properties of saline soil amended

with municipal solid waste compost and chemical fertilizers in a
mustardpearl millet cropping system
Murli Dhar Meena , Parmodh Kumar Joshi, Hanuman Sahay Jat, Anil Ramkrishna Chinchmalatpure,
Bhaskar Narjary, Parvender Sheoran, Dinesh Kumar Sharma
ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal 132001, India

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Received 4 July 2015
Received in revised form 14 December 2015
Accepted 8 January 2016
Available online 21 January 2016
Keywords:
Municipal solid waste compost
Chemical fertilizers
Microbial activities
Nutrient cycling
Rice straw compost
Salinity

a b s t r a c t
The restoration of microbial activities is a basic step in the reclamation of saline soil. For this reason, the ability of
municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) to accelerate the microbiological and chemical properties of soil was
evaluated in a eld experiment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efciency of combined use of organic
amendments viz. MSWC, gypsum enriched compost (GEC), rice straw compost (RSC) and chemical fertilizers as
reclamation agents for improving biological and chemical properties of saline soil in a mustardpearl millet
cropping system. Integrated use of 25% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) along with organic amendments
(RSC@3.5 t ha1 + GEC@3.5 t ha1 + MSWC@4 t ha1) resulted signicantly higher amount of microbial activities, Walkley and Black Organic Carbon (WBC) as well as available KMnO4-N, Olsen-P and NH4 OAc-K over unfertilized control plot after mustard and pearl millet harvest. Combined use of organic amendments along with
25% RDF increased by 50 and 56% higher microbial biomass carbon (MBC) over unfertilized control plot after harvest of mustard and pearl millet respectively. Treatment receiving 100% RDF improved dehydrogenase activity
(DHA), alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) and urease activity by 39, 26 and 23%, respectively over unfertilized
control plot after harvest of pearl millet crop. Balanced use of organic amendments plus 25% RDF maintained 9, 42
and 16% higher amount of available KMnO4-N, Olsen-P and NH4OAc-K, respectively over the alone use of 100%
RDF after mustard harvest. After harvest of pearl millet soil EC (1:2) was signicantly lower under treatment receiving organic amendments along with 25% RDF than other treatments.
2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Salt accumulation in the soil is a major contributing factor to land
degradation and decreases agricultural production, particularly in arid
and semiarid regions (Rengasamy, 2008). Salinity inhibits plant growth
due to low osmotic potential of the soil solution, ion toxicity and ion imbalance which further reduce nutrient uptake (Marschner, 2012). Salinity also reduces microbial activity and biomass and thus organic matter
turn over (Pathak and Rao, 1998). Salinity susceptible microorganisms
are more vulnerable to saline ecosystem and leads to imbalances in microbial community structure due to microbial genotypes differ in tolerance to osmotic stress. Microorganisms play a pivotal role in soil
nutrient cycling and plant growth. Many studies showed that salinity
reduces microbial activity and microbial biomass (Batra and Manna,
1997; Pathak and Rao, 1998; Chowdhury et al., 2011; Andronov et al.,
2012; Yan and Marschner, 2012). Soil microbial properties (biomass,
Corresponding author at: ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal 132001,
India.
E-mail address: murliiari@gmail.com (M.D. Meena).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2016.01.009
0341-8162/ 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

counts and enzymes) provide an indicator of land use effects on soil

quality (Singh et al., 2013). In irrigated soils, salinity varies with the
quality of the irrigation water. The salt concentration in the soil solution
also varies with soil water content, and increases as the water content
decreases because the salt is concentrated in the remaining soil solution.
Managing municipal solid waste is a pervasive urban problem globally. While several strategies have been applied for efcient municipal
solid waste management in developing countries particular to India,
their performance level has not been critically investigated (Aliu et al.,
2014). The primary goals of sustainable waste management are to protect human health and the environment and to conserve resources. In
addition goals include prevention of the export of waste related problems into the future (Brunner, 2013) and socially well acceptable
waste management practices (Wilson et al., 2007). A key precondition
of affordable waste management should be costs effective.
Attention has been focused on municipal solid waste compost
(MSWC), in order to reduce the volumes to be disposed in landll and
to provide a new organic amendment to compensate for costly chemical
fertilizers as well as reclamation of saline soil. Moreover, the application
of MSWC with chemical fertilizers was shown to increase soil microbial

M.D. Meena et al. / Catena 140 (2016) 18

properties and crop production (Soumare et al., 2003; Oue'draogo et al.,

2006). The amendment of saline soil with compost enhances their subsequent mineralization with microora with a concomitant increase in
CO2 release and consequently soil aeration (Muhammad et al., 2007)
presumably owing to their enzymatic activities stimulus. However,
few preliminary studies have to be conducted to assess the impact of
MSWC application as an organic amendment and to dene the best fertilizer rates. Repeated application of MSWC consistently increased SOC
content and soil C:N ratio to levels greater than those of unamended
soil (Crecchio et al., 2004; Walter et al., 2006). The farmyard manure
which was usually used in agriculture in order to restore the SOC is becoming more and more rare and expensive. However, municipal solid
waste compost presents an interesting alternative; indeed, it constitutes
an important organic mass for the formation of steady humus (Tidsell
and Breslin, 1995) and contributes to the improvement of the fertility
of soils (He et al., 1992; Perez et al., 2007).
Recycling of agricultural wastes for crop production especially rice
straw is gaining signicant importance as it has limited use as an animal
feed because of its high silica content. According to FAO (2013), over the
past ten years, the global paddy rice output on an average was about
664.3 million tonnes (Mt). Direct incorporation of the rice straw into
the soil is also limited as it may cause certain agronomic problems
such as temporary immobilization of nutrients and associated crop
yield reduction (Yadvinder-Singh et al., 2005). As a result, a large
amount of produced straw is left unutilized, which is mostly burnt onfarm (Gadde et al., 2009), although burning of the straw in situ is the
most discouraged option as it emits air pollutions (Gadde et al., 2009),
and causes considerable loss of both organic C and nutrients, and
there is environmental pollution from the emissions of toxic and greenhouse gases. Attempts were made to produce compost from rice straw
and bioinoculant with Trichoderma viride which may serve as a supplement source of plant nutrients (Meena and Biswas, 2013). Hence, research priorities have been directed toward how to recycle the huge
amount of agricultural as well as municipal solid waste, the best and environmentally convenient way is composting.
The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in soil biological
and chemical properties amended with MSWC and chemical fertilizers
in saline soil under mustardpearl millet cropping system.
2. Methods and materials
2.1. Compost preparation
Municipal solid waste compost was collected from Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi, India. Rice straw and gypsum were used to
prepare rice straw compost (Rice straw alone + T. viride) and gypsum
enriched compost (Rice straw + Gypsum @ 25 kg per 100 kg rice
straw + T. Viride). For composting chopped rice straw (56 cm size),
soaked in water for 24 h, was mixed thoroughly on a polythene sheet
with required quantities of gypsum as per the above composition of
compost. A uniform dose of urea solution @ 0.25 kg N per 100 kg of
rice straw (air dry weight basis, 30 1 C) was added to reduce the
C:N ratio, while fresh cow dung @ 10 kg per 100 kg of rice straw was
made into slurry and added to compost mass as natural inoculant. A uniform dose of T. Viride @ 50 g fresh mycelia per 100 kg of rice straw was
added to compost mass in order to hasten the composting rate. Whole
of the composting mass was mixed thoroughly and put in the cemented
pits of 100 L capacity each. Manual turning was performed after 30, 60
and 90 days of composting to provide adequate aeration. Moisture
was maintained to 60% of water holding capacity throughout the
composting period (120 days).
2.2. Chemical characterization of compost
At maturity (after 120 days), representative sample was drawn from
each pit in triplicate. Compost samples rst air-dried (30 1 C) and

then oven-dried (65 1 C) for 24 h, crushed to pass through a 2-mm

sieve, thoroughly mixed and were used for the analysis of total carbon
(C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Total C, P and K
was determined as per the standard procedure (Jackson, 1973). Total
N was determined by Bremner and Mulvaney (1982). Micronutrient
cations (Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn) and heavy metals (Ni, Pb and Cd) were determined by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Ayten, 2004).
The cation exchange capacity (CEC) was determined as per the procedure of Jackson (1973).
2.3. Experimental site and soil
The present eld experiment on mustardpearl millet cropping system was carried out during 20122013 at the research farm Nain, Panipat of ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal, India.
The soil of the experimental site is sandy loam and the climate is semiarid subtropical with hot summers (MayJune) and cold winters (DecemberJanuary). Initial soil samples were collected at surface soil (0
15 cm depth) from the experimental site. Some of the physicochemical
and biological properties of the experimental soil are given in Table 1.
2.4. Experimental design and treatments details
Performances of MSWC, GEC vis--vis RSC and mineral fertilizers
were evaluated in mustard and pearl millet crop for improving nutrient
supplying capacity and reducing soil salinity. Following nine treatments
were used for conducting the present eld experiment. T1: Control; T2:
Recommended dose of NPK fertilizers (100% RDF); T3: Rice straw compost @ 14 t ha1; T4: Gypsum enriched compost @ 14 t ha1; T5: Municipal solid waste compost @ 16 t ha1; T6: 50% RDF + Rice straw
compost @ 7 t ha 1; T7: 50% RDF + Gypsum enriched compost @
7 t ha 1; T8: 50% RDF + Municipal solid waste compost @ 8 t ha1;
T9: 25% RDF + RSC @ 3.5 t ha 1 + GEC @ 3.5 t ha 1 + MSWC @
4 t ha1. The eld experiment was laid out in a randomized block design
with three replications having a plot size of 5.0 m 5.0 m. Mustard and
pearl millet were grown as test crops in winter and rainy season respectively. Recommended dose of fertilizers applied to mustard and
pearl millet was: 60:30:30 kg N, P2O5 and K2O, respectively. Fertilizer
materials used were urea, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and muriate of potash (MOP). Half quantity of N and full quantities of composts, P and K were applied as basal in both crops by broadcasting
followed by mixing by disc plow. The remaining half of N was applied
at 3540 days after sowing of mustard and 2025 days after sowing
of pearl millet. Mustard (Brassica juncea) variety CS-52 was sown on
Table 1
Physicochemical and biological properties of experimental soil.
Parameters
Mechanical analysis
Sand (%)
Silt (%)
Clay (%)
Texture
CEC [cmol (p+) kg1 soil]
pH
ECe (dSm1)
Available N (kg ha1)
Available P (0.5 M NaHCO3,
pH 8.5) (kg ha1)
Available K (1 N NH4OAc)
(kg ha1)
Organic C (g kg1)
Microbial biomass C (mg kg1)
Dehydrogenase
(g TPF g1 soil 24 h1)
Alkaline phosphatase
(g PNP g1 h1)
Urease (NH4 mg kg1 h1)

Values

Reference
Bouyoucos (1962)

56.4
25.0
18.6
Sandy loam
11.68
8.4
7.2
108
18.1

Jackson (1973)
Jackson (1973)
Jackson (1973)
Subbiah and Asija (1956)
Olsen et al. (1954)

203

Hanway and Heidel (1952)

1.9
176.1
43.2

Walkley and Black (1934)

Jenkinson and Powlson (1976)
Klein et al. (1971)

3.3

Tabatabai and Bremner (1969)

64

Tabatabai and Bremner (1969)

M.D. Meena et al. / Catena 140 (2016) 18

November 2012 and harvested on April 2013 and pearl millet (Variety Proagro 9444) was sown on July 2013 and harvested on October
2013. Irrigation and other agronomic practices were carried out as
and when required.

2.5. Post-harvest soil analysis

The plot-wise soil samples were collected from surface (015 cm)
soil after the harvest of mustard and pearl millet. Immediately after
sampling, a portion of the soil samples (~100 g) was kept at 4 C in a refrigerator in plastic bags for a few days for the analysis of biological
properties. Another portion of soil samples were air-dried in shade
grounded using a wooden pestle and passed through 2-mm sieve before
analysis.

2.6. Statistical analysis

Data generated from the eld experiments were subjected to the
statistical analyses of variance appropriate to the experimental design.
Data were assessed by Duncan's multiple range tests with a probability
P b 0.05 (Duncan, 1955). Least signicant difference (LSD) between
means was calculated using the SPSS program (SPSS version 16.0).

3.2. Effects of organic amendments vis--vis chemical fertilizers on soil microbial activities
3.2.1. Dehydrogenase activity (DHA)
Data pertaining to dehydrogenase activity are presented in Fig. 1.
There was no signicant difference between unfertilized control (T1)
and application of chemical fertilizers (100% RDF) (T2) after mustard
harvest. It was clearly shown that combined application of chemical fertilizers (25% RDF) and organic amendments (MSWC @ 4, RSC 3.5 and
GEC 3.5 t ha1) (T9) had signicantly higher DHA (77 g TPF g1 soil
24 h1) after mustard harvest compared to alone use of chemical fertilizers or organic amendments. Treatments receiving 100% RDF (T2) resulted in 39% higher DHA over unfertilized control plot. While plot
receiving conjoint use of organic amendments (MSWC @ 4, RSC 3.5
and GEC 3.5 t ha1) (T9) along with 25% RDF further increased of DHA
by 113% over unfertilized control plot after pearl millet harvest.
3.2.2. Alakaline phosphatase activity (APA)
It was reported that the application of MSWC @ 16 t ha1 (T5) maintained higher amount of APA (5.5 and 5.8 g PNP g1 soil h1) after
mustard and pearl millet harvest respectively, as compared to alone
use of organic amendments and chemical fertilizers. The highest
amount of APA was registered under treatment T9 and lowest being
with T1 after both crops (Fig. 2). The application of 100% RDF did not signicantly change with unfertilized control plot after harvest of both
crops.

3. Results
3.1. Chemical characteristics of compost
Chemical characteristics of MSWC, GEC and RSC are presented in
Table 2. It was observed that total carbon content decreased in GEC
and RSC as compared to initial carbon content in the rice straw. The
mean total C content in rice straw compost was 35.4%, while it decreased substantially to 32.7% in gypsum enriched compost. Total N
content was 1.25% in the RSC, which decreased to 0.86% in the GEC
(Table 2). In general, total nutrient content in the matured compost
(120 days) increased substantially. The RSC had slightly higher total N
(1.25%) and P (0.38%) over the GEC and MSWC. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the RSC and MSWC was 170 and 250 cmol (p+) kg1compost, respectively. MSWC had higher values of Fe (0.70%), Mn
(303.5 mg kg1), Zn (145.5 mg kg1) and Cu (348.8 mg kg1) which
was higher than the GEC and RSC.

Table 2
Characteristics of rice straw, gypsum enriched and municipal solid waste compost.
Parameters

RSC(mean SDa) GEC(mean SD) MSWC(mean SD)

Moisture %
9.46 0.24
8.16 0.39
pHw (1:5)
ECw (dSm1)
2.80 0.24
CEC [cmol(p+)
170 12
kg1 compost]
Total C (%)
35.4 0.47
Total N (%)
1.25 0.1
C/N
28.3 0.2
Total P (%)
0.38 0.05
Total K (%)
1.27 0.04
Total Fe (%)
0.3 0.08
Total Mn (mg kg1) 170.5 26.0
1
Total Zn (mg kg ) 186.1 38.2
Total Cu (mg kg1)
49.1 10.6

8.92 0.18
7.94 0.39
2.99 0.34
250 14

8.45 0.20
8.21 0.29
3.40 0.26
200 11.0

32.7 0.29
0.95 0.3
34.4 0.16
0.27 0.03
1.42 0.06
0.48 0.16
227.1 83.1
165.4 57.7
32.3 9.6

30.1 0.56
0.86 0.1
35.1 0.4
0.37 0.12
0.70 0.02
0.75 0.28
303.5 119.2
514.5 88.1
348.8 138.5

Heavy metals
Total Ni (mg kg1)
Total Pb (mg kg1)
Total Cd (mg kg1)

6.3 2.8
0.6 0.39
Trace

37.8 8.1
57.2 5.0
Trace

SDa, Standard deviation.

4.3 1.1
Trace
Trace

3.2.3. Urease activity

Data emanated from the present eld study clearly indicated that
the effect of organic amendments either alone or in combination with
chemical fertilizers showed higher urease activity over unfertilized control plot after harvest of both crops (Fig. 3). The maximum activity of
urease was (86 and 94 NH4 mg kg1 soil h1) found in plots with 25%
RDF along with organic amendments (T9) and lowest being with treatment T1 (62 and 61NH4 mg kg1 soil h1) respectively, after harvest of
mustard and pearl millet. Treatment T2 increased by 8% higher urease
activity whereas treatment T9 increased by 37% urease activity over unfertilized control plot after mustard harvest. After harvest of pearl millet
urease activity was increased by 53% in treatment T9 over unfertilized
control plot.
3.2.4. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC)
The microbial biomass carbon (MBC) increased with the application
of organic amendments applied either alone or in combination of chemical fertilizers than unfertilized control (Fig. 4). Conjoint use of MSWC @
8 t ha1 and 50% RDF resulted in 42% higher amount of MBC than unfertilized control plot after mustard. However, treatments received organic
amendments along with chemical fertilizers (T6, T7, T8 and T9)
maintained signicantly (P b 0.05) higher amount of MBC than that of
unfertilized control (T1) after harvest of both crops. The highest concentration of MBC (259 and 263 mg kg1 soil) was found under treatment
(T9) after harvest of mustard and pearl millet respectively.
3.3. Effects of organic amendments vis--vis chemical fertilizers on soil
chemical properties
3.3.1. Soil pH and EC (1:2)
Data generated from the eld study clearly indicated that there was
no signicant difference among the treatments with respect to soil pH
and EC after harvest of mustard, whereas lower values were found in
treatment T9 (Table 3). After harvest of pearl millet soil EC was signicantly reduced in treatments receiving organic amendments along
with chemical fertilizers over the 100% RDF (T2). The lowest value of
soil EC was reported in T9 (4.5 dSm1) and highest being with control
(6.8 dSm1). It was found that soil pH was not much more changed
after harvest of both crops however slightly reduced in combined use

M.D. Meena et al. / Catena 140 (2016) 18

Fig. 1. Effect of amendments vis--vis chemical fertilizers on dehydrogenase activity (DHA) after mustard and pearl millet harvest.

of organic amendments and chemical fertilizers than the alone use

(Table 3).

RDF was statistically at par with treatment receiving organic amendments along with 25% RDF after both crops.

3.3.2. Walkley and Black organic carbon (WBC)

Integrated use of organic amendments and chemical fertilizers
showed signicant higher Walkley and Black Organic Carbon (WBC)
content over unfertilized control plot after harvest of both crops
(Fig. 5). WBC ranged from 1.8 to 4.0 and 1.6 to 4.4 g kg1 soil after mustard and pearl millet harvest respectively, whereas highest amount of
WBC was observed in T9 followed by MSWC @ 8 t ha1 + 50% RDF (T8).

3.3.4. Olsen-P
In plots receiving organic amendments along with recommended
dose of chemical fertilizers produced higher amount of available
Olsen-P in soil over unfertilized control plot after harvest of both crops
(Table 4). Treatments receiving organic amendments plus 25% RDF
(T9) resulted in 37% increased in Olsen-P over unfertilized control plot
after mustard harvest. Treatment T9 had highest amount of available
Olsen-P followed by treatment T8 (MSWC@ 8 t ha 1 + 50% RDF).
After harvest of pearl millet crop the available Olsen-P was increased
in all plots than unfertilized control plot.

3.3.3. Alkaline KMnO4-N

Alkaline KMnO4-N as inuenced by organic amendments and
mineral fertilizers is shown in Table 4. The application of 100% RDF
(T2) signicantly increased in available alkaline KMnO4-N (130 and
134 kg ha1) after mustard and pearl millet harvest respectively, as
compared to unfertilized control plot. However no signicant differences were observed between organic amendments and chemical fertilizers applied alone after harvest of both crops. Soil treated with 100%

3.3.5. NH4OAc-K
Available NH4OAc-K was higher under treatment receiving organic
amendments and chemical fertilizers than unfertilized control plot
after harvest of both crops (Table 4). Treatment receiving organic
amendments along with 25% RDF (T9) maintained higher amount of

Fig. 2. Effect of amendments vis--vis chemical fertilizers on alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) after mustard and pearl millet harvest.

M.D. Meena et al. / Catena 140 (2016) 18

Fig. 3. Effect of organic amendments vis--vis chemical fertilizers on urease activity after harvest of mustard and pearl millet.

available NH4OAc-K (269 kg ha1) as compared to other treatments

after harvest of mustard crop. Integrated use of organic amendments
and 25% RDF resulted in signicant build-up of available NH4OAc-K
(278 kg ha1) over unfertilized plot after harvest of pearl millet.
4. Discussion
4.1. Chemical characteristics of compost
It is revealed that total C content decreased, while total N content increased during composting process in the nal compost. This can be explained on the basis that decomposition of organic matter results in
substantial amounts of weight loss, particularly of total C through loss
of C in respiration as CO2 compared to lesser amount of weight loss
for total N content in the matured compost. Similar results in the decrease in total C and increase in total N content per unit of material during decomposition of different organic wastes were reported by other
workers (Goyal et al., 2005; Biswas, 2011). When low grade gypsum
was added into the composting mass, total C as well as total N content
decreased compared to rice straw compost. This occurred because

material like gypsum contain negligible concentrations of C and N

were added to rice straw which is rich in total C and N, resulting the differential dilution of compost caused by addition of mineral matter.
Moreover, when the rate of the addition of gypsum increased, the magnitude of N content per unit mass of the nal product further decreased.
The C:N ratio of the matured product of RSC and GEC as well as MSWC
narrowed down which may be attributed to the fact that the decomposition proceeds. This result corroborates with the ndings of earlier
workers (Pramanik et al., 2007).
4.2. Dehydrogenase activity (DHA)
In general, DHA decreased with an increase in salinity which might
be due to lower microbial activity under salt stress (Burns, 1982). The
present study indicates that the combined use of organic amendments
(MSWC, RSC and GEC) along with 25% RDF increases dehydrogenase
activity than unfertilized control plot because of more substrate availability. Results indicate that dehydrogenase activity was increased in
treatments receiving organic amendments either alone or in combination of chemical fertilizers after harvest of the pearl millet treatments

Fig. 4. Effect of organic amendments vis--vis chemical fertilizers microbial biomass carbon (MBC) after mustard and pearl millet harvest.

M.D. Meena et al. / Catena 140 (2016) 18

Table 3
Changes in soil pH and EC (1:2) after mustard harvest and pearl millet as affected by
MSWC and GEC.
Treatments

T1
T2
T3
T4
T5
T6
T7
T8
T9
LSD (P = 0.05)

After mustard harvest

pH

EC dSm

8.2a
8.2a
8.0a
8.1a
8.0a
8.0a
8.1a
8.1a
8.0a
0.5

8.9a
8.9a
7.1a
7.1a
7.0a
6.7a
6.6a
5.1a
5.0a
4.6

After pearl millet

harvest
1

Table 4
Effect of Municipal solid waste vis--vis gypsum enriched compost and chemical fertilizers
on available KMnO4-N, Olsen-P and NH4OAc-K (kg ha1) after mustard and pearl millet
harvest.
Treatments

pH EC dSm
8.2b
8.1ab
8.0ab
8.0ab
8.0ab
8.0ab
8.0ab
8.0ab
7.9a
0.25

6.8e
6.7e
6.5de
6.2cd
6.1cd
6.0c
5.5b
5.3b
4.5a
0.40

T1: Control, T2: Recommended dose of NPK fertilizers (100% RDF), T3: Rice straw compost
@ 14 t ha1, T4: Gypsum enriched compost @ 14 t ha1, T5: Municipal solid waste compost
@ 16 t ha1, T6: 50% RDF + Rice straw compost @ 7 t ha1, T7: 50% RDF + Gypsum
enriched compost @ 7 t ha1, T8: 50% RDF + Municipal solid waste compost @ 8 t ha1,
T9: 25% RDF + RSC @ 3.5 t ha1 + GEC 3.5 t ha1 + MSWC @ 4 t ha1.
For each parameter, different letters within the same column indicate that treatment
means are signicantly different at P b 0.05 according to Duncan's Multiple Range Test for
separation of means.

than the mustard which might be due to the higher level of salinity. Organic amendments enhance their subsequent mineralization with microora with a concomitant increase in CO2 release and consequently
soil aeration presumably owing to an enzymatic activity stimulus
(Muhammad et al., 2007).

4.3. Alkaline phosphatase activity (APA)

The application of 100% RDF increased alkaline phosphatase
(APA) activity than unfertilized control plot after mustard and
pearl millet harvest. However, conjoint use of organic amendments
and chemical fertilizers maintained higher activity of alkaline phosphatase than the sole application of organic amendments or chemical fertilizers, indicating their better enzyme activity which helps
in supplying P to crops (ChangHoon et al., 2004). Results showed
that organic amendments enhance alkaline phosphatase activity.
Phosphatase activity responded more to pH than to the differences
in soil salinity (Tripathi et al., 2007).

T1
T2
T3
T4
T5
T6
T7
T8
T9
LSD
(P = 0.05)

After mustard harvest

After pearl millet harvest

KMnO4-N

Olsen-P

NH4OAc-K

KMnO4-N

Olsen-P

NH4OAc-K

104c
130ab
116bc
122b
125ab
126ab
126ab
133ab
141a
16

14d
26bc
24c
25bc
27bc
28bc
30abc
34ab
37a
9

198b
223ab
226ab
229ab
234ab
240ab
248ab
257ab
269ab
59

88c
134ab
123b
125b
127b
137ab
137ab
141ab
148a
17

12e
27cd
25d
26d
28cd
30cd
32bc
36ab
39a
5

184c
247ab
230b
231b
241ab
250ab
257ab
265ab
278a
43

T1: Control, T2: Recommended dose of NPK fertilizers (100% RDF),T3: Rice straw compost
@ 14 t ha1, T4: Gypsum enriched compost @ 14 t ha1, T5: Municipal solid waste compost
@ 16 t ha1, T6: 50% RDF + Rice straw compost @ 7 t ha1, T7: 50% RDF + Gypsum
enriched compost @ 7 t ha1, T8: 50% RDF + Municipal solid waste compost @ 8 t ha1,
T9: 25% RDF + RSC @ 3.5 t ha1 + GEC 3.5 t ha1 + MSWC @ 4 t ha1.
For each parameter, different letters within the same column indicate that treatment
means are signicantly different at P b 0.05 according to Duncan's Multiple Range Test for
separation of means.

4.4. Urease activity

The increase in urease activity after mustard and pearl millet harvest
is due to the application of organic amendments than unfertilized control plot. This was obvious as the experimental soil was low in organic
carbon content. Integrated use of chemical fertilizers and organic
amendments further increased the urease activity over sole application
of chemical fertilizers and organic amendments due to the enhanced
soil organic carbon level in soil. In fact, the enzyme activity associated
with salinization varied depending on the degree of salinization, as
well as on the type of enzyme (Yuan et al., 2007).
4.5. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC)
The changes of soil carbon can be used as the indicators of soil quality due to the impacts of management practices (Bending et al., 2000).
In the present study, microbial biomass carbon was increased due to
the application of organic amendments than the control. It is clearly
shown that organic amendments had higher amount of MBC than

Fig. 5. Effects of municipal solid waste compost vis--vis chemical fertilizers on Walkley and Black organic carbon (WBC) after mustard and pearl millet harvest.

M.D. Meena et al. / Catena 140 (2016) 18

100% RDF. However, highest concentration of MBC in saline soil was observed with treatment receiving integrated use of organic amendments
(MSWC, RSC and GEC) along with 25% RDF. It may be explained that
more organic matter build-up in these treatments than alone use of
organic amendments and chemical fertilizers. Conjoint use of enriched
compost and 50% RDF increased MBC, which may be attributed due to
the integrated use of organic and inorganic fertilizers in intensive
cropping system like wheatsoybean crop rotation (Meena and
Biswas, 2014).

4.10. NH4OAc-K
The NH4OAc-K status in soil at the end of the pearl millet harvest increased in treatment receiving organic amendments either alone or in
combination of chemical fertilizers over the control. The positive balance of available NH4OAc-K in composts amended soil than 100% RDF
it might be attributed to the more release of non-exchangeable K from
the soils as GEC, RSC and MSWC increased soil cation exchange capacity,
which might have resulted in increased available NH4OAc-K and its utilization by crops (Nishanth and Biswas, 2008).

4.6. Soil pH and EC

5. Conclusions

Results indicate that soil pH and EC were reduced in soil treated with
organic amendments either alone or in combination of chemical fertilizers over the unfertilized plots. It is well known that organic amendments improve soil properties, which is connected with an increase in
the organic carbon content subsequently, and the reduction in soil pH
because of nitrication diminishes salinity due to the increase of salt
leaching (Lakhdar et al., 2009). Our results indicate that adverse effects
of salinity could be alleviated by repeated use of organic amendments
and chemical fertilizers consistently increased soil organic carbon content in comparison to unfertilized plot (Walker and Bernal, 2008).

The present study demonstrated that the addition of composts

(MSWC, RSC and GEC) either alone or in combination of chemical fertilizers enhances the soil microbial activity and nutrient availability in saline condition over unfertilized control plot. The integrated use of
organic amendments (MSWC, RSC and GEC) along with 25% RDF of
NPK fertilizers signicantly improved in dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, urease activity and microbial biomass carbon than unfertilized
control plots in the present mustardpearl millet cropping system.
There is a negative correlation between EC available NPK and microbial
activities. Grain as well as straw yield of mustard and pearl millet was
higher in treatment receiving organic amendments along with 25%
RDF than the alone use of compost and chemical fertilizers. In the present study, it is observed that the feasibility of using MSWC, GEC, and RSC
as an organic amendments enhances soil fertility of saline soil. However
further research on the effect of such amendments on heavy metal concentration in soil should be needed.

4.7. Walkley and Black organic carbon (WBC)

Combined use of mineral fertilizers and organic amendments increased WBC content over unfertilized control plot after harvest of
both crops, which may be explained that greater root biomass (residue)
left in the soil results from increased biomass production (Kundu et al.,
2007). The further improvement in WBC in plot receiving 25%
RDF + MSWC @ 4 t ha 1 + RSC @ 3.5 t ha1 + GEC @ 3.5 t ha 1 it
may be attributed to balanced and integrated use of inorganic and organic sources of nutrients (Majumder et al., 2008).

Conict of interest
Authors have not declared any conict of interest.
Acknowledgments

4.8. KMnO4-N
Results clearly indicate that organic amendments increased available KMnO4-N which may be attributed to the build-up of total soil organic carbon. The result showed that further increase of available
KMnO4-N in soil due to the addition of organic amendments along
with chemical fertilizers enriches the rhizosphere with macro and micronutrient elements and counteracts nutrient depletion (Tejada et al.,
2008). Similarly, continuous release of N from compost into the soil improves not only the soil fertility, but also the conditions of organic matter mineralization (Weber et al., 2007).

4.9. Olsen-P
Signicant increased in Olsen-P under treatments receiving chemical fertilizers and organic amendments over the unfertilized control
plot. This may be explained as during decomposition of organic matter
a lot of organic acids, namely citric, oxalic, tartaric, etc. are produced
which helps in solubilizing native P (Biswas, 2011). The present eld results showed that treatments received organic amendments along with
25% RDF, and build-up higher amount of Olsen-P in soil than the other
treatments after harvest of both crops (Meena and Biswas, 2013). In saline soil NaHCO3 extractable P was increased following 1% of compost
amendment (Muhammad et al., 2007). In this study, the concentration
of Olsen-P was medium range in unfertilized control plot and increased
with compost amended soil. It might be due to higher concentration of
Na+ ions that results in more soluble Na3PO4 formation in compost
amended soil, which leads to increased Olsen-P content in soils (West,
1990).

The present study is a part of the 20122016 research program Improving the productivity of salt affected soils using biodegradable municipal solid waste and gypsum enriched composts in a mustard pearl millet
cropping system. The authors thank the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India, for nancing this work and Head, and Division of Soil and Crop Management, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute,
Karnal, Haryana, India, for excellent technical assistance.
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