EFFECTS OF MULCHING AND FERTILISER ON NUTRIENT DYNAMICS OF SAND TAILINGS GROWN WITH ACACIA HYBRID SEEDLINGS

Abstract

WAN ASMA I, WAN RASIDAH K, ROSENANI AB, AMINUDDIN H & ROZITA A. 2011. Effects of mulching
and fertiliser on nutrient dynamics of sand tailings grown with Acacia hybrid seedlings. Studies on the
contribution of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) mulch mat and its impact on fertiliser loss through leaching
on sand tailings are lacking. Sand tailings in Malaysia formed through tin mining activities are problematic
soils for agriculture and forestry. An experiment with two types of EFB mulch mat applied in combination
with NPK (nitrogen:phosphorus:potassium) fertiliser was established in pots containing sandy tin tailing soil
to assess their effects on soil nutrient enrichment and leaching. Application of mulch mat reduced leaching of
fertiliser compared with treatments without mulch mats. Incorporating fertiliser inside the mulch mat at the
production stage could be the best way of applying inorganic fertiliser on sandy soils as the amounts of N, P
and K loss was reduced significantly compared with treatments without mulch. There was poor synchronisation
between fertiliser input and plant nutrient demand. The amount of fertiliser applied seemed to be in excess
of the uptake capacity by roots especially for highly mobile nutrients N and K. Application of mulch mat on
sand tailings however did not ameliorate the soil nutrient properties after 16 weeks. This could be due to
the porous nature of the sand tailings.