Effect of the Application of Manure of Cattle on the Properties Chemistry of Soil in Tizayuca, Hidalgo, Mexico
Yolanda Marmolejo Santillán, Fidel Perez Moreno, Francisco Prieto Garcia, Otilio Arturo Acevedo Sandoval
Abstract
Large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides applied annually to agricultural soils improve the physical and
chemical properties of soil but, when they are applied without control they can cause serious environmental
problems. The farms of Tizayuca in Hidalgo State produce about 30000 tons of manure per day, which are
applied indiscriminately in the same region for agricultural use. The aim of this study was to determine the effect
of cow manure application in soil chemical properties. Soil samples were collected in two cultivated sites with a
history of six and seven years of manure application in uncultivated plot for ten years (control) and they were
analyzed according to Mexican Official Standard 021 which sets the specifications of soil fertility. The results
showed in the sites with manure application, organic matter content increased significantly compared to the
control plot (1.24 and 1.43%), the addition of manure for several years contributed to lower soil pH. The
decreased conductivity (0.66 and 0.72 dS∙m-1). The inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were
significantly higher than the values in the plot with seven years of manure application; there was a process of
leaching of these, which may affect the groundwater contamination.
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