Effect of Incorporating Organic Materials into A Clay Soil of Lajas Valley on the Yields of Food Crops

Abstract

Data have been presented here from a field experiment where bagasse, filter-press cake, and a commercial organic material were incorporated into a Santa Isabel clay soil under irrigation at the rates of 20 and 40 tons of dry material to the acre. The organic materials at the low level were hand-hoed into the topmost 6 inches of soil, while at the high level they were hoed to a 12-inch depth. Three crops: Corn, white beans, and sweetpotatoes, were grown consecutively in the sequence following the establishment of the treatment differentials. Bagasse, at both levels, depressed the yields of corn in a highly significant way. The use of filter-press cake at the rate of 40 tons to the acre outyielded bagasse at both rates, the commercial organic material at the high rate, and the check. No significant effects were measured on the bean and sweetpotato crops planted about 5 and 13 months, respectively, after establishing the treatment differentials. The growth of the latter was more uniform than that of corn. The results are discussed briefly along with other results obtained under different conditions in Puerto Rico.