title: Composted oyster shell as lime fertilizer is more effective than fresh oyster shell.
abstract: Physio-chemical changes in oyster shell were examined, and fresh and composted oyster shell meals were compared as lime fertilizers in soybean cultivation. Structural changes in oyster shell were observed by AFM and FE-SEM. We found that grains of the oyster shell surface became smoother and smaller over time. FT-IR analysis indicated the degradation of a chitin-like compound of oyster shell. In chemical analysis, pH (12.3+/-0.24), electrical conductivity (4.1+/-0.24 dS m(-1)), and alkaline powder (53.3+/-1.12%) were highest in commercial lime. Besides, pH was higher in composted oyster shell meal (9.9+/-0.53) than in fresh oyster shell meal (8.4+/-0.32). The highest organic matter (1.1+/-0.08%), NaCl (0.54+/-0.03%), and moisture (15.1+/-1.95%) contents were found in fresh oyster shell meal. A significant higher yield of soybean (1.33 t ha(-1)) was obtained by applying composted oyster shell meal (a 21% higher yield than with fresh oyster shell meal). Thus composting of oyster shell increases the utility of oyster shell as a liming material for crop cultivation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plant Environmental Research, Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Service, Chinju 660-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Han
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shah Md Asraful
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Sun Joo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Kye Man
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Renukaradhya K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Math
authors.forename: Jae Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Hoon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Han Dae
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Yun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005308:Fertilizers; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil; D013025:Glycine max / Q000254:growth & development; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D012987:Soil