Effects of Long-Term Application of Rice Compost on Rice Yields and Macronutrients in Paddy Soil

A long-term experiment was carried out to examine the effects of compost on the long-term trends and synergy effects with chemical fertilizer and saving the chemical fertilizers of paddy cropping. The experiment was conducted for the past 36 years with constant amounts of N, P, K and compost in a paddy field at Milyang, South Korea. Grain yield was significantly increased in the plots with compost application. Twenty five years after the compost treatment, grain yield was significantly increased and it reached almost 90% of NPK plots. The effect of rice straw compost on grain yield was not clear during the early cropping years about 60%, but it slightly increased there after about 95% during the late five years. In compost plots, soil organic matter content, K and $SiO_2$ was greater in the compost applied plots than with application of recommended doses of NPK. However, soil pH was reduced in compost applied plots and Ca, and Mg were remained unchanged when compared to the application of recommended doses NPK. Soil nutrient contents were less in compost applied plots than with the application of recommended doses of NPK along with compost but was found to be increased than that of un-fertilized plots. The present study indicated that the application of rice straw compost with NPK is the best of all and followed by NPK and Compost. However, treatment of Compost is time consuming and hard working desired and eventually non economical practice in mechanized agricultural systems, even though Compost is very useful source of improving the soil fertility and its physical characteristics and also the application of inorganic N and P are essential for sustaining high yield.