Evaluation of organic materials used as fertilizers

Abstract

The present paper aimed to study the determination of organic carbon and the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of organic materials which can be used as fertilizers. Analytical procedures recommended by Brazilian official methods of fertilizer analysis include the determination of total organic matter by incineration. The errors of this method are not taken into account in spite of the great variability of the organic materials. This paper suggests that the organic characteristics of organic fertilizers must be expressed by the organic carbon content as determined by wet oxidation with dichromate ion and sulfuric acid. There is a great demand for practical indexes for determining the state of composting since the incorporation into the soil of immature organic material can cause severe damage to crops. In order to evaluate the maturity of organic products as manures, compost industrial wastes and peat, the determination of CEC was discussed. It seems possible to define the chemical stabilization of organic materials on the basis of the relationship between CEC and organic carbon content. The analytical procedures employed proved to be suitable for routine analysis.