Effects of Erythrina poeppigiana pruning residues on soil organic matter in organic coffee plantations

Abstract

The effects of Erythrina poeppigiana pruning residue effects on soil organic matter were investigated with three different objectives. Firstly, to study the effects of proximity of this shade tree on soil characteristics in organic and conventional coffee farMON in Costa Rica additionally a comparison between soil characteristics in organic and conventional farMON was carried out (Chapter III). Secondly, to analyze the effects of Erythrina poeppigiana pruning residue additions on the size-density fractions, and on other fractions of soil organic matter (SOM) (Chapter IV) and thirdly, to investigate the effects on the application of microbial inocula or earthworm treatments on pruning residue decomposition, in order to evaluate the possibility of improving nutrient release from these pruning residues in the topsoil of organic coffee farMON (Chapter V).