• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.274-280
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• 2005

Enormous amount of oyster-shell waste has been illegally disposed at oyster farm sites along the southern coast of Korea and then made a serious problem in environmental side. To increase the consumption of oyster shell meal as a soil amendment, the effects of oyster shell meal on soil properties and spring Chinese cabbage productivity were evaluated in silt loam soil to which 0, 4, 8, 12 and $16Mg\;ha^{-1}$ of oyster-shell meal fertilizer were added. Hydrated lime treatment ($2Mg\;ha^{-1}$) was selected as a control. Oyster-shell meal fertilizer, which made by a simple crushing and has high alkalinity as a calcium materials, had significant effects on neutralizing acid soil and on supplying calcium element. Spring Chinese cabbage yields increased with shell meal application. Plant uptakes of macro-nutrients such as P and C, and micro-nutrient such as B were significantly increased by oyster-shell meal application and then contributed to promote Chinese cabbage growth. The highest yield was achieved following the addition of $8Mg\;ha^{-1}$ shell meal application, and the same yield with that in lime treatment was at the $4Mg\;ha^{-1}$. Oyster-shell meal had more substantial effect on suppling calcium and on improving soil pH than that of lime. In conclusion, oyster shell meal fertilizer could be a good supplement to other inorganic soil amendments to improve nutrient balances in upland soils.