THE ADSORPTION CHARACTER OF PERLITE, INFLUENCE ON NITROGEN DYNAMICS IN SOIL

In this research the sorption of the cations NH4+, Al3+, Fe2+, Mn2+, and Mg2+ in powdered perlite and its mixture with soil was monitored. Of all observed cations in perlite by the first minutes of laboratory experiments, which is very fast, the ammonia sorption cations reacted fastest. Тhe dynamics of nitrate and ammonia nitrogen in the soil after application of perlite in different quantities were observed. Reduced ammonia content was apparent in variants with perlite one (1) month of application. Three (3) months later, distributed ammonium content increased in variants with perlite from 24% to 59%, compared with the control variant due to the gradual release of ammonium perlite lattice. Six (6) months after the application, statistically significant differences were found not only between the control variant and variants with perlite, but also between the individual variants with different perlite doses (n = 13.2; P = 0.003 according to Kruskal-Wallis test). The process of nitrification in the soil was strong because of the applied perlite. The content of nitrate nitrogen in the soil is reduced by 66% to 78% compared to control variation in the fall time; therefore, the amount of nitrate leaching from soil horizons groundwater is minimal. In summary, perlite can be considered to be a slow release nitrogen fertilizer. This research concluded that the perlite can find application in the production of mineral fertilizers that is gradually giving the necessary cations.