ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to evaluate organic carbon (OC) and organic nitrogen (ON) decomposition in peach palm waste under field and laboratory conditions. Application was performed by both incorporating and releasing the waste onto soil surface. Field experiment was carried out on an Inceptisol under tropical conditions during the spring and summer seasons in Viçosa - MG, Brazil. The waste was incubated under field and laboratory conditions for 112 days within which samples were taken for analysis. We noted that waste was more intensely degraded under field conditions than in lab environment. Moreover, waste incorporation into soil accelerated the degradation under both incubation conditions. The estimation methods for coefficients and fractions of OC mineralization, inorganic nitrogen availability under lab condition produced results consistent with field ones; however, they were considerably underestimated.
Degradation; Organic matter; Fraction of decomposition
