The effect of soil conditioners on plant growth and soil structure

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Abstract
A series of field and pot experiments, over a period of five years, with HPAN, VAMA and seaweed meal is described.Soil‐conditioner treatments, which persisted in a clay soil for at least 42 months, increased the percentage of water‐stable aggregates in all soil types used. Resistance to wind erosion was strikingly increased in a very sandy soil.Secondary effects on crops included increases in crop yields (in one experiment a decrease), delay in time of emergence, increase in percentage emergence on clay soils, reduction in ‘damping‐off’ with dressing rates up to 0.025% and postponement of permanent wilting up to 16 days on a sandy soil.Seaweed meal hastened germination and increased percentage emergence, but had little effect on final crop yield. Under humid conditions it induced almost complete damping off of seedlings.