Abstract

In tropical and subtropical countries where the humus content of soils is poor due to to the high temperature and low moisture conditions, the problem of constantly replenishing the organic matter content to maintain the normal fertility of soil assumes greater importance. Besides improving the general tilth and moisture holding capacity of the soil, organic matter supplies nitrogen in a form which is not easily lost by rain, but at the same time becomes gradually available by a process of nitrification, Black and Goring (1953) have reported that the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents of organic materials are positively correlated. Ghosh (1959) has reported on the existence of a positive correlation between the organic matter and nitrogen contents in the compost produced by Municipalities of the Bihar State, from town-refuse and night-soil. He has also laid down that the calculated values of organic matter, obtained by multiplying the nitrogen values of compost samples by 17-7 were very proximate to those found experimentally. The present study was undertaken with a view to finding out whether any such correlation exists between organic matter and total nitrogen contents, on the one hand, between total nitrogen and organic carbon, and between organic matter and organic carbon in compost produced by Municipalities, Town Panchayats and panchyat unions of the Madras State, on the other. The results of the findings are reported below.

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