The effects of marble wastes on soil properties and hazelnut yield

Wastes generated in the dimension stone industry have become an environmental concern in Turkey which is one of the leading dimension stone (mostly marble and travertine) producers in the world. Use of such wastes rich in CaCO3 for the remediation of acidic and calcium deficient soils might be an environmentally sound way to reduce the amount of wastes to be disposed. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of marble quarry and cutting wastes on the soil properties and Tombul hazelnut cultivar under the field conditions. Field tests were conducted for one year in Giresun, Turkey. The results showed that marble wastes had a significant effect on the neutralization of the soil as well as on the hazelnut yield. The soil pH was increased from 4.71 to 5.88 upon marble waste application at rates equal to agricultural lime requirement. Hazelnut yield increased from 1120.3 kg ha−1 on the field with no marble waste treatment to 1605.5 kg ha−1 with marble wastes. This study indicates that marble quarry and cutting wastes could be used in the hazelnut fields for the neutralization of acidic soil to increase the yield.