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In 2013-2014, research was carried out on a Bathihypogleyi-Haplic Luvisol (LVh-gld-w) soil with predominant sandy loam and pH KCl 4.9-5.2 with a view to finding out how composts produced from sewage sludge, green waste and biogas production waste influenced grain and straw yields of winter wheat grown in the first year after compost incorporation and spring barley grown in the second year after incorporation as well as the concentrations of nitrogen, potassium and heavy metals in grain and straw. The field experiment was conducted in the fields of Elmininkai Experimental Station (Anykščiai distr., Eastern Lithuania) of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry. The investigations proved that the composts incorporated without mineral fertilizer did not increase grain and straw of winter wheat grown in the first year after incorporation. During the second year, the composts increased the spring barley grain yield as follows: biogas -by 72.9%, green waste -68.6%, cattle manure -58.9% and sewage sludge -45.2%. The application of composts on the background of mineral fertilizers did not significantly increase winter wheat and spring barley grain and straw yields compared with mineral fertilizers. The concentration of chemical elements in plants depended on the compost degradation process in soil. During the first year after incorporation of composts, nitrogen (N) concentration in winter wheat grain was increased by biogas, and during the second year -by sewage sludge and green waste composts in spring barley grain. Potassium (K) concentration in winter wheat and spring barley straw was increased by cattle manure, biogas and sewage sludge composts. During the first year, all composts increased phosphorus (P) concentration in winter wheat straw. The concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn and Cu) in grain and straw were close to the background levels. The composts used in the study increased the content of nickel in winter wheat and spring barley grain and straw somewhat more significantly.

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A long-term crop rotation experiment was established in Central Lithuania (Skėmiai, Radviliškis region) in 1971 (lysimeters were installed in 1976) on a sandy loamy Endocalcari-Endohypogleyic Cambisol (CMg-n-w-can). The effect of regular fertilisation with different rates and combinations of NPK fertilisers in a crop rotation (winter wheat → sugar beet → spring barley → spring rape → annual grasses and perennial grasses) on the concentrations of cations (Ca , respectively. Low levels of potassium leaching had little effect on potassium balance in the soil. Sodium leaching level did not exceed 7.67 kg ha -1 Na + in winter and 3.39 kg ha -1 Na + in summer. Application of mineral fertilisers resulted in sodium leaching increase by 5.77 kg ha -1 Na + on an average; potassium fertilisation encouraged the process of sodium leaching. As a result of intensive fertilisation the concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions in lysimeter water sampled at 80 cm depth were slightly higher than in the lysimeter water at 40 cm depth, the concentration of potassium ions -lower, and the concentration of sodium ions -about the same.