Amending Soil with Sludge, Manure, Humic Acid, Orthophosphate and Phytic Acid: Effects on Infiltration, Runoff and Sediment Loss

Abstract

Application of organic wastes to cultivated lands can replace mineral fertilizers but may also alter soil physical properties and enhance pollution potential. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of biosolids [composted manure (MC) and activated sludge (AS)] and specific biosolid component [orthophosphate (OP), phytic acid (PA) and humic acid (HA)] application on soils differing in texture [loamy-sand (Ramat-HaKovesh, RH), loam (Gilat, GL) and clay (Bet-Dagan, BD)], infiltration rate, runoff volume and soil sediment loss. The soils were packed in erosion boxes (400 × 200 × 40 mm) and subjected to six consecutive simulated rainstorms, each of 186 mm deionized water. The results showed that runoff volume and sediment loss from untreated soils increased with increasing clay contents. In treated soils, the response to AS application differed from the response to other amendments; in the BD clay and GL loam, it was the only amendment that caused a decrease in sediment removed by runoff. In the RH loamy-sand, all amendments reduced the final infiltration rate, but only AS and HA increased the measured runoff. It is proposed that the difference in the response of the soils to the amendments is associated with the soil's ability to attenuate changes in the negative charge on the clay edges following the increase in the specific adsorption of charged anions, thus controlling clay swelling and maintaining aggregate integrity. The effects of amending soils with a source of organic matter in order to control runoff and soil erosion are not straight forward and depend on soil and amendment properties

Soil erosion–runoff relations on cultivated land: Insights from laboratory studies

“…In all the datasets examined (both published and unpublished), the treatments tested (i.e., rain properties, soil intrinsic properties and extrinsic conditions prevailing in the field) had considerable effects on measured runoff and soil loss data (e.g. Mamedov et al, 2000Mamedov et al, , 2002Mamedov et al, , 2006Mamedov et al, , 2009Mamedov et al, , 2016Shainberg et al, 2003;Tang et al, 2006). Examples of the contribution of the above-mentioned properties and conditions (e.g.…”

Comparison of the hydrolysis characteristics of three polyphosphates and their effects on soil phosphorus and micronutrient availability

“…Since P fertilizer was first patented in 1854, it has been primarily applied in the orthophosphate forms, including monoammonium phosphate (MAP), triple superphosphate (TSP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP). Unfortunately, orthophosphate‐based fertilizers have obvious drawbacks in terms of the bioavailability of P when they are added to soils because the P in phosphate () form is easily adsorbed by soil clay particles and precipitated by soil cations (Mamedov et al., ). Farmers have attempted to cope with this problem by (a) using appropriate P sources (i.e., liquid instead of granular phosphate fertilizer; McLaughlin, Bertrand, Lombi, Holloway, & Johnston, ; Wang & Chu, ); (b) applying phosphate fertilizer in split applications (Bryla, ); and (c) applying phosphate fertilizer with manure (Sisr, Mihaljevič, Ettler, Strnad, & Šebek, ).…”

Determination of critical pH and Al concentration of acidic Ultisols for wheat and canola crops

“…Liming of acid soils can increase soil pH and alleviate Al toxicity to plants and thus maintain a suitable pH for the growth of a variety of crops (Slattery and Coventry, 1993;Mullen et al, 2006;Lollato et al, 2013;Mamedov et al, 2016). To establish which acid soils need to be ameliorated for plant growth and the target status of soil acidity after amelioration, the parameters of critical soil pH and soil Al concentration must be determined, and methods to achieve this need to be developed.…”