Influence of rates and timing of biowaste compost application on rye yield and soil nitrate levels

Hartl, Wilfried; Putz, Berta; Erhart, Eva

doi:10.1016/s1164-5563(03)00028-1

Cited by 36 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Regarding the effect of the application rates, over a 5-year field trial with permanent rye, the treatments receiving 20 to 40 t ha −1 of biowaste compost per single application showed smaller amplitudes in the soil NO 3 -N levels in fall than the treatments receiving 60 t ha −1 (Hartl et al, 2003). Other studies have noted that compost produced more nitrate than needed for plant use throughout a 5-year period.…”

Section: N Pool Fatementioning

confidence: 86%

“…In a 5-year trial, Hartl et al (2003) found that every second year spreading of 40 t ha −1 biowaste compost, from source-separated organic household waste and yard trimmings, resulted in slightly higher (9%) rye yields than other rates. This result suggested that beneficial use depends on choosing the best amount and frequency of compost application.…”

Section: Yield Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Butler and Muir (2006) observed that soil pH increased on average by 0.5 units as the dairy manure compost rate doubled in magnitude from 11.2 to 179.2 t ha −1 . As previously explained, with long-term compost use the residual effects on crop production and soil properties can last for several years, since only a fraction of the N and other nutrients becomes available for plants in the first year after spreading (Hartl et al, 2003;Eghball et al, 2004). As an estimation of the the available N from compost treatment in the first year of application, Tittarelli et al (2007) mentioned a release of only 30-35% of the total N content.…”

Section: Chemical Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long-term effects of organic amendments on soil fertility. A review

Diacono¹,

Montemurro²

2010

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

1,129

546

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To cite this version:Mariangela Diacono, Francesco Montemurro. Long-term effects of organic amendments on soil fertility. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, Springer Verlag/EDP Sciences/INRA, 2010, 30 (2), <10.1051/agro/2009040>. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 30 (2010) Abstract -Common agricultural practices such as excessive use of agro-chemicals, deep tillage and luxury irrigation have degraded soils, polluted water resources and contaminated the atmosphere. There is increasing concern about interrelated environmental problems such as soil degradation, desertification, erosion, and accelerated greenhouse effects and climate change. The decline in organic matter content of many soils is becoming a major process of soil degradation, particularly in European semi-arid Mediterranean regions. Degraded soils are not fertile and thus cannot maintain sustainable production. At the same time, the production of urban and industrial organic waste materials is widespread. Therefore, strategies for recycling such organic waste in agriculture must be developed. Here, we review long-term experiments (3-60 years) on the effects of organic amendments used both for organic matter replenishment and to avoid the application of high levels of chemical fertilizers. The major points of our analysis are: (1) many effects, e.g. carbon sequestration in the soil and possible build-up of toxic elements, evolve slowly, so it is necessary to refer to long-term trials. (2) Repeated application of exogenous organic matter to cropland led to an improvement in soil biological functions. For instance, microbial biomass carbon increased by up to 100% using high-rate compost treatments, and enzymatic activity increased by 30% with sludge addition. (3) Long-lasting application of organic amendments increased organic carbon by up to 90% versus unfertilized soil, and up to 100% versus chemical fertilizer treatments. (4) Regular addition of organic residues, particularly the composted ones, increased soil physical fertility, mainly by improving aggregate stability and decreasing soil bulk density. (5) The best agronomic performance of compost is often obtained with the highest rates and frequency of applications. Furthermore, applying these strategies, there were additional beneficial effects such as the slow release of nitrogen fertilizer. (6) Crop yield increased by up to 250% by long-term applications of high rates of municipal solid waste compost. Stabilized organic amendments do not reduce the crop yield quality, but improve it. (7) Organic amendments play a positive role in climate change mitigation by soil carbon sequestration, the size of which is dependent on their type, the rates and the frequency of application. (8) There is no tangible evidence demonstrating negative impacts of heavy metals applied to soil, particularly when high-quality compost was used for long periods. (9) Repeated application of composted materials enhances soil organic nitrogen content by up to 90%, storing it for mineralization in future cropping...

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Section: N Pool Fatementioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Yield Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Chemical Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long-term effects of organic amendments on soil fertility. A review

Diacono¹,

Montemurro²

2010

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

1,129

546

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show abstract

“…With regard to the best compost supply scheduling, we chose the annual addition proposed by Mamo et al (1999) and Hartl et al (2003).…”

Section: Crop Yieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil and vegetable crop response to addition of different levels of municipal waste compost under Mediterranean greenhouse conditions

Morra¹,

Pagano²,

Iovieno

et al. 2010

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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-In the soil thematic strategy of the European Union Commission, a soil organic carbon content of 2% is indicated as a threshold below which a reduction in soil chemical, biological and physical fertility, and increase in erosion can be observed. Composting of organic matter 'exogenous' to soil (such as from municipalities, industries and agriculture sources) is recommended as an effective way to ensure the return of biomass to soil and the return of the soil organic matter losses. The composting of municipal solid wastes is seen as a strategy to divert organic waste materials from landfills. A municipal source-separated solid waste compost was used in a study carried out during [2003][2004][2005][2006] in Southern Italy. An annual tomato-snap bean-lettuce rotation was planted on a sandy loam soil with 26 g kg −1 organic carbon under greenhouse conditions. Different rates of compost (15-30-45 t ha −1 on a dry weight basis) and combinations of compost at a rate of 15 t ha −1 with reduced doses of mineral N fertilizer (1/2 or 1/4 of optimal supply) were compared with an untreated control and a N, P, K fertilized control. We found that: (1) increasing compost rates produced increasing positive soil organic carbon balances. The C conversion efficiency was 23 and 36% with 15 and 30 t ha −1 , respectively, but declined to 28% with the highest rate of compost. Indeed, the higher the compost amounts applied, the higher the soil organic carbon losses. (2) Under tunnel-greenhouse conditions, all the fertilization strategies, except compost at a rate of 15 t ha −1 , increased soil nitrate concentrations by up 100 to 400 mg kg −1 dry weight of soil, particularly in the spring-summer seasons. In the same period, nitrate contents in the untreated control reached 100 mg kg −1 . (3) The average yield of marketable tomato for the four-year period was 114 t ha −1 and did not vary significantly among treatments. No differences in snap bean yields were detected among the fertilization treatments. In lettuce cultivation, however, 30 and 45 t ha −1 of compost yielded more than other treatments. In the tunnel-greenhouse environment, a high initial content of soil organic matter resulted in high vegetable yields over all four years, even without mineral or organic fertilizer supply. However, among the various fertilization strategies, the best solution able to restore annual soil carbon mineralization was the supply of 15 t ha −1 of compost. In addition, this rate reduced the hazards linked to the high release of nitrates in soil caused by 30 and 45 t ha −1 rates of compost or mineral fertilization. compost amendment / soil C balance / soil nitrates / vegetable crops / greenhouse / soil enzyme activity

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“…It is believed that adding considerable quantities of compost to agricultural land will reverse the trend of soil organic matter reduction [5]. Bio waste and vegetable compost application can increase plant available P, K [6,7] and Mg [8] levels of soils. Influence of compost on nutritional composition of shoots and grains of amaranths was reported by Oworu et al [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%