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

Abstract

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>. <hal-00886539>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...

Herbage intake regulation and growth of rabbits raised on grasslands: back to basics and looking forward

“…Immobilizing C, N and P in relatively stable organic matter is the key determinant of the extent and resilience of a soil's ability to autonomously provide nutrients adapted to plant requirements and decrease nutrient losses to the environment (Drinkwater and Snapp, 2007;Soussana and Lemaire, 2014). These processes can be strengthened by manure application during rabbit grazing, which increases the size and diversity of soil microbial populations and the biological fertility of soils (Diacono and Montemurro, 2010). These benefits depend greatly on finding the relevant intensification level, which is highly site dependent (Soussana and Lemaire, 2014).…”

Effect of date palm waste compost on forage alfalfa growth, yield, seed yield and minerals uptake

“…Conventional farm systems have been characterized by a high use of chemical fertilizer causing the deterioration of qualitative soil and agricultural production (Diacono and Montemurro 2010;Singh et al 2007). Also, excessive utilization of this chemical fertilizer with no organic amendments can pollute the surrounding environment due to the excessive leaching of nutrients (Lim et al 2015b).…”

Soil ameliorants to improve soil chemical and microbial biomass properties in some South African soils

“…Equally, the only increased organic C content manifested in heavier-textured soil of Potchefstroom ecotope resulted with applications of both total replacements of NPK IMBAs and the application of partial replacement like Crop care. Long-term application of organic amendments increased organic C by up to 90% and 100% when unfertilised soil and inorganic fertilised soil served as references, respectively (Diacono and Montemurro, 2010). This demonstrates that incorporation of organic fertiliser into the soil could be an efficient way of maintaining a desired soil C level (Fan et al, 2007).…”