Nitrogen Utilization by Tall Fescue from Sewage Sludge Compost Amended Soils¹

Abstract

The agronomic value of sewage sludge compost as an N source for tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. ‘Kentucky 31’) was evaluated in a greenhouse pot study. An Evesboro loamy sand (mesic, coated Typic Quartzipsamments) and a Fauquier silt loam (fine, mixed, mesic Ultic Hapludalfs) soil were amended with four rates of sewage sludge compost (0 to 6% on a dry weight basis) equal to 0 to 135 metric tons/ha, a lime treatment, two rates of N (0 and 195 kg/ha), P (0 and 390 kg/ha), and N plus P in a factorial design. Kentucky 31 tall fescue was grown and harvested at 40, 76, 120, and 167 days. The clippings and one replicate of roots and crowns grown in the Evesboro soil were analyzed for total N. Total N uptake by fescue grown in compost amended Evesboro soil was significantly greater than with Fauquier soil treated similarly. Fescue N content was linearly related to the compost amendment for both soils and was significantly increased by the addition of N and P singly or in combination. The largest fescue N increase was obtained by the addition of N and P. Nitrogen uptake was limited by the mineralization rate of compost organic N. Regression equations describing total N uptake and fescue N concentration as affected by compost amendment, fertilizer addition, and time, required, in most cases, a quadratic term for compost amendment to explain the variation in Fescue N. During 167 days of growth the fescue utilized approximately 8% of the compost N and 80% of the fertilizer N. Based on the N content of fescue grown in Evesboro soil an equivalent fertilizer value of 166 kg N/ha was obtained for the 135 metric tons/ha compost amendment compared with the fertilizer treatments.

Organic Management Practices on Athletic Fields: Part 1. The Effects on Color, Quality, Cover, and Weed Populations

“…Assessments of organic‐based fertilizers have displayed a wide range of effectiveness in their ability to maintain high quality turf stands (Tester et al, 1982; Landschoot and Waddington, 1987; Garling and Boehm, 2001; Gardner, 2004; Trenholm and Unruh, 2005; Blume et al, 2009). It is understood that many organic fertilizers exhibit slower release rates due to their need for microbial breakdown and specific soil conditions (Tester et al, 1982; Landschoot and Waddington, 1987; Blume et al, 2009). For this reason, higher rates of organic fertilizers may be necessary to achieve desired turfgrass color and quality (Trenholm and Unruh, 2005).…”

EFFECT OF INORGANIC NPK FERTILIZER AND BIOORGANIC COMPOST ON GROWTH AND QUALITY OF NUMEX SAHARA BERMUDAGRASS (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) GROWN IN A SANDY SOIL

“…In the first and second seasons, at the end of the experiment, total carbohydrates, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus % ( Table, 5) were all the highest in Bermudagrass which received high NPK fertilizer combined with either compost treatments (M3+C2 and M3+C1), and were significantly higher in all measurements than high NPK fertilizer treatment alone (M3). Similarly, results showed that applications of composted biosolids at increasing rates resulted in a linear increase in tall fescue foliar N concentrations (Sikora et al, 1980;Tester et al, 1982;Tester, 1989). Sakr et al, (2008) reported that combining sewage sluge compost (0.01m3 /m2) with the highest rate of conventional NPK fertilizer(55.6 g/m2/month) resulted in the highest values for vegetative growth parameters as well as the contents of N, P, K, Fe, and Zn in clippings.…”

“…These results indicated that high NPK fertilizer was the key to improving growth of Bermudagrass especially when combined with high compost incorporated to the sandy soil. The largest increases in clipping yields were associated with turf treated with both compost and supplemental N + P (Sikora et al, 1980;Tester et al, 1982;Tester, 1989).…”

Ecological Restoration of Forest Soils Case of the Forest “Aioun Branise” Saida Algeria

“…Guénon, 2010 to shown that the contribution of compost maintained a higher humidity in soils in the summer season 10 months after are spreading on soil South of the France in the forest of the Moor, probably thanks to the high capacity of composts water retention and a limitation of the evaporation deposition surface (Serra-Wittling et al, 1995). Sludge-treated soils, keeps longer moisture (Tester et al, 1982).…”