Soil carbohydrate and aggregation as affected by carbohydrate composition of paper mill biosolids

Abstract

Papermill biosolids (PB) are recognized as a valuable source of carbon for the physical improvement of arable soils. However, little is known about the composition of carbohydrates of these materials and their breakdown in soil, which contribute to soil structural stability. The objectives of this study were to characterize the carbohydrates in PB and to determine under controlled conditions and in the field the soil carbohydrate content and water-stable aggregation. The field experiment consisted of PB applied every year (2000-2008) at 0, 30, and 60 Mg wet weight·ha-1 to annual row crops with soils collected after 3, 6, and 9 years. The other experiment consisted of PB added at 50 Mg wet weight·ha-1 to two soils, a clay and a sandy loam, and incubated at 25 °C and 60% water-filled pore space for 16 wk. The PB differed in their content in galactose, mannose, and arabinose for total fraction and sum of carbohydrates for water-soluble fraction. In the field, repeated annual PB application increased most of soil total carbohydrates (sum and individuals) after 3 years and the proportion of >1 mm stable aggregates. The incubation study confirmed results obtained in the field, where the PB richest in carbohydrates induced the highest increases in soil total carbohydrates in both soil types. Soil total and microbial (galactose and mannose)-derived carbohydrates were closely correlated with the percentage of large aggregates, while with water-soluble carbohydrates, they all highly correlated to the amount of microbial carbohydrates applied, thus further contributing to improve soil C quality.

Opportunities and challenges to improve carbon and greenhouse gas budgets of the forest industry through better management of pulp and paper by-products

“…Soil carbon improvement results from 'pockets' of PBs trapped at the base of the mounds during their creation and due to limited mixing, along with the aggregation of organic carbon to clay-mineral particulates. The stability of these carbon pools is largely influenced by the chemical signature of the carbon forms in the PBs, particularly the presence of more labile carbohydrates (Gagnon and Ziadi, 2022).…”