Long-term biosolids land application influences soil health

Overgrazed rangelands can lead to soil degradation, yet long-term land application of organic amendments (i.e., biosolids) may play a pivotal role in improving degraded rangelands in terms of soil health. However, the long-term effects on soil health properties in response to single or repeated, low to excessive biosolids applications, on semi-arid, overgrazed grasslands have not been quantified. Using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF), soil physical, biological, chemical, nutrient, and overall soil health indices between biosolids applications (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 21, or 30 Mg ha−1) and application time (single: 1991, repeated: 2002) were determined. Results showed no significant changes in soil physical and nutrient health indices. However, the chemical soil health index was greater when biosolids were applied at rates <30 Mg ha−1 and within the single compared to repeated applications. The biological soil health index was positively affected by increasing biosolids application rates, was overall greater in the repeated as compared to the single application, and was maximized at 30 Mg ha−1. The overall soil health index was maximized at rates <30 Mg ha−1. When all indices were combined, and considering past plant community findings at this site, overall soil health appeared optimized at a biosolids application rate of ~10 Mg ha−1. The use of soil health tools can help determine a targeted organic amendment application rate to overgrazed rangelands so the material provides maximum benefits to soils, plants, animals, and the environment.

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Class B Land Application: A Long-term, Highly Successful Public-Private Partnership

Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation ◽

10.2175/193864717821495546 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 (1) ◽

pp. 1056-1064

Author(s):

Jake Finlinson ◽

Dave Ruud ◽

Andy Bary ◽

Maile Lono-Batura

Keyword(s):

Land Application ◽

Public Private Partnership ◽

Private Partnership ◽

Class B

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Influence of long-term manure application on mineral composition of irrigated barley silage

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/cjps-2014-329 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 95 (4) ◽

pp. 759-770 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. J. Miller ◽

B. W. Beasley ◽

C. F. Drury ◽

F. J. Larney ◽

X. Hao

Keyword(s):

Mineral Composition ◽

Application Rate ◽

Land Application ◽

Wood Chips ◽

Fertilizer Treatment ◽

Manure Application ◽

Feed Quality ◽

Barley Silage

Miller, J. J., Beasley, B. W., Drury, C. F., Larney, F. and Hao, X. 2015. Influence of long-term manure application on mineral composition of irrigated barley silage. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 759–770. The long-term effect of land application of manure type (composted vs. stockpiled manure), bedding type (wood-chips vs. straw), and application rate on feed quality of barley silage as feed for beef cattle is unknown. We measured selected minerals [P, Ca, Ca:P ratio, Mg, K, K:(Ca+Mg) ratio, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu] of irrigated barley silage (Hordeum vulgare L.) on a clay loam soil after 4 (2002), 7 (2005) and 11 (2009) years of annual applications of composted (CM) or stockpiled (SM) feedlot manure with wood-chips (WD) or straw (ST) bedding at three application rates (13, 39, 77Mg ha−1 dry wt.). The treatments also included an unamended control and inorganic fertilizer treatment. Manure type generally had inconsistent or no significant (P≤0.05) effect on the concentrations of these minerals in barley silage. Most crop minerals were generally greater under ST than WD. The findings for P, K, Na, and K:(Ca+Mg) ratio generally supported our hypothesis of greater crop concentrations with greater application rate, but Ca and Mg decreased at higher rates. Overall, our findings suggest that bedding and application rate have more potential than manure type for managing the feed quality of barley silage.

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Impacts of switching tillage to no-tillage and vice versa on soil structure, enzyme activities, and prokaryotic community profiles in Argentinean semi-arid soils

FEMS Microbiology Ecology ◽

10.1093/femsec/fiab025 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

L A Gabbarini ◽

E Figuerola ◽

J P Frene ◽

N B Robledo ◽

F M Ibarbalz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Soil Structure ◽

Management Practices ◽

Soil Health ◽

Amplicon Sequencing ◽

16S Rrna Genes ◽

Rrna Genes ◽

Prokaryotic Community ◽

C Cycle

Abstract The effects of tillage on soil structure, physiology, and microbiota structure were studied in a long-term field experiment, with side-to-side plots, established to compare effects of conventional tillage (CT) vs. no-till (NT) agriculture. After 27 years, part of the field under CT was switched to NT and vice versa. Soil texture, soil enzymatic profiles, and the prokaryotic community structure (16S rRNA genes amplicon sequencing) were analysed at two soil depths (0–5, 5–10 cm) in samples taken 6, 18, and 30 months after switching tillage practices. Soil enzymatic activities were higher in NT than CT, and enzymatic profiles responded to the changes much earlier than the overall prokaryotic community structure. Beta diversity measurements of the prokaryotic community indicated that the levels of stratification observed in long-term NT soils were already recovered in the new NT soils thirty months after switching from CT to NT. Bacteria and Archaea OTUs, which responded to NT were associated with coarse soil fraction, SOC and C cycle enzymes while CT responders were related to fine soil fractions and S cycle enzymes. This study showed the potential of managing the soil prokaryotic community and soil health through changes in agricultural management practices.

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Improvement of Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Soil Properties by Growing Different Green Crops

The Agriculturists ◽

10.3329/agric.v12i2.21729 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 34-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ashim Kumar Saha ◽

Apu Biswas ◽

Abdul Qayyum Khan ◽

Md. Mohashin Farazi ◽

Md. Habibur Rahman

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Total Nitrogen ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Nutritional Value ◽

Soil Health ◽

Critical Value ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Organic Carbon Content

Long-term tea cultivation has led to degradation of the soil. Old tea soils require rehabilitation for restoring soil health. Soil rehabilitation by growing different green crops can break the chain of monoculture of tea. An experiment was conducted at The Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI) Farm during 2008-2011 to find out the efficiency of different green crops on the improvement of soil properties. Four green crops such as Guatemala, Citronella, Mimosa and Calopogonium were grown to develop the nutritional value of the degraded tea soil. Soil samples were collected and analyzed before and at the end of experiment. Soil pH was increased in all four green crops treated plots with the highest increase in Citronella treated plots (from 4.1 to 4.5). Highest content of organic carbon (1.19%) and total nitrogen (0.119%) were found in Mimosa and Calopogonium treated plots, respectively. Concentration of available phosphorus, calcium and magnesium in all green crops treated plots were above the critical values, while available potassium content was above the critical value in Guatemala, Citronella and Mimosa treated plots. Changes in soil pH and available potassium were significant, while changes in organic carbon content, total nitrogen and available calcium were insignificant. Changes in available phosphorus and magnesium were significant. The Agriculturists 2014; 12(2) 34-38

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