scholarly journals Organic versus inorganic fertilizers: Response of soil properties and crop yield

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-439
Author(s):  
Teresa Hernandez ◽  
◽  
José Guillermo Berlanga ◽  
Isabel Tormos ◽  
Carlos Garcia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Soil Microbial Communities ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Organic C

<abstract> <p>The decrease in soil productivity and quality caused by the continuous and abusive use of mineral fertilizers makes necessary to adopt more sustainable agricultural soil management strategies that help to maintain soil edaphic fertility. In light of these considerations, we have evaluated the effect of organic vs. inorganic fertilization on soil microbial communities, soil quality, and crop yield in a melon crop. The following treatments were tested: i) aerobic sewage sludge from a conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) using aerobic bacteria (SS); ii) aerobic sewage sludge from a WWTP using a bacteria-microalgae consortium (B); iii) N-P-K mineral fertilizer (M); iv) a treatment in which 50% of the N was contributed by SS and 50% by mineral fertilizer (M + SS); v) a treatment in which 50% of the N was contributed by B and 50% by mineral fertilizer (M + B); and vi) a no-fertilized control soil. Melon yield and fruit quality were determined in addition to several soil physical, chemical, biochemical and microbiological parameters. Organic fertilizers (SS and B) increased the percentage of soil water-stable aggregates (52 and 60% respectively) as well as the content of organic C (18 and 31%), water soluble C (21 and 41%), N (15 and 41%) and available P content (41 and 82%) compared to inorganic fertilization. They also stimulated bacterial and fungal abundance to a greater extent than mineral fertilizers (189 and 242% vs 85%, and 57 and 122% vs 29%, respectively), as well as soil respiration, and dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, phosphatase, urease, and glycine aminopectidase activities. The analysis of principal components with parameters linked to soil quality clearly showed that organic fertilizers cause a greater improvement in soil characteristics and microbial community than mineral fertilizers. Results demonstrate that organic and combined fertilization could be used as substitutes for nitrogen mineral fertilizers in melon crop, since these treatments led to similar melon production and quality while improving soil characteristics and microbial population size and activity.</p> </abstract>

scholarly journals Response of Microbial Activities in Soil to Various Organic and Mineral Amendments as an Indicator of Soil Quality

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakub Elbl ◽  
Jana Maková ◽  
Soňa Javoreková ◽  
Juraj Medo ◽  
Antonín Kintl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Organic Amendments ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Basal Respiration ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Individual

The presented paper deals with the analysis of potential differences between organic waste compost (CBD), vermicompost (CVER) and mineral fertilizer (MF; 27% of N) applications affecting the quality of arable soil by influencing microbial activity therein. The selected types of compost represent alternatives to conventional organic fertilizers, which are, however, not available to Czech and Slovak farmers in sufficient amounts. Their mutual comparison and the comparison with organic fertilizers aim to provide farmers further information about their influence on arable land and thus to give them the possibility of deciding on the most suitable amendments. To demonstrate the effect of these amendments, six variants were prepared: one without the addition of fertilizers; two variants with the addition of 40 Mg/ha of CVER and CBD; one variant with the addition of double dosed CVER (80 Mg/ha), and the remaining two variants were fertilized only with MF (0.22 Mg/ha) and with the combination of CVER (0.20 Mg/ha) and MF (0.11 Mg/ha). Substrate induced respiration (SIR), basal respiration (BS), microbial carbon (Cmic) and enzymatic activities (hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate—FDA, dehydrogenase activity—DHA, and phosphatase activity—PA) were used to evaluate the effect of CBD, CVER and MF application on the soil quality. Both organic and mineral amendments affected BS and SIR. The highest BS and SIR rates were found in variants with compost application (CVER and CBD). All variants treated with the mineral fertilizer showed the lowest level of enzyme activities; lower by about 30% in comparison with variants where CVER, CBD and the combination of MF and CVER were applied. We found insignificant differences between the individual types of compost. More importantly, we compared the situation at the beginning of the experiment and after its end. It was found that the application of mineral fertilizers automatically led to the deterioration of all enzymatic parameters, on average by more than 25%, as compared with the situation at the beginning of the experiment. However, when the mineral fertilizer dose was supplemented with organic amendments (CVER), this negative effect was eliminated or significantly reduced. Furthermore, both composts (CVER and CBD) positively affected plant biomass production, which reached a level of production enhanced by the MF. Results clearly showed that the application of both compost types could be used to improve soil quality in agriculture.

scholarly journals   Sulfur specification in bulk soil as influenced by long-term application of mineral and organic fertilizers

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (No. 7) ◽  
pp. 316-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Förster ◽  
G. Welp ◽  
H.W. Scherer
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Bulk Soil ◽  
Manure Compost ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
High Application

A field experiment established in 1962 on a luvisol derived from loess was chosen to investigate the effect of long-term application of farmyard manure, compost and sewage sludge, respectively, in two increments on inorganic and organic S fractions in bulk soil. Compared with mineral fertilizer, the high application rates of the different organic fertilizers (10 t farmyard manure (FYM2), 29 t compost (COM2), 7.44 t sewage sludge (SS2)/ha/year, respectively), resulted in an increase of the total S content in the bulk soil: 220 mg/kg (FYM2), 298 mg/kg (COM2), 277 mg/kg soil (SS2) as compared to the control (MIN) with 158 mg/kg soil. The sum of water soluble plus adsorbed S was significantly higher in the treatments with the high amount of compost (17.9 mg/kg soil) and sewage sludge (16.4 mg/kg) soil as compared to all the other treatments (10.0 to 13.1 mg/kg soil). The treatments with the high amounts of organic manures contained lower contents of ester sulfate and higher contents of C-bonded S as compared to the treatments with the low amounts, and vice versa. &nbsp; &nbsp;

scholarly journals Effects of Liming and Nutrient Management on Yield and Other Parameters of Potato Productivity on Acid Soils in Montenegro

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 980
Author(s):  
Zoran Jovovic ◽  
Zeljko Dolijanovic ◽  
Velibor Spalevic ◽  
Branislav Dudic ◽  
Novo Przulj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Acid Soils ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Tuber Weight ◽  
Calcium Ammonium Nitrate ◽  
The Future ◽  
Average Tuber Weight

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of liming (CaCO3 1000 kg ha−1) and application of organic fertilizers (rotted farmyard manure 40 t ha−1) and six different combination of mineral fertilizers: NPK 15:15:15 800 kg ha−1 + KAN (calcium ammonium nitrate) 240 kg ha−1; NPK 15:15:15 400 kg ha−1 + MCB (water-soluble mineral fertilizer NPK 13:11:20 + 2MgO + microelements + humic acid) 300 kg ha−1 + KAN 125 kg ha−1; MCB 400 kg ha−1; MCB 400 kg ha−1 + KMg (water-soluble mineral fertilizer Multi KMg 13:0:43 + 2MgO) 100 kg ha−1; MCB 600 kg ha−1 + KMg 100 kg ha−1 and MCB 800 kg ha−1 + KMg 100 kg ha−1 on yield and other productivity parameters of potato (Kennebec variety). The aim of the research was to optimize the system of potato plant nutrition for maximum profitability in the future potato production on acid soils of mountainous region of Montenegro. The experiments were carried out during 2015 and 2016, on Dystric Cambisols. The results obtained suggested that in both years, the highest values for all studied parameters were measured on plots with combined application of liming, organic and mineral fertilizers. In addition, a significant influence on the increase in the number of tubers per plant, the average tuber weight and the total yield was also demonstrated in all individual trials of potato nutrition, and the interaction of organic manure and mineral fertilizer. Fertilizing with rotted farmyard manure had significantly increased potato productivity, with the effect more pronounced in treatments with liming. The highest number of tubers (6.2 and 7.2), average tuber weight (93.5 g and 101.0 g) and yield (27.6 t ha−1 in 2015 and 34.8 t ha−1 in 2016, respectively) were obtained using combinations of MCB 800 kg ha−1 + KMg 100 kg ha−1 on variants fertilized with rotted farmyard manure and liming. This research is a valuable source of information for potato growers and scientists from this region as the results have shown how fertilization is raising productivity in this environment and its importance in the future potato growing on acid soils in mountainous regions of Montenegro and Western Balkans.

scholarly journals Recycling Biogas Digestate from Energy Crops: Effects on Soil Properties and Crop Productivity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 750
Author(s):  
Roberta Pastorelli ◽  
Giuseppe Valboa ◽  
Alessandra Lagomarsino ◽  
Arturo Fabiani ◽  
Stefania Simoncini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yield ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Energy Crop ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C

Digestate from biogas production can be recycled to the soil as conditioner/fertilizer improving the environmental sustainability of the energy supply chain. In a three-year maize-triticale rotation, we investigated the short-term effects of digestate on soil physical, chemical, and microbiological properties and evaluated its effectiveness in complementing the mineral fertilizers. Digestate soil treatments consisted of combined applications of the whole digestate and its mechanically separated solid fraction. Digestate increased soil total organic C, total N and K contents. Soil bulk density was not affected by treatments, while aggregate stability showed a transient improvement due to digestate treatments. A decrement of the transmission pores proportion and an increment of fissures was observed in digestate treated soils. Soil microbial community was only transiently affected by digestate treatments and no soil contamination from Clostridiaceae-related bacteria were observed. Digestate can significantly impair seed germination when applied at low dilution ratios. Crop yield under digestate treatment was similar to ordinary mineral-based fertilization. Overall, our experiment proved that the agronomic recycling of digestate from biogas production maintained a fair crop yield and soil quality. Digestate was confirmed as a valid resource for sustainable management of soil fertility under energy-crop farming, by combining a good attitude as a fertilizer with the ability to compensate for soil organic C loss.

scholarly journals Growing Food with Garbage: Effects of Six Waste Amendments on Soil and Vegetable Crops

HortScience ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 896-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Long ◽  
Rebecca N. Brown ◽  
José A. Amador
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Organic Waste ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Plant Nutrients ◽  
Chicken Manure ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Yard Waste

Using organic wastes as agricultural amendments is a productive alternative to disposal in landfills, providing nutrients for plant growth and carbon to build soil organic matter. Despite these benefits, a large fraction of organic waste is sent to landfills. Obstacles to the adoption of wastes as sources of plant nutrients include questions about harmful effects to crops or soils and the wastes’ ability to produce satisfactory yields. We compared six organic waste amendments with a mineral fertilizer control (CN) to determine effects on soil quality, soil fertility, crop quality, and crop yield in 2013 and 2014. Waste amendments were applied at a rate sufficient to supply 10,000 kg organic C/ha over two seasons, and mineral fertilizer was applied to control plots to provide 112 kg-N/ha/yr. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with four replicates and three crops: sweet corn (Zea mays L. cv. Applause, Brocade, and Montauk), butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne cv. JWS 6823), and potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Eva). Amendment with biosolids/yard waste cocompost (BS), dehydrated restaurant food waste (FW), gelatin manufacturing waste (GW), multisource compost (MS), paper fiber/chicken manure blend (PF), and yard waste compost (YW) did not have a negative impact on soil moisture, bulk density, electrical conductivity (EC), or the concentration of heavy metals in soil or plant tissue. Our results indicate potential uses for waste amendments including significantly raising soil pH (MS) and increasing soil organic matter [OM (YW and BS)]. The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N) of waste amendments was not a reliable predictor of soil inorganic N levels, and only some wastes increased potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN) levels relative to the control. Plots amended with BS, FW, and GW produced yields of sweet corn, butternut squash, and potatoes comparable with the control, whereas plots amended with YW, PF, and MS produced lower yields of sweet corn, squash, or both, although yields for potatoes were comparable with the control. In addition, the marketability of potatoes from PF plots was significantly better than that of the control in 2014. None of the wastes evaluated in this study had negative impacts on soil properties, some provided benefits to soil quality, and all produced comparable yields for at least one crop. Our results suggest that all six wastes have potential to be used as sources of plant nutrients.

scholarly journals Regulatory and technological prerequisites of the use of sewage sludge for the production of organic fertilizers

2020 ◽  
pp. 162-170
Author(s):  
R. Edgecock ◽  
V. V. Bratishko ◽  
I. V. Zinchenko ◽  
S. H. Karpus ◽  
D. O. Milko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers

Annotation Purpose. Summarize the regulatory and technological requirements for the production of organic (organo-mineral) fertilizers on the base of sewage sludge. Methods. Analysis and generalization of the requirements of regulatory documents on the management of organic waste and their use as raw materials for the production of organic fertilizers and soil improvers. Results. The current legislative, departmental and regulatory documentary base in Ukraine concerning the treatment of sediment resulting from biological sewage treatment at municipal wastewater treatment plants for its further use in agriculture as fertilizers is analysed. Indicators are identified and analysed to determine the possibility, feasibility, efficiency and scope of organic fertilizers produced using sewage sludge. The analysis of changes in the content of organic matter and total nitrogen in the sewage sludge during its storage at the sewage treatment plant sites is presented. The technological feasibility of using sludge of different shelf life in composting production has been determined. Conclusions 1. The regulatory framework of Ukraine contains a sufficiently complete list of indicators that should be met by organic raw materials (sewage sludge) for further use as organic fertilizers. Some of these indicators – bio security and heavy metals content – can be improved in the composting process of fertilizers. 2. Fresh sediment, as well as sediment accumulated in the last late autumn and winter periods, is of main value for use as a raw material in the production of organic fertilizers. 3. The use in the production of compost sludge stored on sludge sites for a period of half a year or more requires special control of the process of decontamination. In this case, it is advisable to use additional means of wastewater decontamination. Keywords: heavy metals, manure, humus, decontamination, composting, organic fertilizers, sewage sludge.

scholarly journals Atributos químicos de Latossolo sob plantio direto adubado com esterco de bovinos e fertilizantes minerais

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milena Barcellos ◽  
Antonio Carlos Vargas Motta ◽  
Volnei Pauletti ◽  
José Carlos Peixoto Modesto Da Silva ◽  
Julierme Zimmer Barbosa
Keyword(s):  
Organic Fertilizer ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Organic Fertilization ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Tillage System ◽  
High Production ◽  
Chemical Attributes ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
Total Organic C

Organic fertilization in no-tillage system (NTS) has been used in regions milk production, in an order to provide nutrients for crops and provide a destination for high production of animal waste. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical attributes of an Oxisol, a function of organic fertilization with liquid manure from dairy cattle (LMDC) and mineral fertilizers. The experiment was conducted under NTS with crop rotation including legumes and grasses. The treatments were distributed in three randomized blocks with factorial arrangement, using three levels of mineral fertilizer (0, 50 and 100 % of the dose recommended for the crops) and four levels of organic fertilizer (0, 30, 60 and 90 m3 ha-1year-1). After six years of fertilizer management of crops, soil was collected from five depths (0-0.05, 0.05-0.10, 0.10-0.30, 0.30-0.50 e 0.50-0.80 m). The samples were determined the chemical pH, H++Al3+, Al3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+,electrical conductivity (EC), bases saturation (V), Ca2+/Mg2+ ratio, total organic C (TOC), B, Cl, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn. The mineral fertilizers acidify the soil, raised the K+, P and EC and, changed the Zn and Cu contents. The organic fertilization with LMDC was a source of nutrients (Ca 2+, Mg2+, K+, P, Zn and Cu), raised the TOC and the EC, and kept the soil acidity attributes (pH, H++ Al3+ and V).

scholarly journals The influence of long-term sewage sludge application on the activity of phosphatases in the rhizosphere of plants

2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 9) ◽  
pp. 375-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Balík ◽  
D. Pavlíková ◽  
V. Vaněk ◽  
M. Kulhánek ◽  
B. Kotková
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Lower Content ◽  
Alkaline Phosphatases ◽  
Soil P ◽  
Water Soluble P ◽  
Soluble P

Model experiments using rhizoboxes were carried out in order to evaluate the influence of different plants (wheat, rape) on the changes in water extractable contents of P, the pH/H2O value and the activity of acidic and alkaline phosphatase in soil of plant rhizosphere. For this experiment, a Cambisol with different long-term fertilizing systems was used: (i) control (with no fertilizer application), (ii) sewage sludge, and (iii) manure. A lower content of water-soluble P was observed in close vicinities of root surfaces (up to 2 mm) at all the studied variants. The control (non-treated) variant reflected a significantly lower content of water-soluble P in the rhizosphere compared to the fertilized ones. The activities of the acidic and alkaline phosphatases were significantly higher in the rhizosphere compared to the bulk soil (soil outside the rhizosphere). The long-term application of organic fertilizers significantly increased phosphatase activity; the activity of the acidic phosphatase was significantly higher in the rhizosphere of rape plants compared to wheat. The variant treated with manure exhibited an increased activity of both the acidic and alkaline phosphatases compared to the variant treated with sewage sludge. In the case of the variant treated long-term with sewage sludge, the portion of inorganic P to total soil P content proportionally increased compared to the manure-treated variant. Soil of the rape rhizosphere showed a trend of lower pH/H<sub>2</sub>O value of all variants, whereas the wheat rhizosphere showed an opposite pH tendency.

scholarly journals Composted Sewage Sludge Enhances Soybean Production and Agronomic Performance in Naturally Infertile Soils (Cerrado Region, Brazil)

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1677
Author(s):  
Adrielle Rodrigues Prates ◽  
Aline Renée Coscione ◽  
Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho ◽  
Bruno Gasparoti Miranda ◽  
Orivaldo Arf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Polynomial Regression ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
Soybean Yield ◽  
Infertile Soils ◽  
Composted Sewage Sludge

Naturally infertile soils require large amounts of mineral fertilizers to obtain the desired crop yield. In the Cerrado region of Brazil, there is a need to investigate the potential of organic fertilizers to sustainably increase crop productivity and food security. A field study was conducted over two experimental seasons to evaluate the agronomic effectiveness of composted sewage sludge (CSS) as a fertilizer for soybean cultivation in infertile tropical soils. A 4 × 2 + 2 factorial randomized complete block design was applied with the following treatments: (i) CSS: 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, and 12.5 Mg ha−1 on a wet basis applied according to two different methods: whole area (WA) or between rows (BR); (ii) comparison with two alternative treatments: a control with no CSS and mineral fertilizer application, and an area treated with conventional fertilizers only. All the treatments were compared in terms of micronutrient concentrations in surface soil and plant leaves, plant development, crop productivity, and yield. Bi- (ANOVA, correlation matrix, and polynomial regression analysis) and multivariate (PCA, principal factor analysis) statistics were applied to determine statistical differences and relationships/observed variability among the treatments. Results showed that at higher CSS-WA rates: (i) soil and leaf micronutrient concentrations increased; (ii) there was an increase in soybean yield by 12 and 20%, respectively, as compared to control and conventional fertilization; (iii) soybean yield was 67% higher than the mean soybean yields for Brazil. Research outcomes confirm the benefits of CSS application on infertile agricultural soils in the Cerrado region, representing a strong alternative source of micronutrients in the CSS with respect to conventional fertilizers.

Soil respiration and soil organic matter pools in soils amended for 7 years with biochar combined with mineral and organic fertilizers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iria Benavente-Ferraces ◽  
Fátima Esteban ◽  
Denis Courtier-Murias ◽  
Ana Rey ◽  
Claudio Zaccone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Mineral Fertilization ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste Compost

&lt;p&gt;Biochar application is now considered to be one of the most promising agricultural practices to mitigate climate change. However, to fully assess the benefits of biochar, we still need to better understand its effects on soil properties, and particularly on native soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this work, we investigated soil respiration and changes in SOM pools (mineral-free, intra-aggregate, and mineral-associated SOM) as affected by the application of 20 t / ha per year of biochar alone or combined with mineral fertilizer, municipal solid waste compost, or sewage sludge. The experiment was run for 7 years in a semiarid agricultural soil. We found that biochar had no effect on soil respiration with respect to mineral fertilization and no amendment (control), and tended to decrease CO&lt;sub&gt;2 &lt;/sub&gt;emissions from soils amended with municipal solid waste compost and sewage sludge. Biochar accumulated mainly in the mineral-free SOM fraction and its addition, especially in combination with municipal solid waste compost, promoted the amount of SOM occluded with aggregates and associated to mineral surfaces.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Acknowledgments: to the Spanish MICINN (MINECO, AEI, FEDER, EU) for supporting the research project AGL2016-75762-R.&lt;/p&gt;

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