Do different organic amendments effectively improve the soil biochemical activity of very poor arid soils from Tunisia?

Soils from arid and semi-arid ecosystems are generally very low in organic matter content, poor in nutrients and typically with sandy texture.&#160; The application of different organic amendments has been proposed as an adequate approach to improve the quality of these soils for their use in agriculture. The use of organic wastes of different origins (agricultural, industrial, urban, etc.) as soil amendments has a dual goal: i) improving soil fertility and quality, ii) reducing the environmental problem that poses the disposal of these residues. However, despite of the beneficial effects of these residues, undesirable changes may also occur in agricultural soils after their addition. For example, the presence of various pollutants of anthropogenic origin in organic wastes may cause adverse effects on soil microbiota.&#160; Generally, the arid and semi-arid soils of Tunisia are well characterised. However, the use of organic amendments to improve the quality of these soils has been scarcely investigated. Soil biochemical properties, and specifically soil enzyme activities, have been often used to investigate the impact of different amendments on soil quality, because they are highly sensitive to human or environmental perturbations.In this work, the results of a field trial established for investigating the effectiveness of three organic residues (composted municipal solid waste, composted sewage sludge and farmyard manure) to improve the quality of one agricultural soil from Tunisia are reported. The soil had a sandy texture, alkaline pH (pH 8.3) and was very poor in organic matter (0.21 and 0.03% of total C and N, respectively). Each of the organic residues was applied in triplicate at three different doses in nine sub-plots randomly distributed; three untreated sub-plots were also established for comparison. One, 6 and 18 months after the soil amendments, surface (0-20 cm) soil samples were collected from all the treated and untreated subplots. The soil samples were analysed for the enzyme activities of four hydrolases involved in the C, N, P and S cycles and for an oxidoreductase (dehydrogenase) reflecting soil microbial activity. All the soil samples were also characterised for their main physicochemical properties.Addition of the three organic amendments induced slight increases of the total organic carbon and nutrients content; however, the improvements observed were generally not related with the amount of applied residue. The activity of the enzymes increased after the application of the three residues, but these increments were not correlated with the dose of residue and did not consistently varied with the time elapsed after residue application. Generally, the highest increases in absolute values were observed for manure-amended soils, but when the activities were considered in relation to the total organic C of the soils, the sludge amended soils appeared to be the most favoured. The results are discussed with regards to their implications for improving very poor agricultural soils.Acknowledgements: This research was financially supported by the Xunta de Galicia (IN607A 2017/6), UE Interreg-Sudoe program (SOE1/P5/E0189) and the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. H. Oueriemmi thanks founding support of Erasmus plus program for her stay at the IIAG-CSIC.

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Describing Phosphorus Sorption Processes on Volcanic Soil in the Presence of Copper or Silver Engineered Nanoparticles

Minerals ◽

10.3390/min11040373 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 373

Author(s):

Jonathan Suazo-Hernández ◽

Erwin Klumpp ◽

Nicolás Arancibia-Miranda ◽

Patricia Poblete-Grant ◽

Alejandra Jara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Crop Production ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Ph Value ◽

Consumer Products ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Engineered Nanoparticles ◽

P Availability ◽

Agricultural Crop ◽

Phosphorus Sorption

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) present in consumer products are being released into the agricultural systems. There is little information about the direct effect of ENPs on phosphorus (P) availability, which is an essential nutrient for crop growthnaturally occurring in agricultural soils. The present study examined the effect of 1, 3, and 5% doses of Cu0 or Ag0 ENPs stabilized with L-ascorbic acid (suspension pH 2–3) on P ad- and desorption in an agricultural Andisol with total organic matter (T-OM) and with partial removal of organic matter (R-OM) by performing batch experiments. Our results showed that the adsorption kinetics data of H2PO4− on T-OM and R-OM soil samples with and without ENPs were adequately described by the pseudo-second-order (PSO) and Elovich models. The adsorption isotherm data of H2PO4− from T-OM and R-OM soil samples following ENPs addition were better fitted by the Langmuir model than the Freundlich model. When the Cu0 or Ag0 ENPs doses were increased, the pH value decreased and H2PO4− adsorption increased on T-OM and R-OM. The H2PO4− desorption (%) was lower with Cu0 ENPs than Ag0 ENPs. Overall, the incorporation of ENPs into Andisols generated an increase in P retention, which may affect agricultural crop production.

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Properties of Humic Acids in Meadow Soils Irrigated With the Slope-And Flooding System

10.21203/rs.3.rs-535526/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Magdalena Banach-Szott ◽

Andrzej Dziamski

Keyword(s):

Particle Size ◽

Organic Matter ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Humic Acids ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Hydrophobic Properties ◽

Irrigation Ditch ◽

Ft Ir ◽

Degree Of Maturity

Abstract The aim of the research has been to determine the effect of many-year irrigation of unique grasslands on the properties of humic acids defining the quality of organic matter. The research was performed based on the soil (Albic Brunic Arenosol, the A, AE and Bsv horizons) sampled from Europe’s unique complex of permanent grasslands irrigated continuously for 150 years, applying the slope-and-flooding system; the Czerskie Meadows. The soil samples were assayed for the content of total organic carbon (TOC) and the particle size distribution. HAs were extracted with the Schnitzer method and analysed for the elemental composition, spectrometric parameters in the UV-VIS range, hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties and the infrared spectra were produced. The research results have shown that the HAs properties depended on the depth and the distance from the irrigation ditch. The HAs of the A horizon of the soils were identified with a lower “degree of maturity”, as reflected by the values of atomic ratios (H/C, O/C, O/H), absorbance coefficients, and the FT-IR spectra, as compared with the HAs of the Bsv horizon. The HAs molecules of the soils sampled furthest from the irrigation ditch were identified with a higher degree of humification, as compared with the HAs of the soils sampled within the closest distance. The results have demonstrated that many-year grassland irrigation affected the structure and the properties of humic acids.

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Effect of Different Doses of Nutrients on Changes of Soil Organic Matter in Rendzic Leptosol

Agriculture (Pol nohospodárstvo) ◽

10.2478/v10207-012-0014-7 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 58 (4) ◽

pp. 131-137

Author(s):

Vladimír Šimanský ◽

Erika Tobiašová

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Hot Water ◽

Fertilizer Treatment ◽

Content Increase ◽

Npk Fertilizer ◽

Different Doses

Abstract The effect of different doses of NPK fertilizer on the changes in quantity and quality of soil organic matter (SOM) in Rendzic Leptosol was evaluated. Soil samples were taken from three treatments of different fertilization: (1) control - without fertilization, (2) NPK 1 - doses of NPK fertilizer in 1st degree intensity for vine, and (3) NPK 3 - doses of NPK fertilizer in 3rd degree intensity for vine in the vineyard. Soil samples were collected in years 2008-2011 during the spring. The higher dose of NPK fertilizer (3rd degree intensity of vineyards fertilization) was responsible for the higher content of labile carbon (by 21% in 0-0.3 m and by 11% as average of the two depths 0-0.3 m and 0.3-0.6 m). However, by application of a higher dose of NPK (1.39%) in comparison to no fertilizer treatment (1.35%) or NPK 1 (1.35%) the tendency of total organic carbon content increase and hot-water soluble carbon decrease were determined. Fertilization had a negative effect on SOM stability. Intensity of fertilization affected the changes in quantity and quality of SOM; therefore it is very important to pay attention to the quantity and quality of organic matter in productive vineyards.

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The Use of Manure on Smallholders' Farms in Semi-Arid Eastern Kenya

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479700025540 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 371-381 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

M. E. Probert ◽

J. R. Okalebo ◽

R. K. Jones

Keyword(s):

Current Practice ◽

Ammonia Volatilization ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Poor Quality ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Scarce Resource ◽

Subsistence Farming ◽

Important Resource ◽

Semi Arid

SummaryThe manure that is returned to croplands each year is an important resource in the subsistence farming systems of eastern Kenya. Measurements on several farms have shown that the manure being used is of very poor quality. Analyses of soil samples from beneath the bomas (small enclosures) where animals are kept indicate that substantial losses of nutrients occur through leaching; ammonia volatilization and denitrification may also be involved. Current practice is to apply the manure at rates that appear to make poor use of this scarce resource. The findings are discussed in terms of what changes to the system may be feasible to reduce losses of nutrients, and to improve the quality of the manure and the effectiveness of its use.

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Vermiculture in Greenhouse Plants, Field Crop Production, and Hydroponics

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.013.295 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Norman Q. Arancon ◽

Zachary Solarte

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Crop Production ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Careful Consideration ◽

Organic Wastes ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Economic Activities ◽

Pests And Diseases

Vermiculture is the art, science, and industry of raising earthworms for baits, feeds, and composting of organic wastes. Composting through the action of earthworms and microogranisms is commonly referred to as vermicomposting. Vermiculture is an art because the technology of raising earthworms requires a comprehensive understanding of the basic requirements for growing earthworms in order to design the space and the system by which organic wastes can be processed efficiently and successfully. It is a science because the technology requires a critical understanding and consideration of the climatic requirements, nutritional needs, growth cycles, taxonomy, and species of earthworms suitable for vermicomposting in order to develop a working system that supports earthworm populations to process successfully the intended organic wastes. The nature of the organic wastes also needs to be taken into careful consideration, especially its composition, size, moisture content, and nutritional value, which will eventually determine the overall quality of the vermicomposts produced. The quality of organic wastes also determines the ability of the earthworms to consume and process them, and the rate by which they turn these wastes into valuable organic amendments. The science of vermiculture extends beyond raising earthworms. There are several lines of evidence that vermicomposts affect plant growth significantly. Vermiculture is an industry because it has evolved from a basic household bin technology to commercially scaled systems in which economic activities emanate from the cost and value of obtaining raw materials, the building of systems, and the utilization and marketing of the products, be they in solid or aqueous extract forms. Economic returns are carefully valued from the production phase to its final utilization as an organic amendment for crops. The discussion revolves around the development of vermiculture as an art, a science, and an industry. It traces the early development of vermicomposting, which was used to manage organic wastes that were considered environmentally hazardous when disposed of improperly. It also presents the vermicomposting process, including its basic requirements, technology involved, and product characteristics, both in solid form and as a liquid extract. Research reports from different sources on the performance of the products are also provided. The discussion attempts to elucidate the mechanisms involved in plant growth and yield promotion and the suppression of pests and diseases. Certain limitations and challenges that the technology faces are presented as well.

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The environnemental quality of soil under wheat and vinesin the region of Mohammadia Benslimane (Morocco)

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202015003005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 150 ◽

pp. 03005

Author(s):

Fatna Zaakour ◽

Najib Saber ◽

Diyae Ismaili Alaoui ◽

Mohammed Karim Ben Hachmi

Keyword(s):

Electrical Conductivity ◽

Environmental Quality ◽

Organic Substance ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Soil Samples ◽

High Concentration ◽

Wheat Cultivation ◽

Normal Soil ◽

Metallic Pollution

This work aims to assessing the environmental quality of agricultural soils under vine and wheat cultivation in the area of Mohammadia-Benslimane (Morocco). 80 soil samples were collected and studied. The results have been studied and recorded on the agronomic parameters; show that the soil’s textures contain clay andthe values of pH are neutral to slightly acid in all stations. The electrical conductivity values are clearly higher in soils under wheat than in those under vine. The CaCO3 contents within the different studied soils are generally similar in all stations. Moreover, the organic substance rate seems to be more important in the soils under the wheat crops (2%) than in those under the vine crops (1, 7%). For the four analyzed elements: Cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), the lead and the zinc present a high concentration in the vine yard Plots compared to those of the wheat. The concentrations of the Cadmium in a few stations exceed the standards (2 ppm) and can reach 10,37 ppm. The order of the average’s contents with the lead and the zinc are 20,12 ppm and 148,60 ppm, respectively. They are inadequate with the concentration standards for a normal soil, ie 100 ppm for pb and 300 ppm for zinc. As regards metallic pollution, its index increases, for the soil under the vine (it takes the values from 0.281 to 2.203).

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Fe(II)-catalyzed transformation of Fe (hydr)oxides in particle-size soil organic matter fractions from amended agricultural soils

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-14873 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Beatrice Giannetta ◽

Ramona Balint ◽

Daniel Said-Pullicino ◽

César Plaza ◽

Maria Martin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Particle Size ◽

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Solid Phase ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Fine Sand ◽

Organic C ◽

Amended Soils ◽

Mineral Transformations

Redox-driven changes in Fe crystallinity and speciation may affect soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization and carbon (C) turnover, with consequent influence on global terrestrial soil organic carbon (SOC) cycling.&#160;Under reducing conditions, increasing concentrations of Fe(II) released in solution from the reductive dissolution of Fe (hydr)oxides may accelerate ferrihydrite transformation, although our understanding of the influence of SOM on these transformations is still lacking.&#160;Here, we evaluated abiotic Fe(II)-catalyzed mineralogical changes in Fe (hydr)oxides in bulk soils and size-fractionated SOM pools (for comparison, fine silt plus clay, FSi+Cl, and fine sand, FSa) of an agricultural soil, unamended or amended with biochar, municipal solid waste compost, and a combination of both.&#160;FSa fractions showed the most significant Fe(II)-catalyzed ferrihydrite transformations with the consequent production of well-ordered Fe oxides irrespective of soil amendment, with the only exception being the compost-amended soils. In contrast, poorly crystalline ferrihydrite still constituted ca. 45% of the FSi+Cl fractions of amended soils, confirming the that the higher SOM content in this fraction inhibits atom exchange between aqueous Fe(II) and the solid phase. Building on our knowledge of Fe(II)-catalyzed mineralogical changes in simple systems, our results evidenced that the mechanisms of abiotic Fe mineral transformations in bulk soils depend on Fe mineralogy, organic C content and quality, and organo-mineral associations that exist across particle-size SOM pools. Our results underline that in the fine fractions the increase in SOM due to organic amendments can contribute to limiting abiotic Fe(II)-catalyzed ferrihydrite transformation, while coarser particle-size fractions represent an understudied pool of SOM subjected to Fe mineral transformations.&#160;

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Evaluation of Non-Conventional Biological and Molecular Parameters as Potential Indicators of Quality and Functionality of Urban Biosolids Used as Organic Amendments of Agricultural Soils

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app10020517 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 517 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Miriam del Rocío Medina-Herrera ◽

María de la Luz Xochilt Negrete-Rodríguez ◽

José Luis Álvarez-Trejo ◽

Midory Samaniego-Hernández ◽

Leopoldo González-Cruz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Microorganisms ◽

Organic Amendment ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Different Seasons ◽

C And N ◽

Two Indices ◽

Enzymatic Machinery

Biosolids are waste from wastewater treatment and have a high content of organic matter and nutrients. In this study, not conventional physicochemical and biological properties of biosolids produced during different seasons of the year were evaluated. These properties are not considered in environmental regulations; however, they are of agronomic interest as indicators of quality and functionality in soils. Also, molecular analysis by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) was conducted, enzymatic analysis using the APIZYM® system was performed and two indices of functional and microbial diversity were established. The results showed that the biosolids had a high content of total organic carbon, total nitrogen, P, and K. FTIR analyses showed that chemical composition of biosolids was similar during all year. The C and N of microbial biomass demonstrated presence of active microorganisms, as well as a uniformity in its richness and abundance of species that could present a positive synergy with soil microorganisms. The enzymatic activities showed that the biosolids contained an enzymatic machinery available to promote the mineralisation of the organic matter of biosolids and could even transcend into the soil. Finally, biological properties can be used as indicators of quality and functionality of biosolids before being used as an organic amendment, especially in agricultural soils.

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Anti-oxidative response of Cistus salviifolius L. grown in gossan mine wastes amended with ash and organic residues

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-8047 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Luísa C. Carvalho ◽

Erika Santos ◽

Jorge A. Saraiva ◽

Maria Manuela Abreu

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Plant Species ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Extreme Environments ◽

Organic Wastes ◽

Mine Wastes ◽

Organic Residues ◽

Biomass Ash ◽

Vegetative Development ◽

Environmental Rehabilitation

Mine waste heaps can be considered extreme environments, due to their high concentrations of potentially hazardous elements (PHE). When PHE are combined with adverse physical characteristics and low contents of organic matter and nutrients, the development of the majority of plant species is impaired and the biodiversity of the area is severely reduced. The abandoned S&#227;o Domingos mining area represents such an environment. It is located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (South of the Iberian Peninsula) and has one of the largest concentrations of polymetallic massive sulfide deposits in Europe.Some autochthonous plant species are well adapted to extreme environments and are able to grow naturally in degraded areas, contributing to minimize the negative chemical impacts and improve the landscape quality. However, the environmental rehabilitation processes associated to the development of these plants (phytostabilization) are very slow and the combined use of materials/wastes that improve some physico-chemical characteristics of the matrix is necessary. This work studied the physiological response of C. salvifoliius, an autochthonous species, tolerant to growth in harsh environments, when grown in gossan mine wastes from the mine of S&#227;o Domingos amended with organic/inorganic wastes. The amendments used were (g/kg of gossan): biomass ash (BA, 2.5), a mixture of organic residues (OR, 120) and a mixture of both (BA+OR).The amendments that comprised organic wastes (OR and BA+OR) gave rise to the best vegetative development, without visible signs of toxicity and with the lowest concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Plants grown in the presence of organic wastes also had better levels of cell redox status and a large pool of antioxidants. Although both roots and shoots of these plants had low levels of H2O2, in roots, both glutathione and ascorbate had high levels of oxidation.A successful environmental rehabilitation has to take into account both the amendments applied and also the growth and the ability of the plant cover to adapt to the adverse environmental conditions imposed upon it. Cistus salvifoliius was able to grow better and withstand the high PHE levels of the gossan material when organic matter was used as amendment. In those conditions, the plants had a more functional anti-oxidative system that enabled them to cope with oxidative stress. A better plant cover was achieved and chemical properties of the mine wastes were improved, such as lower concentrations of PHE in the available fraction, higher fertility and water-holding capacity.

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Biodiversity of heat-resistant ascomycetes from semi-arid soils in Argentina

Mycotaxon ◽

10.5248/135.535 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 135 (3) ◽

pp. 535-558

Author(s):

Stella Maris Romero ◽

Andrea Irene Romero ◽

Alberto Miguel Stchigel ◽

Ernesto Rodríguez Andrade ◽

Viviana Andrea Barrera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thermal Shock ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Geographic Region ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Arid Soils ◽

Fungal Strains ◽

Heat Resistant ◽

La Rioja ◽

First Time ◽

Semi Arid

Artificial thermal shock conducted on 50 soil samples from a semi-arid geographic region (Catamarca and La Rioja provinces) in northern Argentina yielded 34 heat-resistant fungal strains. These strains were assigned to seventeen taxa in ten ascomycete genera: Arthrinium (1), Aspergillus (3), Epicoccum (1), Gilmaniella (1), Hamigera (2), Leiothecium (1), Penicillium (2), Talaromyces (4), Trichocladium (1), and Trichoderma (1). All strains were identified by phenotypic features, with molecular data additionally obtained for eleven strains. Five species are reported for the first time in Argentina.

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