Utilization of Sugarcane Compost as a Soil Amendment In a Tomato Production System

Sugarcane filtercake (a waste by-product of sugarcane processing) compost was evaluated as a partial substitute for inorganic fertilizer in a fresh-market tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) crop production system. Plots receiving fertilization rates of 0, 50, or 100% (153N-134P- 280K, kg ha^?1) of a typical commercial application were amended with or without compost (188 t ha^?1). Tomato (cv. Sunny) seedlings were transplanted in the center of each raised bed. A randomized complete block experimental design was used with the six compost/fertilization treatments replicated four times. Plant height (22 days after transplanting), stem diameter and shoot weight (just after final harvest), fruit yields, and fruit size were measured for each plot. Plants grown with no fertilization were taller (22 days after transplanting) in plots amended with than without compost, but not at 50 or 100% fertilization rates. Plots that were amended with compost had plants with heavier shoots (kg/plant), thicker stems, higher total and early marketable fruit number and weight and larger fruit size than plots not amended with compost, regardless of fertilization rates. These results suggest that sugarcane filtercake compost can serve as a partial substitute for inorganic fertilizer while maintaining or improving tomato fruit yields and size.     

不同腐熟程度麦秸堆肥在温室番茄栽培中应用效果研究

堆肥是农业废弃物资源化利用有效的途径之一,作为土壤改良剂使用时具有良好的改土增产效果.本文以常规土壤栽培作为对照,将堆制30 天与90 天两种不同腐熟程度麦秸堆肥植入土壤,考察其在日光温室番茄栽培系统中的改土增产效果.结果表明:与对照相比,土壤添加麦秸堆肥显著改善了其物理性状,降低了土壤体积质量(容重),提高了土壤大小孔隙比,30天与90天两种堆肥处理下土壤体积质量分别降低至0.8263、0.9003 g/cm3,大小孔隙比分别提高至1:3.51、1:4.78;两种堆肥处理均提高了番茄叶片的净光合速率,座果期30天堆肥、90天堆肥及对照3种处理下番茄叶片净光合速率分别为CO2 21.18、18.77、18.65 μmol/(m(s),采收期分别为CO2 21.21、20.93、18.92 μmol/(m(s),并且两个时期下30 天堆肥处理均与对照处理达到显著差异;同时,两种堆肥处理均显著增加了番茄产量,3种处理下每栽培小区番茄产量分别达到82.48、80.25、68.66 kg.30天堆肥处理在改善土壤物理性状、提高番茄叶片净光合速率与番茄产量上的作用效果高于90 天堆肥处理,表明秸秆堆肥在作为设施土壤改良剂施用时,完全腐熟并不是最佳腐熟程度,实际应用中应根据堆肥物料及堆制时期的差异合理确定堆制时间与腐熟程度.     

Compost Amendment to Sandy Soil Affects Soil Properties and Greenhouse Tomato Productivity

Sandy soils, with low productivity, could be improved by compost application to sustain crop production. This study aimed to examine the effect of three compost types (vegetable, fruit and yard waste compost, garden waste compost, and spent mushroom compost) on basic properties of a loamy sand and greenhouse tomato productivity. Disturbed and intact soil samples were taken from a decade-long compost field experiment on loamy sand with three compost types at application rate of 30 m³ ha^?1 yr^?1 (7.5 ton ha^?1 yr^?1). The soils were characterized for chemical and physical properties. Tomato was planted in a greenhouse using soil samples from the field and vegetative and yield parameters (plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, and fruit yield), water productivity, and harvest index were evaluated. All compost types significantly increased soil total carbon, total nitrogen, pH, electrical conductivity and significantly decreased bulk density, with no effect on plant available water compared to the control. Fresh and dry fruit weights were significantly increased after compost addition. Plant height, leaf number, stem diameter, and total biomass did not significantly improve after compost addition. Spent mushroom compost had greater effect in improving tomato productivity. A decade-long application of composts on loamy sand improved basic chemical and physical properties which were reflected in increased fruit yield in tomato. Since no negative effect of compost was observed, we suggest that sandy soils may serve as a safe end use option for these composts and potentially support crop growth.     

Composting and Evaluating a Pulp and Paper Sludge for Use as a Soil Amendment/Mulch

Composting could be used in the pulp and paper industry to treat primary sludges as an alternative to landfilling. The objective of this project was to compost and evaluate a pulp and paper sludge for use as a soil amendment/mulch. Primary sludge, tailings, wood ash (0, 5 or 10 percent by volume), and paunch (cattle stomach contents and tissue) from a slaughterhouse were composted in a 91 m windrow that was turned one to two times per week. The pile moisture content and temperature were controlled at 50 percent and 57–63°C during 14 weeks of composting. The compost was then cured for 4 weeks for a total treatment time of 18 weeks. Sludge dry mass decreased by approximately 50 percent, pH increased slightly to 8.2 to 8.5, and carbon-nitrogen ratio decreased from 270:1 to 14–67:1 after composting and curing. Electrical conductivity of all final composts was over 4 dS/m. Shoot biomass of tomato plants grown in a compost-amended medium (50 percent compost, 25 percent sand, 25 percent perlite by volume) improved with composting time but was still only 35–65 percent that of plants grown in a peat moss-amended medium (control). Shoot weight and height of poplar plants grown in soil amended with aged compost were unaffected by compost application rate (incorporated or as a mulch) at less than or equal to 180 Mg/ha. In summary, this study demonstrated that a pulp and paper sludge and wood ash mixture yielded a compost that could be used as a low quality mulch or soil amendment for poplar.     

Evaluating the Suitability of MSW Compost as a Soil Amendment in Field Grown Tomatoes Part B: Elemental Analysis

Tomato plants were grown under field conditions in soil amended with 0, 25, and 50 tons/acre of source separated composted municipal solid waste (MSW). The leaves and fruit from these plants were sampled following a dual-stage nested design, and analyzed for 17 elements. Statistical analysis of the results showed that the Na and P contents increased and that the Cd and Be contents decreased in the fruits grown in the amended soil. In the leaves of tomato plants grown in amended soil the Na content increased, and the Cd, Cu, and Mn contents decreased compared to those grown in the control soil. The attenuation of the Cd, Cu, and Mn levels in the tomato tissues was attributed to increases in pH and organic matter in the compost amended soil.     

Characterization of Compost Based on Crop Residues: Changes in Some Chemical and Physical Properties of the Soil after Applying the Compost as Organic Amendment

The objectives of the present study were to make a physical, physicochemical, and biological characterization of compost obtained from crop residues of horticultural plants grown in greenhouses and to assess the physical and chemical responses of a soil tested after the applications of this organic amendment. The compost showed a high percentage of inorganic material because the source of this compost includes not only crop residues but also soil; for this reason, it had high coarseness index (CI), electrical conductivity (EC), and pH. The application of the organic amendment to a soil with reduced bulk density (BD) increased the percentage of particles with large diameters, as well as increased the nutritional status and organic matter (OM). However, nitrogen and potassium levels in soil were low. Compost addition provoked an increase in soil EC, which restricts its use to salt-tolerant plants.     

Composting of Fish Waste with Wood By-Products and Testing Compost Quality as a Soil Amendment: Experiences in the Patagonia Region of Argentina

Composting experiments of fish processing wastes and wood by-products were conducted in the Andean-Patagonian Region. Fish wastes were mixed with sawdust + wood shavings (3:1 ratio by weight) with two replicates. Materials were mixed and placed in 220-liter PVC reactors. After 20 days, materials were remixed and reloaded in the reactors. Samples were taken at 20, 30, 40, 60, 80 and 100 day intervals and chemical analyses were made to assess predictors of compost stability. Thermophilic temperatures over 55°C were sustained long enough to satisfy the EPA requirements for pathogen reduction (72 hours). The decrease of NH₄+-N, water soluble carbon and the ratio of water soluble carbon to total nitrogen appeared to be the best parameters for predicting compost stability. Mature compost (CMP) and an organic commercial product, Lombriquen (LQN) were incubated with an Andisol and a Xeric Mollisol at a rate of lOg/kg for 16 weeks (20 to 30 percent soil moisture, 25°C) in order to estimate nitrogen and phosphorus release. Soils amended with LQN retained more P than CMP-amended soils (80 percent vs 60 percent of added Olsen-P in the Andisol and 50 vs 35 percent in the Xeric Mollisol). While N mineralization rates of LQN were variable (three to 11 percent of added total N), CMP showed constant rates for both types of soils (12 percent) and released more available N than LQN.     

Efficiency of Organic Compost from Agri-Industrial Wastes as Fertilizer for Corn and Wheat

Favorable effects of organic wastes on soil characteristics are capable of permitting a sustainable agriculture. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of organic compost from two agri-industrial wastes on soil fertility and productivity of corn and wheat in Astorga County, northwestern Paraná, Brazil. The organic compost had components from the gelatin industry, which uses bovine chips and shavings by-products from the tannery industry and by-products (filter cake and plant straws) from the sugarcane industry. The experimental design was randomized complete block with eight treatments and four replications. Only the wheat had increased productivity, and there was no response to doses above 25 t ha^?1. Not all levels of organic compost affected the soil electrical conductivity.     

Evaluation of Compost Maturity,Hydrophysical and Physicochemical Properties: Indicators for Use as a Component of Growing Media

The cocomposting of agricultural waste is a new management priority in Tunisia. In this study, four composts were evaluated by comparing the changes in measured hydrophysical and physicochemical properties and phytotoxicity. The organic wastes used were almond shell (AS), sesame bark (SB), olive husk (OH), and green and wood wastes (GW and WW, respectively). Composts CI and CII were composed of AS/SB and OH/SB, respectively, at a ratio of 75/25 (wet weight basis). CIII consisted of OH, SB and CAS (coarsely-ground almond shell used as a bulking agent) at a ratio of 55/25/20. Finally, CIV was composed of 25%SB+9%CAS+18%GW+48%WW. The composts studied were characterized by basic pH and an electric conductivity (EC) value ranging from 1.6 to 2.4 mS/cm. The organic matter contents (OM) and C/N ratios of composts ranged from 20 to 46% and from 10 to 21%, respectively. Based on hydrophysical analyses, composts CI, CIII and CIV, containing AS, were shown to have a porosity and a water content of 10-26% and 10-20%, respectively. The phytotoxicity of composts was studied on the basis of cress seed germination. Results revealed that differences in properties are mainly related to the nature of composted waste and that some of these composts are compatible for use as constituents in growing media for horticultural soilless cultures.     

Development of a Soil N Test for Fertilizer Requirements for Corn Production in Quebec

Corn requires high nitrogen (N) fertilizer use, but no soil N test for fertilizer N requirement is yet available in Quebec. Objectives of this research were (1) to determine the effects of soil nitrate (NO₃ ^?)-N, soil ammonium (NH₄ ⁺)-N, and N fertilizer rates on corn yields and (2) to determine soil sampling times and depths most highly correlated with yields and fertilizer N response under Quebec conditions. Soil samples were taken from 0- to 30-cm and 30- to 60-cm depths at seeding and postseeding (when corn height reached 20 cm) to determine soil NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^? in 44 continuous corn sites fertilized with four rates of N in two replications using a quick test (N-Trak) and a laboratory method. The N-Trak method overestimated soil NO₃ ^?-N in comparison with the laboratory method. Greater coefficients of determination were observed for soil NO₃ ^?-N analyses at postseeding compared with seeding.     

Short-Term Effects of Hazelnut Husk Compost And Organic Amendment Applications On Clay Loam Soil

The experiment was carried on a clay loam soil to examine the short-term effects of hazelnut husk compost (HHC) and organic amendments on selected soil physical properties between 2001 and 2003. The amendments were only applied in 2001. The experimental design was replicated five times as a randomized complete block with four organic amendments: HHC, peat, farmyard manure (FM), chicken manure (CM) and soil (control). Amendments were applied at rates of 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 75 and 100 tons ha^?1 (dry weight) replicated. The effect on the soil's physical properties such as bulk density, water retention characteristics, pore ratio, structural stability, and soil organic carbon were determined. All amendments and their rates had a positive effect on the physical properties of the soil. HHC decreased the bulk density of soil. The effect depended on year since application. Moreover, HHC increased soil total porosity, the amount of water held at field capacity and wilting point of soil. The 75 ton ha^?1 application was most effective. Its effects on these soil properties were more obvious at the end of the second year. HHC did not affect macropore/micropore ratio of the soil until the third year, due to an increase in micropore number. Although the effects of the other organic amendments on structural stability of soil were more obvious in the second year, the effect of HHC increased in the third year, due to its high C/N ratio. The 75 ton ha^?1 application of HHC increased the structural stability of the soil the most. HHC had the highest organic carbon content. The effects of HHC on physical productivity of soil generally were clearer at the end of the second year. For this reason, it is recommended that HHC should be reapplied after two years as organic fertilizer. Further studies should be carried out to determine the long-term effects of HHC on physical productivity of soils.     

Potential Use of Olive Mill Wastewater as Amendment: Crops Yield and Soil Properties Assessment

The traditional olive oil extraction process generates a large amount of liquid by-product that could be recycled as an organic fertilizer. The aim of this 3-year field experiment was to assess the effects of olive mill wastewater (OMWW) application on yields of ryegrass, proteic pea, and clover crops and on soil properties. The following treatments were compared: OMWW at 80 m³ ha^?1 (80_OMWW), OMWW at 120 m³ ha^?1 (120_OMWW), and an unfertilized control (Contr).

The yields of ryegrass increased 40% and 41.6% compared to Contr, for 80_OMWW and 120_OMWW, respectively, while a significant enhancement was found at the lowest level of OMWW in proteic pea (27.0% increase). Clover showed a species-specific sensitiveness, but the OMWW applications increased the protein content 26.3% and 28.7% for 80_OMWW and 120_OMWW, respectively, in comparison with Contr.

The OMWW rates also enhanced the total organic content in the soil compared to the unfertilized control. At the end of the 3-year experiment, total extracted carbon and humified organic carbon were greater than the initial ones. The values of available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) determined at the end of experiment in Contr were almost the same as those recorded at the beginning of the research, confirming that the increases found in 80_OMWW and 120_OMWW plots were due to the OMWW applications.

The findings suggest that repeated applications of OMWW could both sustain fodder crop performance and support soil fertility, with the possibility to recycle the organic amendment and reduce the risks of soil degradation.     

Use of SMS as a Compost Matrix to Degrade Pesticide Residuals

Pesticide rinsates have been found to be one source of surface water and groundwater contamination. Practical waste treatment methods that achieve environmental protection standards applicable to pesticide rinsates are limited (Kuo, 1993). The research to be presented was conducted to investigate the feasibility of using SMS as an adsorption medium and as a microorganism source to remediate synthetic technical grade rinsate solutions containing up to 30 mg/L of three carbamate insecticides, namely, carbaryl, carbofuran and aldicarb. All experiments were conducted in the laboratory using bench scale complete mixing batch reactors (CMBR) at 25°C.

The results indicated that the SMS was able to adsorb the candidate pesticide from aqueous solution. The process was found to exhibit nonlinear “favorable” adsorption behavior which was characterized by the Freundlich isotherm model. Rates were enhanced by the increase of organic contents in the SMS.

The SMS microorganisms were found to be more adapted to detoxifying the carbamate solutions than seed derived from domestic wastewater activated sludge. Inhibition of the SMS cultures by the insecticides was not indicated. The degradation rates were described by the Monod model, with carbaryl and carbofuran rated “readily” biodegradable, while aldicarb rated “hardly” biodegradable.

Future research needs to address other classes of pesticides, including organophosphates; pilot-scale studies using commercial grade formulations; and fundamental research dealing with identifying the unique microbial consortium found in SMS.     

Short-Time Response of Microbial Communities to Waste Compost Amendment of an Intensive Cultivated Soil in Southern Italy

In an intensely cultivated soil in southern Italy, the effects of municipal waste compost on soil activities (basal respiration, β-glucosidase, and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis), Biolog functional diversity, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) were estimated in a short period following amendment. Treatment with compost at 30 t ha^?1 (dry matter) was compared to mineral fertilization and untreated soil. In these poor soils, organic amendment allowed the rapid recovery of an active and biodiverse soil community. While the addition of compost increased all microbial activities and EC, the pH did not change. Conversely, metabolic activity that was positively correlated to FDA hydrolysis rate initially was enhanced by compost but decreased with time and disappeared at the end of the incubation. Results indicated that waste compost amendments affected microbial activities, both at global and functional levels, favoring a rapid return of biological factors of fertility.     

Suitability of Moist Olive Pomace as Soil Amendment

A laboratory experiment was performedto evaluate the suitability of moist olive pomace(MOP) as soil amendment. Moist olive pomace wasobtained from a new olive-oil industrial processcalled the `two-phases method'. Soil samples weremixed with MOP to approximate a field application of40 t ha^-1 and incubated under aerobic conditionsat 20 °C and 60% of soil water holdingcapacity. To estimate the effect of different loadingrates and N supply on mineralization, 40, 80, 120 and160 t ha^-1 of MOP and 200 ppm of N as(NH₄)₂SO₄ were used. CumulativeCO₂-C evolution, total microbial activity andbiomass-C were monitored during a 60-day period.Results indicate that the CO₂-C evolution fromMOP depends on soil type and is temporarily inhibitedin acidic soils. Evolution of CO₂-C increaseswith incremental addition of MOP, but the percentagesof the added C that were mineralized decreased withincreasing application rates. Mineral N supplementsresult in more efficiency of the mineralizationprocess. Among the kinetic models tested to describethe mineralization dynamics, a first-order exponentialmodel including a constant term provides the best fitto the experimental data. Both amount and activity ofsoil microbial biomass are enhanced by MOP added atthe 40 t ha^-1 rate, at least in the first periodof incubation. At higher rates of MOP addition, aconstant increase of biomass C during incubation isobserved, while the biological activity decreases atthe end of incubation. Following application ofmineral N, both amount and activity of microbialbiomass is enhanced.     

土壤扩蓄增容肥对冬小麦棵间蒸发和水分利用效率的影响

利用农田水量平衡公式计算了冬小麦耗水量,用微型蒸渗仪测定了农田土壤棵间蒸发状况,在此基础上通过对比试验研究了土壤扩蓄增容肥条件下不同水分处理冬小麦生长期间农田棵间蒸发与水分利用效率.结果表明,施加土壤扩蓄增容肥后冬小麦生育期平均耗水量较对照平均减少了491.67 m3/h㎡,可明显降低冬小麦棵间蒸发,同时可降低播种到拔节期阶段棵间蒸发占阶段耗水量的比例;灌水量2250 m3/h㎡3理(T2)水分利用效率达2.62 kg/m3;灌水量1950 m3/h㎡的处理(T3)可增产32.68%.     

Alkaline Amendment for the Enhancement of Compost Degradation for Polylactic Acid Biopolymer Products

This research evaluates the addition of alkaline amendments to enhance the degradation of polylactic acid polymers (PLA) in compost conditions. The use of compostable biopolymers is increasing in part because they are advertised as compostable. However, PLA degrades slowly compared to the organic wastes in compost and even when processed in commercial composting facilities may not fully break down. This results in the accumulation of biopolymers in compost facilities and increased difficulty in identifying and removing contamination from traditional plastics. Alkaline amendments were used to accelerate the degradation of two PLA products in compost conditions. Six flasks containing food scraps, compost inoculant, and an alkaline amendment were set up as bioreactors with half containing clear PLA and the others including opaque PLA. The six bioreactors were incubated for 22 days. The mass loss and final visual inspection, including microscopy, showed increased degradation within the bioreactors containing the alkaline treatments. These results show that the addition of alkaline amendment to composting systems may enable more effective processing of biopolymers, expanding the range and quantity of wastes that can be processes. The enhanced degradation of biopolymers in compost may enable greater diversion rates for institutions and cities by enabling the acceptance of biopolymers and any mixed organics stream which includes biopolymers wastes.     

Organic Amendment Effects on Microbial Population and Microbial Biomass Carbon in the Rhizosphere Soil of Soybean

The aim of the study was to determine microbial populations and microbial biomass carbon in the rhizosphere soil of soybean cultivated under different organic treatments: plant compost (PC), vermicompost (VER), farmyard manure (FYM), and integrated plant compost (IPC). The serial dilution plate method was employed to enumerate the rhizosphere soil fungi and bacteria. Results showed that microbial populations and biomass carbon were affected by the application of organic amendments. Fungal population was the greatest in the VER plot for two crop cycles, whereas bacterial population was the greatest in the VER in the first crop cycle and FYM for the second crop cycle. Tukey's test at P ≤ 0.05 showed that change in microbial biomass carbon in the sites studied over time was significant, with the greatest in FYM. In our study, addition of organic amendments affected the soil physicochemical properties, which in return affected the rhizosphere microbial characteristics.     

堆肥作为微生物菌剂载体的研究

以自然风干的堆肥为载体,吸附3株功能芽胞细菌液体菌剂制成不同生物肥料,通过不同时间取样比较堆肥、有机无机肥和生物有机肥以及生物复混肥中功能芽胞细菌和普通微生物数量以及pH等指标变化,探讨堆肥作为载体生产生物肥料的可行性。研究结果表明,经过自然风干的堆肥与蛭石比较,吸附液体微生物菌剂后无论外观、手感还是功能芽胞细菌死亡率,差异均不大。含水量小于15%堆肥吸附液体菌剂比例为6%比较合适,吸附比例高时,生物肥料含水量和pH较高,影响保存效果。生物有机肥和生物复混肥保存6个月时,3株功能芽胞细菌总数分别为0.59×108 CFU.g-1和0.38×108 CFU.g-1,依然可达到农业行业标准要求。生物有机肥中功能芽胞细菌数量最高,生物复混肥集合了三大肥料优点,堆肥中普通微生物数量和多样性最高。完全腐熟的堆肥经过自然风干后可作为微生物菌剂载体。