Effect of timing of application of municipal solid waste compost on N availability for crops in central Spain

To calculate the correct nitrogen fertilizer rate for crops and the possibility of using municipal solid waste (MSW) compost as an organic amendment, nitrogen mineralization rates were studied by laboratory incubation and field measurements in a soil in central Spain. Nitrogen mineralization rates were studied in a 250-day laboratory soil incubation with two treatments: with and without compost, incubated at 28°C and a moisture content of 70% of field capacity. Three phases are described: (1) no increase in the mineral nitrogen content, (2) a linear increase in the mineral N fraction and, finally, (3) a linear, parallel increase in both mineral N and easily mineralizable organic N fractions. Incubation data were fitted to three different equations. The exponential model proposed by Stanford and Smith (1972) was selected to predict field N mineralization rates. The field experiment was performed using a crop of maize with three treatments: compost applied in February (before sowing), compost applied during sowing and a control (without compost application): sampling was carried out over 14 months. Soil water content was measured periodically. Soil with compost applied in February showed 1.9 and 1.4 times more available nitrogen than soil without compost and compost at sowing, respectively, for the month of maximum accumulation. These results suggest that compost amendments must be applied before sowing. Compost applications were shown to supply the available nitrogen for spring crops. A simulation model showed satisfactory agreement with field data, after correction for soil temperature and water content. Received: 22 July 1996