Effects of five non-agricultural organic wastes on soil composition, and on the yield and nitrogen recovery of Italian ryegrass |
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Authors: | JT Douglas MN Aitken CA Smith |
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Institution: | Environment Division, SAC, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0PH, UK;Environment Division, SAC, Auchincruive, Ayr, KA6 5HW, UK |
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Abstract: | Abstract. We studied the effects of five diverse non-agricultural organic wastes on soil composition, grass yield and grass nitrogen use in a 3–year field experiment. The applied wastes were distillery pot ale, dairy salt whey, abattoir blood and gut contents, composted green waste (two annual applications each), and paper-mill sludge (one annual application). With the exception of N immobilization in the paper-mill sludge treatment, the wastes had no unfavourable effects on the soil. In the 2–year treatments, grass dry matter yields from the abattoir and distillery wastes (26.3 t ha?1) were larger than those from a NH4NO3 fertilizer treatment (24.3 t ha?1) and from the dairy waste (20.4 t ha?1) and composted waste (22.8 t ha?1). Yield and N recovery were impaired markedly after the single application of paper-mill sludge, both in the year of application and in the following year. The results demonstrated clear differences in the ability of the applied wastes to provide crop-available N. We conclude that in order to improve prediction of both the benefits and risks from waste recycling to land, more information should be gathered on soil/waste/crop interactions. |
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Keywords: | Non-agricultural wastes land application grass yield nitrogen recovery |
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