Long-lasting impact of biowaste-compost application in agriculture on soil-quality parameters in three different crop-rotation systems

Abstract

Soil-quality parameters, such as soil organic matter (SOM) and plant-available nutrient contents, microbial properties, aggregate stability, and the amounts of heavy metals were carried out in arable soils of different rotation schedules applied with a total of 50 Mg dry mass ha-1 biowaste compost relative to an untreated control. This was investigated during a 10 y period from 1994 to 2004. Overall, soil-quality parameters studied appeared to be promoted by biowaste-compost application. This was evidenced for example by a remarkable increase of SOM and total N content of « 15%-20% relative to the control. Subsequently, amounts of soil microbial biomass and alkaline phosphatase activity were significantly increased as well. In addition, biowaste-compost application revealed an increase of plant-available P and K contents and aggregate stability in soil. There was, however, no treatment effect for net N-mineralization rates. Moreover, in soils of maize and sugar beet rotation schedule a slight decrease was found. Heavy-metal contents of Pb and Zn were significantly increased in all compost-treated soils, whereas no significant increase of Cd and Cu contents was measured. However, the investigated amounts were far below of the limits of the German Biowaste Ordinance. It is finally recommended, that biowaste compost may sustain and improve soil quality in agriculture when N nutrition will be considered. © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.