Assessing solid waste compost application as a practical approach for salt-affected soil reclamation

Abstract

A short-term pot experiment was made to evaluate the effectiveness of municipal solid waste compost amendment on saltaffected soil. Hordeum maritimum plants were cultivated in pots filled with a clay-loam soil containing 0 or 40 t ha-1 of compost and irrigated with tap water at 0 or 4 g l-1 NaCl. Soil properties and heavy metal (Zn2+, Pb2+, Cd2+) accumulation were investigated. Municipal solid waste compost application significantly increased the soil contents of carbon, nitrogen and potassium under both non-saline and saline conditions. Soil heavy metal concentrations increased substantially too, but the recorded values were below the toxicity limits. Interestingly, plants subjected to the salt-compost interaction were more vigorous, compared with those grown on non-amended soil. Altogether, our data indicate that shortterm utilization of municipal solid waste compost at 40 t ha-1 may be of potential interest in the perspective of the rehabilitation of salt-affected soils. Yet, it must be stressed that the present findings are preliminary and need to be further evaluated under field conditions before practical recommendations can be inferred. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.