Behavioral avoidance tests to evaluate effects of cattle slurry and dairy sludge application to soil¹

Abstract

SUMMARYThe application of organic wastes to agricultural soils is not risk-free and can affect soil invertebrates. Ecotoxicological tests based on the behavioral avoidance of earthworms and springtails were performed to evaluate effects of different fertilization strategies on soil quality and habitat function for soil organisms. These tests were performed in soils treated with: i) slurry and chemical fertilizers, according to the conventional fertilization management of the region, ii) conventional fertilization + sludge and iii) unfertilized reference soil. Both fertilization strategies contributed to soil acidity mitigation and caused no increase in soil heavy metal content. Avoidance test results showed no negative effects of these strategies on soil organisms, compared with the reference soil. However, results of the two fertilization managements differed: Springtails did not avoid soils fertilized with dairy sludge in any of the tested combinations. Earthworms avoided soils treated with sludge as of May 2004 (DS1), when compared with conventional fertilization. Possibly, the behavioral avoidance of earthworms is more sensitive to soil properties (other than texture, organic matter and heavy metal content) than springtails Index terms: organic waste management, ecotoxicity tests, Eisenia andrei, Folsomia candida.(

Effects of sheep manure in agricultural soils on the behavior of Folsomia candida and initial growth and development of Avena sativa

“…Most of springtails preferably remained in the soils containing doses from 0 to 8 Mg sheep manure per ha soil. Lower amounts of Folsomia candida were determined in the soil containing 16 Mg sheep manure per ha soil, indicating that sheep manure doses higher than 16 Mg per ha could be harmful for soils and plants as observed in swine manure-enriched soil (Andrés and Domene, 2005;Wolf et al, 2017) and bovine manure-enriched soil (Matos-Moreira et al, 2011).…”