Mineralization of Nitrogen and Carbon in Soils Amended with Composted Manure

The addition of compost may mitigate soil degradation and contribute to the soil nutrient supply in spring cereal monoculture. A field study was carried out in eastern Quebec, Canada, to assess the impact of composts from four sources and ammonium nitrate (AN) applied at different rates in spring on soil moisture and inorganic N in spring wheat production (Triticum aestivum L. 'Messier'). The experiment was conducted in 1994 and 1995 on two different soils: a Kamouraska clay (Orthic Humic Gleysol) and a Saint-André sandy loam (Fragic Humo-Ferric Podzol). Composts were applied at rates of 0, 90, 180 and 360 kg total N ha−1. Ammonium nitrate was applied at 0, 45, 90 and 180 kg N ha–1. Treatments in which AN was added to composts were also included. Thirty days after N application, profile soil inorganic N increased linearly with rates of commercial composts and AN but not with farm composts, whereas at harvest, residual soil N was not affected by composts but was increased by AN. The relative contribution of the compost organic fraction was negligible in the first year of application. Soil inorganic N at 30 d after fertilizer applications was significantly related to plant N uptake at harvest (r2 = 0.74), suggesting useful index of compost N availability. Large amounts of compost raised soil moisture content of the sandy loam by 3–5%, particularly under dry climatic conditions. Commercial composts have a small N fertilizer value, whereas composted dairy manure should be considered preferable as a soil amendment. Key words: Dairy manure compost, shrimp wastes, peat moss, wheat

Section: Soil No 3 -1 -N At 30 D After Compost and Ammonium Nitrate Amentioning

confidence: 54%

Soil nitrogen and moisture as influenced by composts and inorganic fertilizer rate

Gagnon¹,

Simard²,

Goulet³

et al. 1998

“…N'Dayegamiye et al (1997) observed that N mineralization patterns of welldecomposed composts varied with straw level and manure types. Hébert et al (1991) observed that N mineralized was related to compost type, decomposition state, application rate and soil type. Shi et al (1999) found that intensity of composting management positively influenced the N fertilizer value of dairy manure composts but only when materials were well decomposed.…”

mentioning

confidence: 94%

Nitrogen and phosphorus release from on-farm and industrial composts

Gagnon¹,

Simard²

1999

Gagnon, B. and Simard, R. R. 1999. Nitrogen and phosphorus release from on-farm and industrial composts. Can. J. Soil Sci. 79: 481-489. Source materials and manure management may affect compost nutrient availability to plants. A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the impact of these factors on the N and P release from 23 on-farm and 6 industrial composts. Composts were mixed with the Ap horizon of an Arago sandy loam (Humo-Ferric Podzol), at 200 mg N kg -1 , and incubated for 13 wk in glass jars at 35°C. The soil mineral N content at the end of incubation was the highest from poultry litter, sheep manure, horse manure and vegetable residue sources whereas the fresh solid, beef and young dairy manure composts resulted in high N immobilization. The release of N from the compost organic N fraction was in most cases negative. The soil Mehlich-3 P content at the end of the incubation period was higher from the poultry litter than from any other sources, whereas P was strongly immobilized from week 1 to week 13 in the fresh solid, beef and young dairy manure compost amended soils. Septic tank sludge compost was the least efficient N and P source among industrial products whereas the others showed N and/or P release comparable to most on-farm composts. In dairy manure compost, use of wood in bedding, turning compost windrow, increasing composting duration and sheltering material against precipitation all reduced P immobilization during incubation. Organic N mineralization in soil was only significantly increased by composting duration. This study indicated that the short-term N and P potential nutrient value of composts are dependent upon compost source materials and manure management, and should be based on their inorganic N and P content.

“…A subsequent examination of compost maturity and stability parameters found that maturity was indicated by those composts in which no more than 30% of the organic C was mineralized after 70 d (Bernal et al 1998a). In another study, Hébert et al (1991) found that after 28 d of incubation, 92-99% of total added C remained in soils amended with manure composts.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating carbon retention in soils amended with composted beef cattle manure

Helgason¹,

Larney²,

Janzen³

2005

. 2005. Estimating carbon retention in soils amended with composted beef cattle manure. Can. J. Soil Sci. 85: 39-46. Composted cattle manure is often used as a soil amendment to replenish nutrient pools and to supply a source of stable C. Compost composition affects the availability of nutrients and the stability of C following the addition of compost to soil. We investigated C mineralization in a loamy sand and a loam soil amended with nine composts, two fresh manures and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay at a target rate of 10 mg total C g -1 soil. Soils were incubated at 25°C for 168 d. There was a significant interaction between amendment and soil type on C mineralization but generally, the effect of soil texture on amendment decomposition was small. The composts were very dissimilar in composition and resulted in substantial differences in the amount of C retained in the soils (2-39% C added evolved as CO 2 ). Total C evolved during the incubation period could be predicted from the NH 4 -N content and the NH 4 -N/NO 3 -N ratio of the composted manures (R 2 = 0.91-0.93). Estimation of the C retained in soils amended with compost as a function of simple chemical properties of the compost provides an important tool for evaluating the effectiveness of compost as a soil amendment, helping to calculate net retention of C. . La composition du compost affecte la quantité d'élé-ments nutritifs disponible et la stabilité du C après incorporation de l'amendement au sol. Les auteurs ont étudié la minéralisation du C dans un sable loameux et un sol loameux enrichis avec neuf sortes de compost, deux fumiers et du foin de luzerne (Medicago sativa L.) à raison de 10 mg de C total par gramme de sol. Les sols ont été incubés pendant 168 jours à 25°C. On assiste à une interaction significative entre l'amendement et la nature du sol au niveau de la minéralisation du C, mais, dans l'ensemble, la texture du sol a peu d'effet sur la décomposition de l'amendement. La composition du compost varie considérablement, ce qui donne lieu à d'importants écarts dans la quantité de C retenue par le sol (2 à 39 % du C ajouté s'est transformé en CO 2 ). On a pu prédire la quantité totale de C qui a évolué au cours de la période d'incubation à partir de la teneur en N-NH 4 et du ratio N-NH 4 /N-NO 3 des composts (R 2 = 0,91 à0,93). L'estimation de la quantité de C gardée par le sol après bonification d'après les propriétés chimiques simples du compost est un outil important pour évaluer l'utilité de ce dernier comme amendement, donc calculer la quantité nette de C retenue.