Long-term effects of metal-containing farmyard manure and sewage sludge on soil organic matter in a fluvisol

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry Vol. 37; no. 4; pp. 673 - 679
• Main Authors: Parat, Corinne, Chaussod, Rémi, Lévêque, Jean, Andreux, Francis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2005; New York, NY Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; animal manures; Biochemistry and biology; biodegradation; Biological and medical sciences; carbon; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; copper; Earth Sciences; Ecology, environment; Farmyard manure; fluvial soils; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geochemistry; heavy metals; Labile organic matter; lead; Life Sciences; long term effects; Organic matter; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Sandy soils; Sciences of the Universe; Sewage sludge; soil amendments; soil microorganisms; soil organic matter; soil pollution; Soil quality; Soil science; soil water content; zinc; Cu; Pb; Zn; Sandy soils; Soil quality; Labile organic matter; Farmyard manure; Sewage sludge; Organic matter; Fluvisols; Sandy soil; Long term; Zinc; Heavy metal; Lead; Soil science; Copper; Organic amendment
• ISSN: 0038-0717; 1879-3428
• DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.08.025

Our aim was to establish the long-term effects of repeated applications after 20 y of organic amendments (farmyard manure at 10 t ha −1 y −1, and urban sewage sludge at two different rates, 10 t ha −1 y −1 and 100 t ha −1 every 2 y) on the quality of a sandy and poorly buffered soil (Fluvisol, pH 6). Chemical characteristics and biodegradability of the labile organic matter, which is mainly derived from microbial biomass and biodegradation products of organic residues, were chosen as indicators for soil quality. The organic C content had reached a maximal value (30.6 g C kg −1 in the 100 t sludge-treated soil), i.e. about 2.5 times that in the control. Six years after the last application, the organic C content and the microbial biomass content remained higher in sludge-treated soils than in the control. In contrast, the proportion of labile organic matter was significantly lower in sludge-treated soils than in manure-treated and control soils. The labile organic matter of sludge extracts appeared less humified than that of manure-treated and control soils.