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Composted biosolids as a source of iron for hybrid poplars (Populus sp.) grown in northwest New Mexico

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Abstract

Composted sewage sludge (biosolids) supply plant available Fe and may represent a sustainable alternative to more costly chelated Fe fertilizers currently used to supplement nutrition in hybrid poplar test plots of elevated soil pH. To test the response of poplars, field plots were amended with composted biosolids at two agricultural rates: 22.75 and 44.5 Mg ha−1. Iron EDDHA served as a fertilizer check and control plots received no amendment. The hybrid poplar OP-367 (Populus deltoides × P. nigra) was planted on a 3.6 m grid spacing. Significant amounts of P and Fe originating from the sewage treatment process were detected in soils 13 months after amending. Chlorosis evaluated with a SPAD-502 meter, showed that poplars amended with biosolids remained the least chlorotic and had greater tree growth when compared to Fe EDDHA and control plots during two growing seasons. Biosolids show promise as a cost effective alternative for the remediation of Fe chlorosis in hybrid poplar agroforestry plantations and present new opportunities in northwestern New Mexico for municipalities seeking solid waste land disposal options.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Steven Glass and the City of Albuquerque for donating the composted biosolids. We would also like to acknowledge Havey Trucking for providing transportation of the biosolids from Albuquerque to Farmington. Finally, we would like to thank the Navajo Agricultural Products Industry for the use of their lab.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center at Farmington, P.O. Box 1018, Farmington, NM, 87499, USA

    Kevin Lombard, Mick O’Neill & Robert Heyduck

  2. Lindsay Corporation, 2222 N. 111th St., Omaha, NE, 68164, USA

    Blake Onken

  3. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Box 30003, MSC 3Q, Las Cruces, NM, 88003-8003, USA

    April Ulery, John Mexal & Adrian Unc

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  1. Kevin Lombard
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  2. Mick O’Neill
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  3. Robert Heyduck
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  4. Blake Onken
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  5. April Ulery
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  6. John Mexal
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  7. Adrian Unc
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Correspondence to Kevin Lombard.

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Lombard, K., O’Neill, M., Heyduck, R. et al. Composted biosolids as a source of iron for hybrid poplars (Populus sp.) grown in northwest New Mexico. Agroforest Syst 81, 45–56 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-010-9334-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-010-9334-7

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