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Short-term effects of organic municipal wastes on wheat yield, microbial biomass, microbial activity, and chemical properties of soil

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Abstract

The objectives of this work were to (a) investigate the short-term effects of applications of mineral fertilizer, municipal solid waste (MSW) compost, and two sewage sludges (SSs) subjected to different treatments (composting and thermal drying) on microbial biomass and activity of soil by measuring microbial biomass C, adenosine 5′-triphosphate content, basal respiration, and dehydrogenase, catalase, urease, phosphatase, β-glucosidase, and N-α-benzoyl-l-argininamide-hydrolyzing activities and (b) explore the relationships between soil microbiological, biochemical, and chemical properties and wheat yields under semiarid field conditions by principal component analysis. The additions of MSW compost, SS compost, and thermally dried SS did not affect significantly soil microbial biomass, as compared to mineral fertilization and no amendment. However, microbial activity increased in organically amended soils, probably due to the stimulating effect of the added decomposing organic matter. Changes in soil microbiological and biochemical properties showed no significant relationships with wheat yields, probably because plant growth was primarily water-limited, as typically occurs in semiarid regions.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the VI National R&D&I Plan 2008-2011 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2009-09124). V.G. Franco-Otero is the recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) funded by Banco Santander Central Hispano. P Soler-Rovira and D. Hernández are recipients of research contracts funded through the CSIC JAE-Doc program. The technical assistance of R. Sanz and P. Hernaiz (Institute of Agricultural Sciences, CSIC) is gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Serrano 115 dpdo., 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Víctor G. Franco-Otero, Pedro Soler-Rovira, Diana Hernández, Esther G. López-de-Sá & César Plaza

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  1. Víctor G. Franco-Otero
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  2. Pedro Soler-Rovira
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  3. Diana Hernández
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  4. Esther G. López-de-Sá
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  5. César Plaza
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Correspondence to César Plaza.

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Franco-Otero, V.G., Soler-Rovira, P., Hernández, D. et al. Short-term effects of organic municipal wastes on wheat yield, microbial biomass, microbial activity, and chemical properties of soil. Biol Fertil Soils 48, 205–216 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-011-0620-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-011-0620-y

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