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Lime, sewage sludge and mineral fertilization in a silvopastoral system developed in very acid soils

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Abstract

In recent years, in the European Union, sewage sludge production has been increased as a result of EU policy (European directive 91/271/EEC). Organic matter and nutrient sewage sludge contents, principally nitrogen, indicate it can be used as fertilizer. The objective of the experiment was to compare the effect of no fertilization, three doses of sewage sludge, with or without liming, and the fertilization usually used in the region applied over a period of 3 years on pasture production and tree growth in a silvopastoral system. The experiment was conducted in the northwest of Spain. The soil was very acid (soil pH = 4.5) and had very low nutrient levels, especially P, that is related to site index. It was sown with a grass mixture (25 kg ha−1 of Lolium perenne L. 10 kg ha−1 of Dactylis glomerata L. and 4 kg ha−1 of Trifolium repens L.) in Autumn 1997 under a plantation of 5-year-old Pinus radiata D. Don at a density of 1,667 trees ha−1. Liming and sewage sludge fertilization increased soil pH and reduced saturated aluminium percentage in the interchange complex (Al/IC) in the soil, coming up the effect before with liming. Medium and high sewage sludge doses increased pasture production in the two first years. In a silvopastoral system, positive tree growth response to different fertilization treatments depended on tree age, initial soil fertility, soil pH, the relationship of competition with pasture production and previous liming application.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto Biología y Producción de los Vegetales, Centro Universitario de Plasencia, Univ. Extremadura, Avda. Virgen del Puerto, no 2, 10600, Plasencia-Caceres, Spain

    M. L. López-Díaz

  2. Dpto. Producción Vegetal, Escola Politécnica Superior de Lugo, Univ. Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario s/n, 27002, Lugo, Spain

    M. R. Mosquera-Losada & A. Rigueiro-Rodríguez

Authors
  1. M. L. López-Díaz
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  2. M. R. Mosquera-Losada
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  3. A. Rigueiro-Rodríguez
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Correspondence to M. R. Mosquera-Losada.

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López-Díaz, M.L., Mosquera-Losada, M.R. & Rigueiro-Rodríguez, A. Lime, sewage sludge and mineral fertilization in a silvopastoral system developed in very acid soils. Agroforest Syst 70, 91–101 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-007-9046-9

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