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Long term application of dairy cattle manure and pig slurry to winter cereals improves soil quality

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Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Organic fertilizers (manures and slurries) applied repeatedly over many cropping seasons favourably influence nutrient recycling, maintenance of soil organic matter (SOM), and improve soil quality parameters such as soil aggregation and porosity. These aspects are particularly relevant in Mediterranean environments characterized by low SOM. This study was set up in a subhumid Mediterranean area where two different trials, devoted to winter cereals, were fertilized with dairy cattle manure (DCM) or pig slurry (PS) for a period of 12 years. One objective of this research was to evaluate the impacts of these fertilization practices on aggregate stability and SOM fractions, when compared with a mineral N fertilizer and a control (no-N) treatment. Porosity and pore shape were also studied in PS plots. The use of DCM significantly increased water stable aggregates by up to 16.4–18.0 %. Slurry addition did not affect aggregation but it increased the area occupied by pores >65 µm. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and light organic fraction (0.05–0.2 mm) increased with DCM incorporation but in PS treatments the SOC increment was non-significant. Data from DCM and PS together showed a positive and significant linear relationship between SOC (p < 0.05, R2 = 0.60), SOC light fraction (p < 0.01, R2 = 0.75) and SOC light fraction at 0.05–0.2 mm size (p < 0.01, R2 = 0.83), with water-stable aggregate. The use of animal residues (DCM or PS), applied according to an N criterion, increased available phosphorus and potassium soil content while improving yields. The enrichment of soil nutrients with DCM and PS use requires further research in order to avoid potential environmental impacts.

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Abbreviations

DCM:

Dairy cattle manure

DM:

Dry matter

MF:

Mineral nitrogen fertilizer

MWD:

Mean weight diameter

PS:

Pig slurry

SOC:

Soil organic carbon

SOM:

Soil organic matter

WSA:

Water stable aggregates

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank IRTA Mas Badia staff, all along the period of the experiment for field assistance and Montse Antúnez and Belén Martínez for laboratory assistance. The initial field maintenance was done through a project from Interministerial Science and Technology Research commission (CICYT) of Spain (AGL2001-2214-C06). The subsequent field maintenance and measurements development were supported through the Plans for the improvement of crop fertilization, led by the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and Natural Environment from Generalitat de Catalonia and through different projects from the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Scientific Research and Technology of Spain (INIA): RTA04-114-C3; RTA2010-00126-C02-02 and RTA2013-57-C5-05.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IRTA Mas Badia, Agricultural Experimental Station Mas Badia, 17134, La Tallada d’Empordà, Catalonia, Spain

    Francesc Domingo-Olivé

  2. Department of Environment and Soil Science, University of Lleida, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Àngela D. Bosch-Serra, María R. Yagüe, Rosa M. Poch & Jaume Boixadera

  3. Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and Natural Environment, Generalitat de Catalunya, Avda. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Jaume Boixadera

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  1. Francesc Domingo-Olivé
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  2. Àngela D. Bosch-Serra
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  3. María R. Yagüe
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  4. Rosa M. Poch
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Correspondence to María R. Yagüe.

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10705_2015_9757_MOESM3_ESM.tif

Figure S1. Monthly precipitation (P), and mean air temperature (T) during the crop season samplings (2012-2013) and for the historical period (1993-2014) (TIFF 43 kb)

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Domingo-Olivé, F., Bosch-Serra, À.D., Yagüe, M.R. et al. Long term application of dairy cattle manure and pig slurry to winter cereals improves soil quality. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 104, 39–51 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-015-9757-7

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