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Agro-Industry Sludge as a Potential Organic Fertilizer for Prompt Nitrogen Release

2017; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 48; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00103624.2017.1323084

1532-2416

Moreno Toselli, Graziella Marcolini, Eleną Baldi, Maurizio Quartieri, Giovambattista Sorrenti, Enrico Muzzi, Innocenti Angelo, Dal Re Lamberto,

Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sustainability of an agro-industry sludge as a nitrogen (N) fertilizer in perennial crops by assessing its dynamics of release of: 1) N as ammonium (NH4+)- and nitrate (NO3−)-N, and 2) carbon as soil respiration. In incubation assay, application of agro-industry sludge promoted the maximum NH4+-N concentration (50 mg kg−1) 2 h after application, then it decreased with time until day 26. NO3−-N increased, reaching the maximum between day 60 and day 100, according to a second degree function. Agro-industry sludge showed a slower release of NO3−-N compared with urea. Soil basal respiration and cumulative amount of carbon dioxide were higher in sludge from day 71 on. In field, soil NO3−-N increased after fertilization treatments and was higher in Calcari Stagnic Cambisols soil. Sludge showed a potential lower environment impact in terms of mineral N release, than urea.