Matured Manure and Compost from the Organic Fraction of Solid Waste Digestate Application in Intensive Apple Orchards

Daniela Bona (), Andrea Cristoforetti, Roberto Zanzotti, Daniela Bertoldi, Nicole Dellai and Silvia Silvestri
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Daniela Bona: Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach, 1, 38010 San Michele All’adige, Italy
Andrea Cristoforetti: Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach, 1, 38010 San Michele All’adige, Italy
Roberto Zanzotti: Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach, 1, 38010 San Michele All’adige, Italy
Daniela Bertoldi: Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach, 1, 38010 San Michele All’adige, Italy
Nicole Dellai: Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach, 1, 38010 San Michele All’adige, Italy
Silvia Silvestri: Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach, 1, 38010 San Michele All’adige, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-15

Abstract: In intensive fruit growing systems, the recovery and maintenance of soil fertility play a crucial role in both environmental protection and sustainable support to plant productivity. The circular economy approach adopted at the EU level strongly promotes the use of organic products instead of mineral fertilizers. This work focuses on two different soil improvers, compost from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste digestate (CO) and “matured” manure, produced after a fast and controlled aerobic treatment in an aerated pile (MM), which were applied in three apple orchards with different soil tillage. The soil improvers have been characterized for amendment and fertilizing properties. After the amendment, the soils were sampled twice a year (Spring and Autumn) for three years. Each sample has been characterized for texture, pH, cation exchange capacity, nutrients, soil organic matter, and micronutrients. The amendments obtained differed on C, N, P, and K contents, but had similar biological stability. The main effects on soils were the increasing of N and soil organic matter after compost application, while the use of matured manure mainly act on available P and exchangeable K. The treatments showed significant effects among fields with a linear increasing trend only for compost. Matured manure showed more effects in earlier times. The data collected aim to improve the knowledge about sustainable management of soil organic matter and organic nutrients in intensive fruit-growing agriculture by using local products.

Keywords: compost from OFMSW digestate; matured manure; apple orchards; amendment; fertilizers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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