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Better Together: Water Treatment Residual and Poor-Quality Compost Improves Sandy Soil Fertility

Clarke, Catherine E.; Stone, Wendy; Hardie, Ailsa G.; Quinton, John N.; Blake, Lynsay I.; Johnson, Karen L.

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Authors

Catherine E. Clarke

Wendy Stone

Ailsa G. Hardie

John N. Quinton

Lynsay I. Blake



Abstract

Water treatment residual (WTR) is an underused clean water industry byproduct, generally disposed to landfill. This study assesses the benefits and risks of ferric-WTR as a soil amendment or co-amendment for plant growth in a nutrient-poor sandy soil. A 12-wk pot trial tested the efficacy of WTR and a locally available, low-quality, municipal compost as single (1, 5, and 12.5% dry mass) and co-amended treatments (1:1 WTR/compost ratio, at 2, 10, and 25%) on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth in a sandy soil. The low total N content of the compost and low WTR P and K contents resulted in significantly lower (up to 50% lower, p < 0.05) plant biomass in single amendments compared with the control, whereas the highest co-amendment produced significantly higher plant biomass (33% higher, p < 0.05) than the control. This positive co-amendment effect on plant growth is attributed to balanced nutrient provision, with P and K from the compost and N from the WTR. Foliar micronutrient and Al levels showed no toxic accumulation, and co-amended foliar Mn levels increased from near deficient (20 mg kg−1) to sufficient (50 mg kg−1). Total WTR metals were well below maximum land application concentrations (USDA). Trace element bioavailability remained the same (Ni, Cu, and Hg) or significantly decreased (B, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn, As, and Cd; p < 0.05) during the pot trial. These results suggest, within this context, that a WTR–compost co-amendment is a promising soil improvement technology for increasing crop yields in sandy soils.

Citation

Clarke, C. E., Stone, W., Hardie, A. G., Quinton, J. N., Blake, L. I., & Johnson, K. L. (2019). Better Together: Water Treatment Residual and Poor-Quality Compost Improves Sandy Soil Fertility. Journal of Environmental Quality, 48(6), 1781-1788. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2019.03.0147

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Aug 20, 2019
Online Publication Date Oct 17, 2019
Publication Date Oct 17, 2019
Deposit Date Nov 22, 2019
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Environmental Quality
Print ISSN 0047-2425
Publisher Crop Science Society of America
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 48
Issue 6
Pages 1781-1788
DOI https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2019.03.0147

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