Abstract
Liquid residue from pig farming contains nutrients that can be used for the fertilization of cultivated soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate chemical and microbiological changes in a sandy soil under pasture with Bermuda Grass (Cynodon spp) that received doses of pig liquid waste (PLW). The experiment was conducted in Cianorte-PR, Brazil, in a Typic Hapludox soil with sandy texture. The treatments consisted of 30, 60 and 90 m3 ha-1 yr-1 of PLW or chemical fertilizer (CF) applied for two years in a randomized block design, with three replications. Soil samples were taken at 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm and 20-40 cm layers, after three months of the second consecutive application of PLW in the second year, before grazing. PLW increased the concentrations of P, C and K at 10-20 and 20-40 cm soil depth, in addition to increasing the microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen and the population of rhizobia at 0-10 cm, in the treatment with 90 m3 ha-1 yr-1. PLW improved the chemical fertility at deeper soil layers and the biological fertility at 0-10 cm of a sandy soil under pasture. Key words: Microbial biomass, organic fertilizer, phosphorus, potassium, rhizobia.
Highlights
Brazil is the fourth largest global pork producer and exporter, and Santa Catarina, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul are the main producing states (MAPA, 2016), resulting in the production of pig liquid waste (PLW), which use as a source of nutrients can reduce the costs of agricultural production
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of PLW application on chemical and microbiological attributes of a sandy soil under pasture, compared with the use of chemical fertilizer
At the 0-10 cm layer, applications of PLW in doses from 30 to 90 m3 ha-1 yr-1 resulted in lower P concentrations in the soil in relation to the chemical fertilizer
Summary
Brazil is the fourth largest global pork producer and exporter, and Santa Catarina, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul are the main producing states (MAPA, 2016), resulting in the production of pig liquid waste (PLW), which use as a source of nutrients can reduce the costs of agricultural production. We have to be aware of the possibility of negative effects of PLW on the soil and water quality due to nitrates, phosphates, salts, trace elements such as copper and zinc, xenobiotic compounds such as antibiotics, as well as potentially pathogenic organisms (Plaza et al, 2004; Scherer et al, 2010; Guardini et al, 2012). Organic matter is a key component of soil fertility, affecting physical, chemical and biological properties. It includes microorganisms that act in the biogeochemical cycles of C, N, P, among others (Paul and Clark, 1996). Microorganisms are widely recognized to perform important processes in biogeochemical cycles and affect the functioning of natural ecosystems.
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