Impact of solid and liquid olive oil waste applications on important soil properties

Abstract

Some of the agricultural waste has important economic potentials to be used as a source of plant nutrients and as soil conditioner. Olive oil solid and liquid waste (OSLW) is one of them. Some of the characteristics of this material are favorable for agriculture, such as low pH and high content of organic matter, N, P, K, and Mg. This study was carried out at the Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Adnan Menderes University Aydin for two years. Olive oil solid and liquid waste was applied as liquid and solid forms with three doses (liquid OSLW 0–2.5–5.0–7.5 l m−2, solid OSLW 0–1.5–3.0–4.5 kg m−2). Results indicate that organic matter contents were slightly risen up with the applications of olive oil waste while soil pH decreased with both liquid and solid forms of waste applications. There were also increases in organic matter, N, P, K, and Mg contents with rise of application doses. It was also determined that the undesired effects of Na and EC in soils, important for environmental pollution, disappeared through the experimental period.