Abstract
The soil amendment with organic wastes represents a way to increase the soil fertility and the organic carbon (C) stored in the agro-ecosystems. Among the organic waste materials produced by agricultural and industrial activities, olive mill wastes derived from the olive oil extraction process may represent a suitable soil amendment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of fresh (SOMW) or composted mixture of SOMW and shredded olive tree prunings (C-SOMW+P) on the vegetative and productive activities of olive trees, on the C stored in the tree non-permanent structures (prunings and fruits) and in the soil. The plots treated with SOMW or C-SOMW+P showed higher vegetative and productive activities than the untreated plots, and this was attributed to the higher total N and availability of P and K supplied by the amendments. Consequently, treatments increased the C sequestered in the tree non-permanent structures than in the control trees. However, no significant different effect between SOMW and C-SOMW+P treatments was found for the C stored in prunings and fruits, whereas it was evident a stronger influence of C-SOMW+P than SOMW on soil C sequestration. Indeed, about 50% the C supplied by the treatment with C-SOMW+P was sequestered in the olive grove system, with more than 90% of the sequestered C stored into the soil. The low amount of C sequestered in the soil following the addition of SOMW was attributed to its richness of moisture and easily degradable compounds that triggered the mineralization processes controlled by the soil microbial community. Although the 8 years of amendment produced a higher fruit yields than the control, no difference occurred between the characteristics and the oil content of the olive fruits. Only the total phenol content for the oil obtained from the SOMW-treated plots was significantly higher. The other considered fruit characteristics did not show significant differences.
Highlights
As suggested by the UN convention panel on climate change, the ability to accurately assess the amount of C sequestered by soil and biomass in agro-ecosystems is becoming an increasingly important subject of worldwide interest [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2006; Teobaldelli et al, 2009; Hultnäs, 2011].the need for comprehensive strategies aimed at tackling the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) has recently prompted research on the use of agricultural soils and perennial crops as potential sites for sequestration of organic C, the long-term validity of this strategy is still to be assessed due to the variable behavior of immobilized C (Dumanski, 2004)
The data obtained in this study showed that 8 years of application of SOMW and C-SOMW to the olive grove soil significantly increased the vegetative activity and fruit yield of olive trees, and phenols concentration in the oil
From these results it appears that the recycling of the SOMW as a soil amendment, either composted or not, is a win-win strategy to transform a potential environmental threat associated to its disposal in a valuable resource and to improve the soil quality
Summary
As suggested by the UN convention panel on climate change, the ability to accurately assess the amount of C sequestered by soil and biomass in agro-ecosystems is becoming an increasingly important subject of worldwide interest [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2006; Teobaldelli et al, 2009; Hultnäs, 2011].the need for comprehensive strategies aimed at tackling the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) has recently prompted research on the use of agricultural soils and perennial crops as potential sites for sequestration of organic C, the long-term validity of this strategy is still to be assessed due to the variable behavior of immobilized C (Dumanski, 2004). The addition to soil of organic wastes as amendments derived from various sources represents an efficient practice to increase soil organic C content in the agro-ecosystems (Mondini and Sequi, 2008; Sánchez-Monedero et al, 2008; Lozano-García et al, 2011; Bedbabis et al, 2015; Proietti et al, 2015; Russo et al, 2015). This strategy would bring other desirable benefits, such as enhancement of soil structure, increase soil fertility, and decrease soil erosion rate (SánchezMonedero et al, 2008). Many organic waste materials derived from agricultural activities and agro-industry could be used as effective soil amendments, they are still under-utilized and often considered as an environmental problem with high cost due to their disposal
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