Abstract
The recycling of livestock manure in cropping systems is considered to enhance soil fertility and crop productivity. However, there have been no systematic long-term studies of the effects of manure application on soil and crop macro- and micro-nutrients, heavy metals, and crop yields in China, despite their great importance for sustainable crop production and food safety. Thus, we conducted field experiments in a typical cereal crop production area of the North China Plain to investigate the effects of compost manure application rates on wheat yield, as well as on the macro-/micro-nutrients and heavy metals contents of soil and wheat. We found that compost application increased the soil total N and the available K, Fe, Zn, and Mn concentrations, whereas the available P in soil was not affected, and the available Cu decreased. In general, compost application had no significant effects on the grain yield, biomass, and harvest index of winter wheat. However, during 2012 and 2013, the N concentration decreased by 9% and 18% in straw, and by 16% and 12% in grain, respectively. With compost application, the straw P concentration only increased in 2012 but the grain P generally increased, while the straw K concentration tended to decrease and the grain K concentration increased in 2013. Compost application generally increased the Fe and Zn concentrations in straw and grain, whereas the Cu and Mn concentrations decreased significantly compared with the control. The heavy metal concentrations increased at some compost application rates, but they were still within the safe range. The balances of the macro-and micro-nutrients indicated that the removal of nutrients by wheat was compensated for by the addition of compost, whereas the level of N decreased without the application of compost. The daily intake levels of micronutrients via the consumption of wheat grain were still lower than the recommended levels when sheep manure compost was applied, except for that of Mn.
Highlights
Livestock manure is an organic fertilizer that contains organic nutrients such as amino acids, nucleic acids, sugars, and vitamins, but it is a valuable source of organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and some micronutrients [1]
The results of this long-term field experiment demonstrate that the application of sheep manure had no significant effects on the biomass and harvest index (HI) for winter wheat, or on the grain yield
The soil total N increased at a high compost application rate, but the available P was not affected
Summary
Livestock manure is an organic fertilizer that contains organic nutrients such as amino acids, nucleic acids, sugars, and vitamins, but it is a valuable source of organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and some micronutrients [1]. Previous research into soil degradation on the North China Plain by Yang and Janssen [13] showed that the continuous application of excess fertilizer N led to an imbalance between SOM inputs and SOM outputs, thereby affecting the accumulation and consumption of SOM in the soil over time, which would result in nutrient deficiencies in cultivated land. This nutrient imbalance is a growing threat to food security on the North China Plain, where most of the regions are dependent on agriculture
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
