Vermicompost and millicompost as a resource in sustainable agriculture in semiarid: decomposition, nutrient release, and microstructure under the action of nitrogen and organic-mineral fertilizers.

Abstract

With the expansion of organic agriculture, research is needed to indicate economically and ecologically viable fertilizer options, especially in semiarid regions, with low soil organic matter and nitrogen content. In the Brazilian semiarid region, vermicomposts are widely used by farmers and are scientifically investigated; however, there is no information for millicompost, a new type of organic compound that has shown very promising results in other regions. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the decomposition rate, nutrient release, and microstructure evaluation of vermicomposts from different sources and of millicompost produced from plant residues, with the application of mineral nitrogen-urea and organo-mineral fertilizer in the Brazilian semiarid region. The experimental design was a randomized block in a 4 × 3 factorial scheme, with four replicates; four organic composts (millicompost, commercial vermicompost, vermicompost from bovine manure, vermicompost from goat manure); and three types of fertilization (without fertilizer, with mineral-urea and organo-mineral fertilizer). The organic composts were decomposed using litterbags at the soil surface. The variable's decomposition rate and the nutrient release were evaluated at six-time intervals (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150days), and microstructure was evaluated at the beginning and the end of the experiment, with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The highest decomposition was verified for commercial vermicompost rich in macro and micronutrients and with lower P contents. The lignin:N ratio and the initial P content were more important in the permanence of the organic compost in the field than the C:N ratio. Regardless of the organic composts, the use of urea as a mineral fertilizer stimulated decomposition more than the organo-mineral fertilizer. The initial composition of the nutrients was decisive in the dynamics of nutrient release, mass loss, and decomposition of C. There was no pattern in the release order of macronutrients. However, for the micronutrients, the release order was Cu > Fe > Mn, in all treatments. Microstructure analysis is a visual analysis where differences are detected through microphotographs and the biggest difference occurred with millicompost, which showed elongated fibers and fiber bundles, forming a relatively open structure characteristic of the presence of fulvic acid. However, the addition of organo-mineral fertilizer formed agglomerates in compacted micro-portions, helping the mineralization of C and N.