Effect Of Organic Fertilizer Application Research Articles

Meta-analysis on the Effects of Organic Fertilizer Application on Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Soils

To explore the direct and indirect effects of organic fertilizer application on greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils, a total of 1228 groups of data from 129 published studies were selected. Meta-analysis was used to analyze the effects of organic fertilizer on global greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils and their influencing factors. Meanwhile, a structural equation model （SEM） was further constructed to quantify and determine the causal relationships between the factors. The results showed that, overall, compared with those under no fertilization, organic fertilizer substitution increased CO2 emissions by 70.73% （lnR： 0.53, 95%CI： 0.45-0.62）, CH4 emissions by 52.58% （lnR： 0.42, 95%CI： 0.26-0.59）, and N2O emissions by 208.14% （lnR： 1.13, 95%CI： 1.04-1.21）, respectively. Compared with those under the application of inorganic fertilizers, the substitution of organic fertilizers increased CO2 emissions by 19.24% （lnR： 0.18, 95%CI： 0.13-0.22）, CH4 emissions by 27.72% （lnR： 0.24, 95%CI： 0.15-0.34）, and N2O emissions by -3.66% （lnR：-0.04, 95%CI：-0.11- 0.04）. Under the application of organic fertilizer, the dryland system had the greatest impact on both CO2 and N2O emissions, and the rice system had the most significant effect on CH4 emission effects. The average CO2 growth rate was highest in silty soils, and sandy soils had a greater effect on the average growth rates of N2O and CH4. The average growth rate of CO2 and N2O was extremely large under straw substitution compared to that under commercial organic fertilizer and biogas. The substitution of farmyard manure had significant CH4 emissions from soil promotion. Greenhouse gas emissions were significantly increased under the nitrogen fertilizer and organic fertilizer treatments. The SEM showed that mean annual temperature （MAT） was the most important environmental determinant of CO2 and N2O emissions, in which soil CO2 emissions were significantly positively correlated with MAT （P < 0.01） and soil N2O emissions were negatively correlated with MAT. The main environmental determinants of CH4 emissions in dryland, grassland, and rice systems were annual precipitation （MAP） and mean annual temperature （MAT）, respectively, which were both significantly and positively correlated with each other （P < 0.05）. This research can provide a scientific basis for optimizing fertilizer management and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from farmland.

Long-Term Application of an Oil Residue Organic Fertilizer Improved Soil Physical Properties in the Root Zone of Jujube Trees

Organic fertilizers have been widely applied in Chinese agriculture. Soil aggregate composition and pore size distribution indicate the effects of fertilizer practices on soil quality. While the effects of the long-term application of organic fertilizers on total soil pore space have been reported, few studies have examined the distribution of connected pore spaces (of critical importance for solute transport in the soil). Soil physical and chemical properties influence plant growth and soil processes. We compared the effects of organic fertilizer application (10 years, 5 years, and no application) on soil connectivity pore structures and physicochemical properties within the root zone (20–40 cm depth) around date palms through CT scanning or core samples. Specifically, when the number of years of organic fertilizer application increased, the proportion of 2–0.25 mm particle size aggregates in the soil increased, and soil connectivity pore structure became more complex and stable, with higher connectivity, pore numbers, and numbers of pore throats. The connectivity of particles of the 0–300 μm size class of pores increased and the proportion of the 500–1000 μm class of pore throats increased. Soil organic matter and enzyme activity were significantly related to soil pore structure characteristics. In conclusion, the application of organic fertilizer improved soil pore structures, and the effects became more pronounced with the increased duration of application. These results provide theoretical and practical support for the application of organic fertilizer to improve soil structures in arid areas, and the findings have significant implications for sustainable agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions.

Effects of Organic Fertilizer Application on Cultivated Land Productivity and Carbon Pool

The promotion and application of organic fertilizers in agriculture not only enhance the soil organic carbon pool but also offer viable solutions for addressing climate change. This paper, grounded in a comprehensive review of existing literature, analyzes the effects of organic fertilizers on cultivated land productivity and soil carbon pools. It summarizes the mechanisms through which organic fertilizers improve agricultural productivity and evaluates their carbon sequestration potential within the soil carbon pool. Finally, the environmental impact of organic fertilizer application process was discussed. In the future, through scientific application methods, organic fertilizer will play a more positive role in achieving food security, protecting soil health, and promoting carbon sink capacity.

Organic fertilizer application combined with seed inoculation using rhizobacteria on tomato yield and quality

Organic fertilizer application combined with seed inoculation using rhizobacteria enables increases in industrial tomato production. The objective of this work was to assess the synergistic effect of organic fertilizer application and seed inoculation with rhizobacteria on tomato yield and quality. A randomized complete block experimental design with four replication was used, in a 6×3 factorial arrangement consisted of six fertilizer sources (mineral fertilizer; cattle manure; and organic composts based on tomato, sugarcane bagasse, tomato + sugarcane; and tomato + sugarcane + banana stalk) and three different seed inoculation with rhizobacteria (a control, without inoculation; inoculation with RZB 18; and inoculation with LEMB 17). The evaluated fruit characteristics were: commercial and non-commercial yields; firmness; soluble solids content (SSC); industrial yield; titratable acidity (TA); SSC to TA ratio, and pH. The rhizobacteria significantly affected all evaluated characteristics. The highest mean industrial yields were obtained with the application of mineral fertilizer (7.59), tomato-based compost (7.99), and sugarcane bagasse-based compost (7.95 Mg ha-1). Although seed inoculation with rhizobacteria did not affect fruit yield and quality, organic composts based on tomato and sugarcane bagasse residues might be used as organic fertilizer for industrial tomato production.

The After-Effect of Organic Fertilizer Varies among Climate Conditions in China: A Meta-Analysis

Organic fertilizer is utilized to improve the organic carbon levels in arable soils, which is helpful for soil quality improvement and crop yield increase. However, the after-effect of organic fertilizer varies among regions with different temperature and precipitation conditions, and the extent of the impact remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the impact of varying temperature and rainfall conditions on the accumulation of soil organic carbon after organic fertilizer application. A meta-analysis of 168 peer-reviewed studies published between 2005 and 2022 involving a total of 464 trials was conducted. The following was discovered: (1) In the major grain-producing areas of China, there was a significant positive correlation (p < 0.01) between latitude and soil organic carbon content. Meanwhile, temperature and precipitation had a significant negative correlation (p < 0.01) with soil organic carbon content. (2) The increase in temperature inhibited the increase in soil organic carbon storage. The improvement effect of organic fertilizer application in the low-temperature areas was significantly increased by 60.93% compared with the mid-temperature areas, and by 69.85% compared with the high-temperature areas. The average annual precipitation affected the after-effect of organic fertilizer as follows: 400–800 mm > 400 mm > more than 800 mm. (3) The influence of climatic conditions on the after-effect of organic fertilizer was more significant depending on the specific tillage practice. To increase organic fertilizer use efficiency and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, liquid organic fertilizers with abundant trace nutrients and amino acids, which take advantage of releasing nutrients more swiftly and have a better fertilization effect, could be an alternative to traditional organic fertilizers.

Stochastic processes limit the effect of organic fertilizer application on soil bacterial community composition in salt marsh Suaeda salsa

Stochastic processes limit the effect of organic fertilizer application on soil bacterial community composition in salt marsh Suaeda salsa

The various effect of cow manure compost on the degradation of imazethapyr in different soil types

Adding compost to soil is an effective strategy to promote the degradation of organic pollutants and reduce ecological risks. However, the effect of compost on the degradation of imazethapyr (IMET) in different soil types is not clear. To address this issue, a pot experiment was conducted, and high-throughput sequencing and mass spectrometry technology were used to identify the influence of cow manure compost on the degradation efficiency of IMET in black soil and saline-alkali soil and the role of key microorganisms. The results showed that adding compost to black soil increased the degradation rate of IMET by 12.58% and shortened the half-life by 53.37%, while in saline-alkali soil, the degradation rate of IMET decreased by 6.99% with no significant change in the half-life. High-throughput sequencing results showed that adding cow manure compost (mass ratio of 4%) significantly increased the abundance of bacterial families capable of degrading organic pollutants in black soil, but had an inhibitory effect on this bacterial community in saline-alkali soil. Redundancy analysis (RDA) results showed that total organic carbon (TOC), alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) were the main factors driving microbial community variation. Mass spectrometry analysis indicated that IMET generated three metabolites during the degradation process. Sphingomonadaceae and Vicinamibacteraceae could accelerate the breaking of side-chain alkyl groups, while Chitinophagaceae could cause the rearrangement of the imidazole ring structure, gradually metabolizing IMET into small organic molecules. The application of appropriate cow manure compost can promote the development of IMET-degrading bacteria by adjusting the organic carbon and dissolved nitrogen content in black soil. In the future, the quantitative effects of organic fertilizer application on the IMET degradation process in different soil types should be further analyzed, and microbial isolation and purification should be used to enhance the ability of microorganisms to degrade herbicides.

Effects of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Soil Nutrient Conditions in Rice Fields with Varying Soil Fertility

The majority of crop-growing areas in China have low or medium fertility levels, which limits the yield of crops grown in those areas. Fertilizer application can improve soil quality, but the effects of such treatments vary depending on the base soil fertility. However, the specific differences associated with the application of different fertilizer types to soils of varying fertility levels have yet to be clearly delineated. Here, the influences of several fertilizer types on physical, chemical, and biological soil indicators were assessed in rice fields in the red soil area of Hunan Province with varying base fertility levels: Hehua (low fertility), Dahu (medium fertility), and Longfu (high fertility). Four treatments were applied to these fields: no fertilizer, standard fertilizer, 60% chemical fertilizer + 40% organic fertilizer, and 100% chemical fertilizer. Across the three sites and treatment groups, the largest increases in total nitrogen and phosphorus contents were in Hehua and Longfu, respectively. Soil organic matter content increased most significantly in Hehua. Application of any type of fertilizer increased the total and fast-acting nutrient content in the low-yielding fields, whereas organic fertilizers increased the nutrient content and soil biological indicators more than chemical fertilizer alone did; the effect of organic fertilizer application on the combined enzyme activity of the soil was also higher than that of chemical fertilizers alone. Overall, these experiments provide a theoretical basis and technical support for rational fertilizer application and improvement of Hunan’s red soil quality based on the natural soil fertility levels.

The effect of organic fertilizer application in growing amarant (amaranthus) plant

The world’s population is increasing by an average of 80 million people per year, in 2025 there will be 8 billion people on the planet. The population of the Republic of Uzbekistan is increasing by 650-670 thousand people per year, it will reach 47 million by 2026. This research was aimed at developing a scientifically based system of organic fertilizers in the cultivation of ecologically clean high-grain crops from white and red amaranth varieties of the amaranth plant in the organic farming method. The results showed that According to the results of the phenological observation of the plants, the germination of white amaranth in the control (without fertilizer) option was 82.4%, and it was determined that it was 95.1% in the option of applying 5.0 tons of biohumus per hectare, and 90.9% in the option of applying 20.0 tons of organic fertilizer (manure) per hectare.

Effects of Organic Fertilizer Application on Tomato Yield and Quality: A Meta-Analysis

Tomatoes are a globally cultivated and popular vegetable. The output and quality of tomatoes are significantly influenced by the use of organic fertilizers. It was discovered that organic fertilizers increase tomato productivity and improve fruit quality. The influence of organic fertilizers on tomato yield and quality is shown to be complex and dependent on soil organic matter, total soil nitrogen, organic fertilizers kinds, and other variables. In this review paper, we evaluated 769 data sets from 107 research papers and determined that organic fertilizers can enhance the tomato yield by 42.18%. Compared to the control group, soluble solids, soluble sugar, lycopene, vitamin C, and nitrate were raised by 11.86%, 42.18%, 23.95%, 18.97%, and 8.36%, respectively. In general, the soil organic matter >20 g·kg−1 and organic fertilizers significantly improved the tomato sugar/acid content ratio and VC, whereas under total soil nitrogen >1 g·kg−1, organic fertilizers had significant differences in tomato soluble solids, soluble sugar, lycopene, and vitamin C, with different organic-fertilizer types having different effects on tomato quality. When comparing animal and plant organic fertilizers to other forms of organic fertilizers, we observed that tomato quality varied significantly. We also evaluated the impact of different cultivation methods, soil organic matter, total soil nitrogen, soil pH, and types of organic fertilizers on the tomato yield and quality. The results gave valuable information and direction for the use of organic fertilizers in greenhouse production.

Effects of Organic Fertilizer Supply on Soil Properties, Tomato Yield, and Fruit Quality: A Global Meta-Analysis

The increased use of chemical fertilizer input in agricultural production and the promotion of sustainable agriculture encourage researchers around the globe to undertake experiments regarding application of organic fertilizers on tomato production. This study aims to amalgamate the comprehensive effects of organic fertilizer application compared with the pure application of chemical fertilizers (100% CF) on soil properties, tomato yield, and fruit quality through meta-analysis. It helps to provide a certain reference for the sustainable development of circular agriculture systems in tomato planting. Articles related to the impact of organic fertilizers on tomato planting were searched on the Web of Science, Science direct, and Google Scholar. A total of 124 documents meeting the Meta-analysis criteria were screened out. A total of 2041 sets of data were screened for soil properties (electrical conductivity, pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, bacteria, fungi, urease, catalase) and tomato yield and quality (nitrate, sugar, lycopene, protein). The normal fitting of the response ratio of each data revealed that all of them satisfied the Gaussian curve, and there was no publication bias. The application of organic fertilizers (the total) compared with 100% CF can increase the yield by 3.48%, acidic soil by (pH < 6) 7.98%, neutral soil by (pH = 6~8) 3.35%, soil organic matter by 24.43%, total nitrogen by 32.79%, total phosphorus by 23.97%, total potassium by 44.91%, available phosphorus by 14.46%, available potassium by 16.21%, soil bacteria by 5.94%, urease by 22.32%, and catalase by 17.68%. The application of organic fertilizers (the total) had no significant effect on ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and soil fungi in the soil. After the subgroup analysis, bio-organic fertilizers (BF) can increase tomato yield by 14.15%, reduce soil electrical conductivity by 13.66%, and increase soil catalase activity by 24.55%. Ordinary organic fertilizer (OF) can improve tomato quality, reduce tomato nitrate by 13.02%, and increase sugar by 10.66%, lycopene by 10.78%, total nitrogen by 39.55%, total phosphorus by 29.11%, total potassium by 58.67%, soil bacteria by 6.54%, and urease by 25.41%. Both can increase tomato protein, soil pH, soil available phosphorus, and potassium, but neither can significantly affect the ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and soil fungi in the soil. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation of tomato yield with lycopene, soil electricity conductivity, organic matter, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, available phosphorus, and urease. The application of organic fertilizers can improve tomato yield and quality and soil properties more compared with 100% CF. BF have better effects on yield and soil electrical conductivity, whereas tomato quality and soil physical and chemical properties are more effected by OF. Hence, this study provides a pathway for the selection of organic fertilizer in tomato production.

Effects of Fertilization Regimes on Soil Organic Carbon Fractions and Its Mineralization in Tea Gardens

Changes in the organic carbon fraction and mineralization of soil aggregates play an important role in the improvement of soil quality by organic fertilization. Nevertheless, the effects of organic fertilizer application on the organic carbon fraction and mineralization characteristics of soil aggregates are still unclear. This study carried out a 6-year field trial with five different fertilization treatments, namely, no fertilization (CK), chemical fertilization (CF), rapeseed cake (CR), chicken manure (CM), and a combination of chicken manure with biochar (CMB). The distribution, organic carbon density, and carbon mineralization characteristics in soil aggregate fractions were tested. The results showed that CR significantly increased the contents of large soil macroaggregates and enhanced the stability of soil aggregates of all sizes. CM increased the contents of macroaggregates and microaggregates but decreased the stability of the soil aggregates. CR, CM, and CMB increased the content of soil organic carbon and its components in the tea garden, while the contribution rate of organic carbon to large aggregates was the highest under the CR treatment. Organic fertilizer treatments had a positive effect on enhancing soil microbial biomass and carbon and nitrogen contents. The mineralization rate and accumulation of organic carbon in tea garden soil aggregates were increased under organic fertilizer treatments, of which CMB was the most significant. There was a high increase in tea yield and bud density under the CR treatment. In short, the application of organic fertilizers in tea garden soil is helpful to improve soil nutrients and soil fertility; plant- and animal-derived organic fertilizers are recommended for corporate application in agricultural production.

Dynamic Effect of Organic Fertilizer Application on Rice Growth, Soil Physicochemical Properties and Cd Activity Exposed to Excess Cd.

To investigate the dynamic effects of organic fertilizer application on the agronomic traits of rice (Oryza sativa L.), soil physicochemical properties and soil Cd activity under excess cadmium (Cd) exposure, this study was conducted to simulate a paddy system under different organic fertilizer application rates using exogenous spiked Cd soil as the test soil and conducting a rice pot experiment. The obtained results showed that the application of organic fertilizer increased the number of rice tillers, rice plant height, total grain number and total grain weight at maturity in all treated soils, while it decreased the concentration of Cd in brown rice. The application of organic fertilizer increased the organic matter (OM), redox potential and electrical conductivity of all treated soils but decreased the pH and TCLP-extractable Cd of all treated soils. There was a significant or highly significant negative correlation (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) between soil TCLP-extractable Cd and soil OM throughout the experimental period, implying that soil OM may be an important factor influencing the changes in Cd activity in soil. In addition, our experiment also examined in detail the dynamic change process of the abovementioned indicators throughout the experimental period and observed that the dynamic change process of soil Cd activity could be described as a trend of first decreasing and then gradually increasing throughout the rice reproductive period.

The effect of organic fertilizers on the yield components of corn plant, protein and starch content of grain

The importance of organic fertilizers for sustainable agricultural production is an undeniable fact. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of different organic fertilizers on the growth and quality properties of maize plants. Three different types of organic fertilizers; cattle manure, vermicompost and leonardite, and their doses of 2.500, 5.000, 7.500 and 10.000 kgha-1 were used in the experiment. In addition, conventional production and non-fertilized production were used as control applications. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiments were repeated to assess the residual effects of the treatments. Fertilizers were applied in 2018 to determine the residual effects of organic fertilizer applications in the second year. In the research; plant height, ear diameter, ear grain weight, 1000 grain weight, grain yield, protein ratio, oil ratio and starch ration were examined. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of different organic fertilizers on the yield components and grain content of the corn plant. These features varied between 180.72-157.87 cm, 39.38-33.59 mm, 117.1-62.2 g, 261.2-237.1 g, 4416.8-1712.9 kg ha-1, 7.8-5.9%, 2.5-2.1% and 74.7-73.8%, respectively. According to the results, the 2500 kgha-1 and 5000 kgha-1 doses of vermicompost had the highest values for the oil ratio and protein ratio, on the other hand the leonardite application of 10.000 kgha-1 for the starch ration had the highest value. Generally, conventional fertilizer application had the highest values for yield components.

Application of Organic Fertilizer Changes the Rhizosphere Microbial Communities of a Gramineous Grass on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The effects of organic fertilizer application on the soil microbial community in grassland systems have been extensively studied. However, the effects of organic fertilizers on the structure of rhizosphere microbial communities are still limited. In this study, the diversity and composition of rhizosphere microbial communities of a gramineous grass Elymus nutans under organic fertilizer treatment were studied in an artificial pasture on Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. After a growing season, the application of organic fertilizer not only increased the height and biomass of Elymus nutans, but also changed the rhizosphere microbial compositions. In particular, organic fertilizer increased the diversity of rhizosphere bacterial community and inhibited the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Acinetobacter, but the opposite trend was observed for the diversity of fungal community. The assembly process of fungal community was changed from a stochastic process to a deterministic process, indicating that selection was strengthened. Additionally, both the infection rate of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) toward host plants and the development of AMF-related structures were significantly increased after the application of organic fertilizer. Our study demonstrated that the addition of organic fertilizer to artificial pasture could improve the growth of grass through the alteration of the rhizosphere microbial communities. Organic fertilizer had a greater selectivity for the bacterial and the fungal communities that enhanced the niche filtration in this community, further benefiting the yield of forages.

The effect of organic manure on the growth of dwarf banana (Musa paradisiaca L. ) under the natural shade

This study aims to determine the effect of organic fertilizer application on dwarf banana Cavendish (Musa paradisiaca L.) in natural shade and determine the dose of fertilizer that gives the best effect on the growth of banana. The research conducted at Field Garden, Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Halu Oleo University. This study used a randomized block design (RBD) with organic fertilizer treatment consisting of control (P0/control), 87.5 g per polybag (P1), 170 g per polybag (P2), 262.5 g per polybag (P3), 350 g per polybag (P4), 437.5 g per polybag (P5) and 525 g per polybag (P6). Every treatment repeated three times. The variables observed were plant height, leaf number and leaf area. The results showed that organic fertilizer affected the growth of plant height, leaf number and leaf area. The treatment of organic fertilizer of goat manure at a dose of 170 g per polybag was a good dose of fertilizer in stimulating the growth of banana plants.

The Effect of Paitan (Tithonia diversifolia) dose on Growth and Yield of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Granola Purple Flowered Variety

Potato farming in Jawa Timur currently tends to be oriented towards high production. Increasing the yield of potato quality is by controlling fertilizers and the population. The use of paitan as an organic fertilizer to replace an organic fertilizer is easy and efficient. This study aims to determine the effect of organic fertilizer application on the yield of Granola potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.). Treatment using a dose of paitan (D) consisted of: D0 = Control (without fertilization), D1 = 120 kg N ha-1 equivalent to 5882 t ha-1 fresh paitan, D2 = 175 kg N ha-1 equivalent to 8,578 t ha-1 fresh paitan, D3 = 230 kg N ha-1 equivalent to 11,273 t ha-1 fresh paitan, D4 = 175 kg N ha-1 equivalent to Urea 380 kg ha-1, P2O 149.76 kg ha-1, K2O 100 kg ha-1. The treatment is given once a week before planting. Parameters observed were plant height and the number of tubers. The results of the study showed that paitan organic fertilizer equivalent to 380 kg N ha-1 was able to produce plant growth and yields that were no different when compared to inorganic fertilizers. In addition, the use of organic fertilizers can preserve the environment for long-term agricultural activities.

Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Kailan (Brassica oleraceae Var Alboglabra L. H. Bailey) Pada Pemberian Pupuk Organik Cair Limbah Kulit Buah di Tanah Gambut

This study aims to: 1). to determine the effect of organic fertilizer application of fruit peel waste on the growth and yield of kailan plants on peat soil; 2). to know the organic fertilizer that gives the best growth and yield of kailan plants on peat soil; 3). to determine the best dose of organic fertilizer for fruit peel waste on the growth and yield of kailan plants on peat soil.The study was conducted using a Non-factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD), with 10 levels of treatment, each treatment being repeated 3 times so that 30 experimental units were obtained. This research was conducted in a green house with a plastic roof on Langkai Village, Pahandut District, Palangka Raya City, Central Kalimantan, from May to July 2021. The results showed that the application of liquid organic fertilizer from fruit peel waste had no significant effect on all observation parameters but liquid organic fertilizer of pineapple peel waste 20 ml plant-1 gave the best results at plant fresh weight of 90.44 g and total chlorophyll content of 0.38 mg g-1. Liquid organic fertilizer from banana peel waste at a dose of 20 ml plant-1 gave the best growth with 8.53 leaves, 11.16 g root weight and 897.87 cm2 leaf area.

Effect of Organic Fertilizer Application on Plant Growth and Soil Chemical Properties under Different Crops Cultivation

Effect of Organic Fertilizer Application on Plant Growth and Soil Chemical Properties under Different Crops Cultivation

Arsenic and Cadmium Accumulation in Soil as Affected by Continuous Organic Fertilizer Application: Implications for Clean Production

As and Cd in soil can be assimilated and accumulated by vegetables and can be subsequently ingested by humans. Contradictory effects of organic fertilizer application on As and Cd accumulation in soil have been reported in previous studies. An eight-year greenhouse study was conducted on a sandy loam soil in Beijing, China to investigate the effects of organic fertilizer application rate on soil properties, and As and Cd accumulation in soil. The contamination risk of pak choi grown after eight years’ application of organic fertilizer was also evaluated. Soil organic carbon increased 3.0–3.8 times with low, medium and high rates of fertilizer application in 2018 compared to the initial soil. Organic fertilizer application significantly increased soil nutrients and microbial biomass while it mildly affected soil pH. The bioavailability of As/Cd has decreased after eight years’ application of organic fertilizer. Pak choi crop harvested from all three treatments in 2018 did not pose a threat to human health, even for life-time consumption. Soil total As content significantly decreased with organic fertilizer application, mainly due to the lower As content in the applied fertilizer than that in soil. Continuous application of clean organic fertilizer can be adopted to reduce the contamination risk of highly contaminated soil in the soil–plant system.