Production of Biomass Crops Using Biowastes on Low-Fertility Soil: 1. Influence of Biowastes on Plant and Soil Quality.

Land application of biosolids to low-fertility soil can improve soil quality by increasing concentrations of macronutrients and trace elements. Mixing biosolids with sawdust could reduce the risks of contaminant accumulation posed by rebuilding soils using biosolids alone. We aimed to determine the effects of biosolids and biosolids-sawdust on the plant quality and chemical composition of sorghum, rapeseed, and ryegrass. Plants were grown in a greenhouse over a 5-mo period in a low-fertility soil amended with biosolids (1250 kg N ha), biosolids-sawdust (0.5:1), or urea (200 kg N ha). Biosolids application increased the biomass of sorghum, rapeseed, and ryegrass up to 14.0, 11.9, and 4.1 t ha eq, respectively. Mixing sawdust with biosolids resulted in a growth response similar to biosolids treatments in rapeseed but nullified the effect of biosolids in sorghum. Urea fertilization provided insufficient nutrients to promote rapeseed growth and seed production, whereas seed yields after biosolids application were 2.5 t ha. Biosolids and biosolids-sawdust application enhanced plant quality by increasing element concentrations, especially Zn, and potentially toxic elements (Cd, Cr, Ni) did not exceed food safety standards. An application of 50 t ha of biosolids, equivalent to 1250 kg N ha, did not exceed current soil limits of Cu, Zn, and Cd and hence was effective in rebuilding soil without accumulating contaminants. The effect of mixing sawdust with biosolids varies with plant species but can further enhance plant nutrient quality in biomass and seeds, especially P, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, S, and Na.

Production of Biomass Crops Using Biowastes on Low-Fertility Soil: 2. Effect of Biowastes on Nitrogen Transformation Processes.

Increasing production of biowastes, particularly biosolids (sewage sludge), requires sustainable management strategies for their disposal. Biosolids can contain high concentrations of nutrients; hence, land application can have positive effects on plant growth and soil fertility, especially when applied to degraded soils. However, high rates of biosolids application may result in excessive nitrogen (N) leaching, which can be mitigated by blending biosolids with other biowastes, such as sawdust. We aimed to determine the effects of biosolids and sawdust on growth and N uptake by sorghum, rapeseed, and ryegrass as well as N losses via leaching. Plants were grown in a greenhouse over a 5-mo period in a low-fertility soil amended with biosolids (1250 kg N ha), biosolids-sawdust (0.5:1), or urea (200 kg N ha). Urea application increased biomass production of sorghum and ryegrass but proved insufficient for rapeseed on low-fertility soil. Biosolids application increased plant N concentrations in ryegrass and rapeseed and increased N uptake into the seeds of sorghum, increasing seed quality. Biosolids application did result in lower N leaching compared with urea, irrespective of plant species, and N leaching was unaffected by mixing the biosolids with sawdust. There was an indication of biological nitrification inhibition in the rhizosphere of sorghum. Rapeseed had similar growth and N uptake into biomass in biosolids and biosolids-sawdust treatments and hence was the most promising species with regard to recycling fresh sawdust in combination with high rates of biosolids on low-fertility soil.