Wood ash effects on chemical and microbiological properties of digestate- and manure-amended soils

A field study was carried out to evaluate the potential of wood ash as a fertilizer in grassland systems in combination with enriched N organic wastes. Six treatments including manure or digestate, each combined with wood ash at 0, 1, and 3 t ha−1 were spread onto the soil to an amount equivalent to 120 kg N ha−1. Three soil samplings and one cutting was carried out within one growing season (3 months). A higher pH value was found in manure-treated plots, the pH rise being proportional to the amount of wood ash added. Those plots amended with digestate were characterized by a larger content of total C, NH4+, and total P (TP) regardless of the amount of ashes. Microbial activity, assessed by basal respiration and microbial biomass carbon of the differently treated soils, was not affected neither by the nature of the organic waste nor by the amount of wood ash added. However, amending soil with digestate resulted in a more efficient soil microbial community, as shown by the lower values of the metabolic quotient. Such effects were accompanied by a higher percentage of plant cover, particularly of leguminous plants in digestate-treated plots. The time of sampling (seasonal effects) was found to influence the soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC), as well as the nutrient content (total N, NH4+, and NO3−). Overall, the combined use of wood ash and biogas digestate can constitute an efficient way for the disposal and recycling of both products and additionally, it may constitute an environmentally friendly alternative to mineral fertilizers for acid soils.

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