Carbon cycling in an area under no-till and long-term sewage sludge application

Author(s)

Mariângela Brito Freiberger

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Botucatu. 2016-04-05.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas. Botucatu
• Defense date: 2016-02-22
• Advisor: Leonardo Theodoro Büll

Abstract

The study had as main objective to evaluate carbon (C) stock, changes in the amount of microbial C, quality of the soil organic matter (SOM) and CO2 emission as affected by sewage sludge applications in area under no-till. The experimental area, which shows a clayey Rhodic Ferralsol and is located in Botucatu, SP, has been conducted with the same treatments since 2002. The results of the present study, however, were obtained in the period from October 2012 to October 2014. A complete randomized blocks design arranged in a 2x4 factorial scheme and with four replicates was used. The treatments are represented by biennial application of two sewage sludge types (biodigested sludge - BS and centrifuged sludge - CS) in four rates: 0, 2, 4 and 8 Mg ha-1 (dry basis). The cropping system used in the study was a soybean/black oat succession. Yield and nutritional aspects of crops and CO2 emissions from soil were evaluated in each one of the cultivations. At the end of the study, soil samples were collected for analysis of soil fertility, OM fractionation, microbial C and C stock. The continued application of CS increased the pH and macronutrient levels in the soil, mainly Ca, as well as increased dry matter production and nutrient accumulation in aerial part of black oat. CS application also promoted greater accumulation of C in plants and greater activity of soil microorganisms, which led to a greater level of microbial biomass C (up to 390 mg kg-1 in the superficial layer), greater decomposition of light OM and consequently greater CO2 fluxes to the atmosphere (from 4.8 to 6.2 µmol m-2 s-1). Long time applications of sewage sludge (either BS or CS) resulted in increase of micronutrients levels in the soil, up to the point of Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn reach levels that may be harmful to plants. The soybean yield was higher (up to 3,232 kg ha-1) when sludge rates equivalent to 4.5 to 5.3 Mg ha-1 were used. The long-term application of sewage sludge increases the levels of total organic C (up 19.8 g kg-1), particulate fraction of C (up to 0.88 g kg-1) and C associated with minerals (up 19.0 g kg-1) only in the superficial layers of soil. Among the humic substances, the fraction that most contributed to the soil organic C (up 13.8 g kg-1) was humin. After six sewage sludge applications, regardless of the rate and type of sludge, the soil C stock increased only in the surface layer, and in total corresponded to 106.2 Mg ha-1. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/21276-9 - Carbon cycling in area under no-till and application of sewage sludge
• Grantee: Mariângela Brito Freiberger
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate