Conversion from mineral fertilisation to MSW compost use: Nitrogen fertiliser value in continuous maize and test on crop rotation

Abstract

The recycling of agricultural wastes, co-products, and by-products is necessary for creating circular economic (closed loop) agro-food chains and more sustainable agro-ecosystems. The substitution of N mineral fertilisers with recycled organic fertiliser promotes a circular economy, makes the agricultural system more environmentally sustainable, and guarantees food security. Results from a continuous maize experiment and four-year rotation cropping systems (maize, winter wheat, maize, and soybean) were used in a three-year study that replaced part or all mineral fertilisers with Municipal Solid Waste Compost (MSWC). In the first experiment, two different fertilisation strategies, MSWC only (M-Com) and mineral fertilisers (M-Min), were compared with zero nutrients (M-Test 0), whereas in the rotation cropping systems, mineral fertilisation (R-Min) was compared with a combination of MSWC and mineral fertilisers (R-Com + Min). Depressed yields resulted in the initial year of compost application, but by the middle term (three years), MSWC fertilisation showed a good N fertiliser value, mainly for yield summer crops and integrated with N mineral fertilisers. Different soil indicators and the N content in crop tissues and soil suggested that the scarce N availability recorded mainly during the first year is responsible for yield reduction. Due to limited supplies of MSWC, soil total N and the stable organic fraction bound tightly to minerals (MOM), did not vary significantly in the three-year experiment. Conversely, the more labile organic fraction (fPOM) increased only in the top soil layers (0-15 cm). Also in the top layer, M-Com increased the amount of organic fraction occluded into soil aggregates (oPOM). Furthermore, replacement of N mineral fertiliser with compost effectively mitigated N₂O emissions in wheat and maize. Overall, the fertiliser value of MSWC was maximised when it was used repeatedly and in combination with mineral fertiliser, especially in spring and summer crops.

Keywords: Nitrogen apparent recovery; Nitrogen availability; Nitrogen fertilizer replacement value; Nitrous oxide emissions; Soil nitrates; Soil organic nitrogen fractionation.