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2009Campbelllphd.Pdf Campbell, Nicola S. (2009) The use of rockdust and composted materials as soil fertility amendments. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/617/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] The Use of Rockdust and Composted Materials as Soil Fertility Amendments Nicola S. Campbell BSc (Hons) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Glasgow February 2009 Nicola S. Campbell, 2009 Abstract This thesis aims to investigate the use of two materials: rockdust and greenwaste compost for use as soil fertility amendments. A field trial was conducted over three years to investigate the impact these materials had on plant yield, plant nutrient content, soil chemistry and soil microbial communities in direct comparison with chemical fertilizer and farmyard manure. There were annual applications of compost, manure and chemical fertilizer in spring with one rockdust application in the autumn prior to the first year of the trial. Two harvests were carried out each year in summer and autumn to determine differences in plant yield. The soil was analysed prior to applications to determine the baseline chemical status then was analysed at two more points through the trial. Results from the field trial showed clear effects of organic amendments on plant yield that were attributed to nitrogen addition by compost and manure. NPK chemical fertilizer produced a yield effect at an earlier point in the trial compared to manure and compost. This, and the chemical analysis of the materials showed that the organic materials required a period of mineralization of organic-N in order to replenish soil available nitrogen. The results from the field trial also showed differences in plant nutrient content (as a measure of plant quality). The organic treatments were shown to generally produce higher plant nutrient content than the NPK fertilizer showing that the increased yields of the inorganic fertilizer treatment impacted negatively on the nutrient content. No yield effects due to rockdust addition were apparent after 3 years of the field trial. In addition, rockdust did not impact on plant nutrient content nor did it affect the soil chemistry despite 3 years of weathering that was considered sufficient time to release nutrients to the soil. Samples of soil were taken in the summer after the final year of the field trial to determine long-term changes in the soil microbial communities between the treatments. Results showed that there were fewer long-term changes than were 2 Nicola S. Campbell, 2009 initially expected in soil microbial communites at the end of a 3 year trial of these materials. Short-term greenhouse pot trials were also conducted using 3 different test crops to investigate the use of greenwaste compost and various types of rockdust for use as growth media in comparison with a peat based control. Results showed that while greenwaste compost supported plant growth as well as the peat based media, no rockdust type increased plant growth beyond the yield in a greenwaste compost control. The short-term supply of nitrogen in greenwaste compost was as good as that of the peat based control and while the phosphate supplied by the peat based control was shown to give excessively high plant P content. Results from the pot trials showed that greenwaste compost could wholly or partially replace peat in plant growth media without negatively impacting on plant yield or quality. The likely effects of various types of rockdust on soil chemistry were investigated by carrying out nutrient extractions using increasing extractant ‘strength’. Nutrient extractions showed that a high degree of rock weathering was required to release small quantities of trace elements from rockdust samples. Sodium, calcium and to a lesser degree potassium, magnesium, iron and phosphate were supplied in greatest quantities from most rockdust samples with basic rocktypes releasing highest quantities of nutrients. As a result of the work carried out in this thesis, it is concluded that composted greenwaste could be a valuable addition to agricultural soil and that it could replace peat in some plant growth media. There are some implications to the use of composted materials – transport and application costs and the potential addition of potentially toxic elements to soil; however the potential nutrient addition and improved plant quality could make it an attractive fertility amendment in some organic farming techniques. It was concluded that rockdust was not shown to influence plant yield or quality in the agricultural setting of the field trial, nor was it shown to be a useful addition to plant growth media. Therefore rockdust could not be proven to be a useful soil fertility amendment. 3 Nicola S. Campbell, 2009 Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 4 List of Tables 13 List of Figures 23 Acknowledgements 31 Author’s Declaration 33 Chapter 1: Introduction 34 1.1 Introduction to rockdust materials 34 1.1.1 The quarrying process 34 1.1.2 Possible effects of use of rockdust materials 35 1.1.3 Rockdust as potassium fertilizers 37 1.1.4 Effect of rockdust on soil pH 39 1.1.5 Effect of rockdust on plant growth 40 1.1.6 Comparisons of rockdust with soluble fertilizers 42 1.1.7 Nutrient release from rockdust 43 1.1.8 Micro-nutrients from rockdust 46 1.1.9 Effect on physical and biological properties of soil 47 1.1.10 Effect of grain size of rockdust 47 1.1.11 Use of rockdust and compost 48 1.2 Introduction to composted materials 50 1.2.1 The composting process 50 1.2.2 Compost stability and maturity 52 1.2.3 Benefits of compost use 52 1.2.4 Problems of compost use 55 1.3 The SEER Centre 59 1.4 Aims and objectives 61 Chapter 2: Routine Methods 63 2.1 Measurement of pH 63 2.1.1 General pH meter setup 63 2.1.2 Soil pH measurement 63 2.1.3 Rockdust pH measurement 63 2.2 Measurement of conductivity 64 2.2.1 Compost conductivity 64 2.3 Soil moisture content 65 2.3.1 Fresh soil 65 2.3.2 Air dry soil 65 2.3.3 Calculation of moisture content 65 2.4 Soil organic matter content 66 2.5 Soil textural classification: particle size fractionation by mechanical analysis 67 2.5.1 Method 67 2.5.1.1 Soil dispersion 67 2.5.1.2 Particle size separation 67 2.5.1.3 Calculation of particle size fractionation 69 4 Nicola S. Campbell, 2009 2.6 Particle size distribution of rockdust 71 2.6.1 Washing and sieving method 71 2.6.2 Sieving the dried residue 72 2.6.3 Calculation and expression of results 72 2.7 Soil extractions 73 2.7.1 Extractable nitrogen in soil samples: 0.5 M K2SO 4 extraction 73 2.7.1.1 0.5 M K 2SO 4 preparation 73 2.7.1.2 Removal of ammonium from filters 74 2.7.1.3 Extraction procedure 74 2.7.2 Extractable phosphate and potassium in soil: modified Morgan’s solution extraction 75 2.7.2.1 Modified Morgan’s solution preparation 75 2.7.2.2 Extraction procedure 75 2.7.3 Extractable metals in soil: EDTA extraction 76 2.7.3.1 0.05 M ammonium EDTA (pH 7) preparation 76 2.7.3.2 Extraction procedure 76 2.8 Compost and manure extractions 77 2.8.1 Extractable nitrogen, phosphate and potassium in compost and manure 77 2.8.1.1 0.05 M H 2SO 4 extraction 77 2.8.1.2 0.05 M H 2SO 4 preparation 77 2.8.1.3 Removal of ammonium from filters 77 2.8.1.4 Extraction procedure 78 2.9 Organic amendment and plant material digestion 79 2.9.1 Kjeldahl digestion 79 2.9.2 Reagents 79 2.9.3 Digestion procedure 79 2.10 Plant material digestion 81 2.10.1 Nitric acid digestion 81 2.10.2 Digestion procedure 81 2.11 Colorimetric analysis 82 2.11.1 Ammonium-nitrogen 82 2.11.1.1 Reagents 82 2.11.1.2 Procedure 83 2.11.2 Nitrate-nitrogen 85 2.11.2.1 Reagents 86 2.11.2.2 Procedure 88 2.11.3 Phosphate: molybdenum blue ascorbic acid method 89 2.11.3.1 Reagents 89 2.11.3.2 Procedure 90 2.11.4 Determination of Kjeldahl-N 92 2.11.4.1 Reagents 92 2.11.4.2 Procedure 93 2.11.5 Determination of Kjeldahl-P: phosphovanadate method 95 2.11.5.1 Reagents 95 2.11.5.2 Procedure 96 2.12 Instrumentation 97 2.12.1 Atomic absorption spectroscopy 97 2.12.2 Flame photometry 98 2.12.2.1 Stock solution preparation 98 2.12.3 Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy 99 2.12.4 Ion chromatography 103 2.12.4.1 Stock solution preparation 104 2.12.4.2 Mixed working standard preparation 105 5 Nicola S. Campbell, 2009 Chapter 3: Method Development Section 106 3.1 Rockdust extraction 106 3.1.1 Blank contamination 106 3.1.1.1 Method 106 3.1.1.2 Results 108 3.1.1.3 Discussion 109 3.1.2 Rockdust extraction filter test 110 3.1.2.1 Method 110 3.1.2.2 Results and discussion 111 3.1.3 Final method for rockdust extractions 112 3.2 Ammonium system 113 3.2.1 Original system 113 3.2.1.1 Reagents 113 3.2.1.2 Reagent flow rates 113 3.2.1.3 Colorimeter settings 114 3.2.2 Removal of potassium sodium tartrate from complexing reagent 115 3.2.2.1 Method: optimising complexing reagent 115 3.2.2.2 Conclusion: optimising complexing reagent 116 3.2.2.3 Method: optimising alkaline phenol reagent 116 3.2.2.4 Conclusion: optimising alkaline
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