Effects of Sewage Sludge Compost on Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur Ratios and Soil Enzyme Activities in a Long-Term Experiment
The carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur (CNPS) ratios of soils are known to be relatively stable parameters, characterizing different land uses. We hypothesized that the long-term application of sewage sludge compost (SSC) would not change these ratios but would increase the concentration of th...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Agronomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/143 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832589375440945152 |
|---|---|
| author | Csilla Almási Viktória Orosz Timea Tóth Mostafa M. Mansour Ibolya Demeter István Henzsel Zsolt Bogdányi Tamás András Szegi Marianna Makádi |
| author_facet | Csilla Almási Viktória Orosz Timea Tóth Mostafa M. Mansour Ibolya Demeter István Henzsel Zsolt Bogdányi Tamás András Szegi Marianna Makádi |
| author_sort | Csilla Almási |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur (CNPS) ratios of soils are known to be relatively stable parameters, characterizing different land uses. We hypothesized that the long-term application of sewage sludge compost (SSC) would not change these ratios but would increase the concentration of these elements and change the quality of organic matter (OM), as well as soil enzyme activities. Hence, soil chemical and microbiological properties were studied in a 20-year long-term experiment. The plots were grouped into five blocks and treated every third year with SSC at the rates of 0, 9, 18, or 27 t ha<sup>−1</sup>. Three plants, in a crop rotation, were tested and sown every year as follows: rye, rye with hairy vetch, and maize. The results showed that basic soil parameters (pH, OM content, E4/E6 ratio, NO<sub>3</sub>-NO<sub>2</sub>-N, AL-P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, and soil moisture content) were increased, along with the SSC doses in soil for the rye. Similar trends were found in CNPS concentrations, β-glucosidase, and alkaline phosphatase activities, while the acidic phosphatase activity was reduced. The C:N, C:S, and N:S ratios were not affected by the compost application. The main factors of treatment effects were plant-available phosphorus (ammonium lactate (AL)-soluble P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>), total P, and NO<sub>3</sub>-NO<sub>2</sub>-N, based on principal component analysis. The canonical correspondent analyses revealed that phosphatase activities were affected by C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios and β-glucosidase was correlated with P forms and the E4/E6 ratio, while the soil pH strongly affected all soil enzymes. Based on the alkaline and acidic phosphatase activities, the role of microbes became more important with increasing compost doses in phosphorus mobilization. We conclude that the addition of SSC could improve soil health through increasing the pH, OM, nutrient content, and microbial activity. Also, some elemental ratios have an important role in the regulation of soil enzyme activities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-072b9d9e6bfb451e9556d94225370e42 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-072b9d9e6bfb451e9556d94225370e422025-01-24T13:16:54ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952025-01-0115114310.3390/agronomy15010143Effects of Sewage Sludge Compost on Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur Ratios and Soil Enzyme Activities in a Long-Term ExperimentCsilla Almási0Viktória Orosz1Timea Tóth2Mostafa M. Mansour3Ibolya Demeter4István Henzsel5Zsolt Bogdányi6Tamás András Szegi7Marianna Makádi8Research Institute of Nyíregyháza, Institutes for Agricultural Research and Educational Farm, University of Debrecen, 4400 Nyíregyháza, HungaryResearch Institute of Nyíregyháza, Institutes for Agricultural Research and Educational Farm, University of Debrecen, 4400 Nyíregyháza, HungaryResearch Institute of Újfehértó, Institutes for Agricultural Research and Educational Farm, University of Debrecen, 4244 Újfehértó, HungaryResearch Institute of Nyíregyháza, Institutes for Agricultural Research and Educational Farm, University of Debrecen, 4400 Nyíregyháza, HungaryResearch Institute of Nyíregyháza, Institutes for Agricultural Research and Educational Farm, University of Debrecen, 4400 Nyíregyháza, HungaryResearch Institute of Nyíregyháza, Institutes for Agricultural Research and Educational Farm, University of Debrecen, 4400 Nyíregyháza, HungaryResearch Institute of Nyíregyháza, Institutes for Agricultural Research and Educational Farm, University of Debrecen, 4400 Nyíregyháza, HungaryDepartment of Soil Science, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2100 Gödöllő, HungaryResearch Institute of Nyíregyháza, Institutes for Agricultural Research and Educational Farm, University of Debrecen, 4400 Nyíregyháza, HungaryThe carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur (CNPS) ratios of soils are known to be relatively stable parameters, characterizing different land uses. We hypothesized that the long-term application of sewage sludge compost (SSC) would not change these ratios but would increase the concentration of these elements and change the quality of organic matter (OM), as well as soil enzyme activities. Hence, soil chemical and microbiological properties were studied in a 20-year long-term experiment. The plots were grouped into five blocks and treated every third year with SSC at the rates of 0, 9, 18, or 27 t ha<sup>−1</sup>. Three plants, in a crop rotation, were tested and sown every year as follows: rye, rye with hairy vetch, and maize. The results showed that basic soil parameters (pH, OM content, E4/E6 ratio, NO<sub>3</sub>-NO<sub>2</sub>-N, AL-P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, and soil moisture content) were increased, along with the SSC doses in soil for the rye. Similar trends were found in CNPS concentrations, β-glucosidase, and alkaline phosphatase activities, while the acidic phosphatase activity was reduced. The C:N, C:S, and N:S ratios were not affected by the compost application. The main factors of treatment effects were plant-available phosphorus (ammonium lactate (AL)-soluble P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>), total P, and NO<sub>3</sub>-NO<sub>2</sub>-N, based on principal component analysis. The canonical correspondent analyses revealed that phosphatase activities were affected by C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios and β-glucosidase was correlated with P forms and the E4/E6 ratio, while the soil pH strongly affected all soil enzymes. Based on the alkaline and acidic phosphatase activities, the role of microbes became more important with increasing compost doses in phosphorus mobilization. We conclude that the addition of SSC could improve soil health through increasing the pH, OM, nutrient content, and microbial activity. Also, some elemental ratios have an important role in the regulation of soil enzyme activities.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/143sandy soilorganic matterwaste utilizationCNPS ratiosglucosidasephosphatases |
| spellingShingle | Csilla Almási Viktória Orosz Timea Tóth Mostafa M. Mansour Ibolya Demeter István Henzsel Zsolt Bogdányi Tamás András Szegi Marianna Makádi Effects of Sewage Sludge Compost on Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur Ratios and Soil Enzyme Activities in a Long-Term Experiment Agronomy sandy soil organic matter waste utilization CNPS ratios glucosidase phosphatases |
| title | Effects of Sewage Sludge Compost on Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur Ratios and Soil Enzyme Activities in a Long-Term Experiment |
| title_full | Effects of Sewage Sludge Compost on Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur Ratios and Soil Enzyme Activities in a Long-Term Experiment |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Sewage Sludge Compost on Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur Ratios and Soil Enzyme Activities in a Long-Term Experiment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Sewage Sludge Compost on Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur Ratios and Soil Enzyme Activities in a Long-Term Experiment |
| title_short | Effects of Sewage Sludge Compost on Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur Ratios and Soil Enzyme Activities in a Long-Term Experiment |
| title_sort | effects of sewage sludge compost on carbon nitrogen phosphorus and sulfur ratios and soil enzyme activities in a long term experiment |
| topic | sandy soil organic matter waste utilization CNPS ratios glucosidase phosphatases |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/143 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT csillaalmasi effectsofsewagesludgecompostoncarbonnitrogenphosphorusandsulfurratiosandsoilenzymeactivitiesinalongtermexperiment AT viktoriaorosz effectsofsewagesludgecompostoncarbonnitrogenphosphorusandsulfurratiosandsoilenzymeactivitiesinalongtermexperiment AT timeatoth effectsofsewagesludgecompostoncarbonnitrogenphosphorusandsulfurratiosandsoilenzymeactivitiesinalongtermexperiment AT mostafammansour effectsofsewagesludgecompostoncarbonnitrogenphosphorusandsulfurratiosandsoilenzymeactivitiesinalongtermexperiment AT ibolyademeter effectsofsewagesludgecompostoncarbonnitrogenphosphorusandsulfurratiosandsoilenzymeactivitiesinalongtermexperiment AT istvanhenzsel effectsofsewagesludgecompostoncarbonnitrogenphosphorusandsulfurratiosandsoilenzymeactivitiesinalongtermexperiment AT zsoltbogdanyi effectsofsewagesludgecompostoncarbonnitrogenphosphorusandsulfurratiosandsoilenzymeactivitiesinalongtermexperiment AT tamasandrasszegi effectsofsewagesludgecompostoncarbonnitrogenphosphorusandsulfurratiosandsoilenzymeactivitiesinalongtermexperiment AT mariannamakadi effectsofsewagesludgecompostoncarbonnitrogenphosphorusandsulfurratiosandsoilenzymeactivitiesinalongtermexperiment |