A Four-Year Study on Influence of Biosolids/MSW Cocompost Application in Less Productive Soils In Alberta: Nutrient Dynamics

Composting municipal solid waste and biosolids and applying it on arable land have become an alternative way to treat waste in large municipalities in North America. However, cost of compost transportation and application constrains the compost use on the land further away from where it is produced. A four-year experiment was conducted (1998-2001) in less productive soils in Alberta to determine the effect of once in four year application of cocompost on soil nutrient dynamics and crop N uptakes. There were three crop blocks: barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L), and canola (Brassica rapa), and they were rotated annually. The compost was only applied in 1998 at a rate of 50, 100 and 200 t/ha. Soil samples were taken in spring of every year after initial compost application to determine extractable N, P, K, S, Cu, Zn, Soil pH and EC. Each year, crops were harvested and N uptake was determined. Total concentrations of an array of heavy metals in the first year and fourth year after compo...