Incorporation of Nonsegregated, Noncomposted Solid Waste and Soil Physical Properties 1

Field experiments were conducted at Guelph, Ontario, to determine the effects of applying as much as 376 metric tons/ha of raw, nonsegregated, shredded solid waste plus 4.6 cm of anaerobically digested sewage sludge on soil physical properties, soil nitrogen and carbon, and the yield of corn grain (Zea mays L.). Shredded waste and sewage sludge were applied to plots in July 1971 and again in August 1973. Corn was grown in 1972, 1974, 1975, and 1976 with chemical fertilizer being applied the last 2 years. Physical determinations were made on soil samples collected prior to corn planting in 1976. Soil C and N and water-stable aggregation increased, while bulk density decreased with increments of solid waste added. Soil moisture, expressed volumetrically (cm³/cm³) and retained at pressures of 0.04, 0.33, and 15 bars and available water, was not significantly affected by waste additions. No consistent relationship appeared to exist between kinds and amounts of wastes added and corn grain yields for four harvestings.