Fate of C and N from pretreated organic amendments in soil

TY - JOUR

T1 - Fate of C and N from pretreated organic amendments in soil

AU - Chavez-Rico, Vania Scarlet

AU - Bodelier, Paul L.E.

AU - van Eekert, Miriam H.A.

AU - Sechi, Valentina

AU - Ciocan, Valeriu

AU - Keuning, Eline

AU - Malagon-Mendoza, Noé

AU - Ringler, Dominic

AU - Buisman, Cees

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Soil Science Society of China

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Soil organic amendments (OAs) are used to replenish carbon (C) and nutrients in the soil to prevent its degradation and increase its fertility. While soil can be an important C sink, it can also release significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Different OA pretreatment technologies indirectly affect soil aggregate formation and C stabilization even when the same initial substrate is used. However, little is known about the long-term effect of OA pretreatment on the soil C and nitrogen (N) associated with macroaggregates, which are known to disintegrate faster than microaggregates. In this study, we studied the effect of OA pretreatment on soil C and N in relation to aggregate formation and GHG emissions using five differently pretreated OAs from the same original OA, i.e., composted, digested, and fermented OA, a 1:1 mix of the composted and fermented OAs, and the unpretreated original OA. We monitored the changes in a soil column experiment after 6 and 12 months of incubation. Our results indicated that OA pretreatment indirectly affected GHG emissions from soil. The composted and mixed OAs released less GHGs (i.e., carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane) but had no positive impact on macroaggregates, while the digested OA induced long-lasting macroaggregation and occluded particulate organic matter formation, emitting intermediate levels of GHGs. The unpretreated OA exhibited the highest GHG emissions, similar to the fermented OA, albeit without benefiting macroaggregation. These demonstrated that OA pretreatment had a long-lasting indirect effect on soil C and N, influencing total GHG emissions, nitrous oxide formation mechanisms, and soil macroaggregate formation.

AB - Soil organic amendments (OAs) are used to replenish carbon (C) and nutrients in the soil to prevent its degradation and increase its fertility. While soil can be an important C sink, it can also release significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Different OA pretreatment technologies indirectly affect soil aggregate formation and C stabilization even when the same initial substrate is used. However, little is known about the long-term effect of OA pretreatment on the soil C and nitrogen (N) associated with macroaggregates, which are known to disintegrate faster than microaggregates. In this study, we studied the effect of OA pretreatment on soil C and N in relation to aggregate formation and GHG emissions using five differently pretreated OAs from the same original OA, i.e., composted, digested, and fermented OA, a 1:1 mix of the composted and fermented OAs, and the unpretreated original OA. We monitored the changes in a soil column experiment after 6 and 12 months of incubation. Our results indicated that OA pretreatment indirectly affected GHG emissions from soil. The composted and mixed OAs released less GHGs (i.e., carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane) but had no positive impact on macroaggregates, while the digested OA induced long-lasting macroaggregation and occluded particulate organic matter formation, emitting intermediate levels of GHGs. The unpretreated OA exhibited the highest GHG emissions, similar to the fermented OA, albeit without benefiting macroaggregation. These demonstrated that OA pretreatment had a long-lasting indirect effect on soil C and N, influencing total GHG emissions, nitrous oxide formation mechanisms, and soil macroaggregate formation.

KW - ammonium oxidizer

KW - biowaste

KW - composting

KW - denitrifier

KW - digestion

KW - fermentation

KW - greenhouse gas emission

KW - soil aggregate

KW - soil fraction

U2 - 10.1016/j.pedsph.2024.07.007

DO - 10.1016/j.pedsph.2024.07.007

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105022459897

SN - 1002-0160

VL - 35

SP - 957

EP - 970

JO - Pedosphere

JF - Pedosphere

IS - 6

ER -