Sustainable Growing Media Blends with Woody Green Composts: Optimizing the N Release with Organic Fertilizers and Interaction with Microbial Biomass
The aim of the current study was to create a high quality growing medium blend that replaces 70 vol% peat with 40 vol% woody green compost and 30 vol% bark compost and organic fertilizers (i.e., blood meal and chitin), all locally sourced. A range of “woody composts”, i.e., green composts based on f...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/2/422 |
| _version_ | 1797483613341614080 |
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| author | Bart Vandecasteele Koen Van Loo Sarah Ommeslag Siebert Vierendeels Maxim Rooseleer Elke Vandaele |
| author_facet | Bart Vandecasteele Koen Van Loo Sarah Ommeslag Siebert Vierendeels Maxim Rooseleer Elke Vandaele |
| author_sort | Bart Vandecasteele |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of the current study was to create a high quality growing medium blend that replaces 70 vol% peat with 40 vol% woody green compost and 30 vol% bark compost and organic fertilizers (i.e., blood meal and chitin), all locally sourced. A range of “woody composts”, i.e., green composts based on feedstock selection with mainly woody material from tree prunings, were produced for this purpose at green compost facilities. First, the woody composts were characterized chemically and biologically, including their microbial biomass and net N release. In comparison with regular green composts or vegetable, fruit and garden (VFG) waste composts, woody composts are more suitable for use in growing media due to their lower pH, EC and inorganic C content; however, the woody compost had a low N mineralization rate. Three types of composts supported a higher microbial biomass than wood fiber or bark compost. The additional mineral N release after 100 days for compost mixed with blood meal was tested for different VFG and green composts. A significantly higher additional net N release was measured for composts with higher initial mineral N concentrations (317 mg N<sub>min</sub>/L) as well as VFG composts (417 mg N<sub>min</sub>/L) than for green composts with a lower initial mineral N concentration (148 mg N<sub>min</sub>/L). In a last step, woody compost, bark compost, wood fiber, coir and peat were mixed in different ratios, resulting in six blends ranging from 100% peat-free to 100% peat. Two batches of woody compost were compared, and the blends were mixed with blood meal or chitin. A strong effect of both the organic fertilizer and the blend composition on the mineral N release was observed, with a clear link between the microbial biomass and the net N release. There was a significant negative correlation between the net change in microbial biomass and the net N release (R = −0.85), which implies that a larger increase in microbial biomass during incubation with the organic fertilizer resulted in less N mineralization. The blends containing woody compost scored better for nitrification activity, as the NH<sub>4</sub>-N concentrations were lower in these than for the blends without woody compost. For the peat blends, no effect on the microbial biomass was observed after addition of organic fertilizers; mineral N did increase, however. Woody composts have the potential to be used in high vol% in growing media blends, but the blends still need further optimization when supplemented with organic fertilizers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:50:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-90a2078ce9cd4004898e46a60c6bae7c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:50:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-90a2078ce9cd4004898e46a60c6bae7c2023-11-23T18:21:46ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952022-02-0112242210.3390/agronomy12020422Sustainable Growing Media Blends with Woody Green Composts: Optimizing the N Release with Organic Fertilizers and Interaction with Microbial BiomassBart Vandecasteele0Koen Van Loo1Sarah Ommeslag2Siebert Vierendeels3Maxim Rooseleer4Elke Vandaele5Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 109, 9820 Merelbeke, BelgiumPlant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 109, 9820 Merelbeke, BelgiumPlant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 109, 9820 Merelbeke, BelgiumPlant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 109, 9820 Merelbeke, BelgiumFlemish Compost and Biogas Association (VLACO), Stationsstraat 110, 2800 Mechelen, BelgiumFlemish Compost and Biogas Association (VLACO), Stationsstraat 110, 2800 Mechelen, BelgiumThe aim of the current study was to create a high quality growing medium blend that replaces 70 vol% peat with 40 vol% woody green compost and 30 vol% bark compost and organic fertilizers (i.e., blood meal and chitin), all locally sourced. A range of “woody composts”, i.e., green composts based on feedstock selection with mainly woody material from tree prunings, were produced for this purpose at green compost facilities. First, the woody composts were characterized chemically and biologically, including their microbial biomass and net N release. In comparison with regular green composts or vegetable, fruit and garden (VFG) waste composts, woody composts are more suitable for use in growing media due to their lower pH, EC and inorganic C content; however, the woody compost had a low N mineralization rate. Three types of composts supported a higher microbial biomass than wood fiber or bark compost. The additional mineral N release after 100 days for compost mixed with blood meal was tested for different VFG and green composts. A significantly higher additional net N release was measured for composts with higher initial mineral N concentrations (317 mg N<sub>min</sub>/L) as well as VFG composts (417 mg N<sub>min</sub>/L) than for green composts with a lower initial mineral N concentration (148 mg N<sub>min</sub>/L). In a last step, woody compost, bark compost, wood fiber, coir and peat were mixed in different ratios, resulting in six blends ranging from 100% peat-free to 100% peat. Two batches of woody compost were compared, and the blends were mixed with blood meal or chitin. A strong effect of both the organic fertilizer and the blend composition on the mineral N release was observed, with a clear link between the microbial biomass and the net N release. There was a significant negative correlation between the net change in microbial biomass and the net N release (R = −0.85), which implies that a larger increase in microbial biomass during incubation with the organic fertilizer resulted in less N mineralization. The blends containing woody compost scored better for nitrification activity, as the NH<sub>4</sub>-N concentrations were lower in these than for the blends without woody compost. For the peat blends, no effect on the microbial biomass was observed after addition of organic fertilizers; mineral N did increase, however. Woody composts have the potential to be used in high vol% in growing media blends, but the blends still need further optimization when supplemented with organic fertilizers.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/2/422wood fiberpeat replacementnitrogen mineralizationmicrobial biomasspeat-freenitrification |
| spellingShingle | Bart Vandecasteele Koen Van Loo Sarah Ommeslag Siebert Vierendeels Maxim Rooseleer Elke Vandaele Sustainable Growing Media Blends with Woody Green Composts: Optimizing the N Release with Organic Fertilizers and Interaction with Microbial Biomass Agronomy wood fiber peat replacement nitrogen mineralization microbial biomass peat-free nitrification |
| title | Sustainable Growing Media Blends with Woody Green Composts: Optimizing the N Release with Organic Fertilizers and Interaction with Microbial Biomass |
| title_full | Sustainable Growing Media Blends with Woody Green Composts: Optimizing the N Release with Organic Fertilizers and Interaction with Microbial Biomass |
| title_fullStr | Sustainable Growing Media Blends with Woody Green Composts: Optimizing the N Release with Organic Fertilizers and Interaction with Microbial Biomass |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustainable Growing Media Blends with Woody Green Composts: Optimizing the N Release with Organic Fertilizers and Interaction with Microbial Biomass |
| title_short | Sustainable Growing Media Blends with Woody Green Composts: Optimizing the N Release with Organic Fertilizers and Interaction with Microbial Biomass |
| title_sort | sustainable growing media blends with woody green composts optimizing the n release with organic fertilizers and interaction with microbial biomass |
| topic | wood fiber peat replacement nitrogen mineralization microbial biomass peat-free nitrification |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/2/422 |
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