Potential Benefits and Risks for Soil Health Derived From the Use of Organic Amendments in Agriculture
The use of organic amendments in agriculture is a common practice due to their potential to increase crop productivity and enhance soil health. Indeed, organic amendments of different origin and composition (e.g., animal slurry, manure, compost, sewage sludge, etc.) can supply valuable nutrients to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-09-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/9/9/542 |
| _version_ | 1818649115535343616 |
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| author | Julen Urra Itziar Alkorta Carlos Garbisu |
| author_facet | Julen Urra Itziar Alkorta Carlos Garbisu |
| author_sort | Julen Urra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The use of organic amendments in agriculture is a common practice due to their potential to increase crop productivity and enhance soil health. Indeed, organic amendments of different origin and composition (e.g., animal slurry, manure, compost, sewage sludge, etc.) can supply valuable nutrients to the soil, as well as increase its organic matter content, with concomitant benefits for soil health. However, the application of organic amendments to agricultural soil entails a variety of risks for environmental and human health. Organic amendments often contain a range of pollutants, including heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, potential human pathogens, and emerging pollutants. Regarding emerging pollutants, the presence of antibiotic residues, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic-resistance genes in agricultural amendments is currently a matter of much concern, due to the concomitant risks for human health. Similarly, currently, the introduction of microplastics to agricultural soil, via the application of organic amendments (mainly, sewage sludge), is a topic of much relevance, owing to its magnitude and potential adverse effects for environmental health. There is, currently, much interest in the development of efficient strategies to mitigate the risks associated to the application of organic amendments to agricultural soil, while benefiting from their numerous advantages. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T01:29:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d722378474854751b37c588876f31944 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T01:29:12Z |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-d722378474854751b37c588876f319442022-12-21T22:08:38ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952019-09-019954210.3390/agronomy9090542agronomy9090542Potential Benefits and Risks for Soil Health Derived From the Use of Organic Amendments in AgricultureJulen Urra0Itziar Alkorta1Carlos Garbisu2NEIKER-Tecnalia, Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Soil Microbial Ecology Group, c/ Berreaga 1, E-48160 Derio, SpainInstituto BIOFISIKA (CSIC, UPV/EHU), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, SpainNEIKER-Tecnalia, Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Soil Microbial Ecology Group, c/ Berreaga 1, E-48160 Derio, SpainThe use of organic amendments in agriculture is a common practice due to their potential to increase crop productivity and enhance soil health. Indeed, organic amendments of different origin and composition (e.g., animal slurry, manure, compost, sewage sludge, etc.) can supply valuable nutrients to the soil, as well as increase its organic matter content, with concomitant benefits for soil health. However, the application of organic amendments to agricultural soil entails a variety of risks for environmental and human health. Organic amendments often contain a range of pollutants, including heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, potential human pathogens, and emerging pollutants. Regarding emerging pollutants, the presence of antibiotic residues, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic-resistance genes in agricultural amendments is currently a matter of much concern, due to the concomitant risks for human health. Similarly, currently, the introduction of microplastics to agricultural soil, via the application of organic amendments (mainly, sewage sludge), is a topic of much relevance, owing to its magnitude and potential adverse effects for environmental health. There is, currently, much interest in the development of efficient strategies to mitigate the risks associated to the application of organic amendments to agricultural soil, while benefiting from their numerous advantages.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/9/9/542agricultural systemsfood securitysustainable intensificationsoil healthantibiotic resistancesoil conservation |
| spellingShingle | Julen Urra Itziar Alkorta Carlos Garbisu Potential Benefits and Risks for Soil Health Derived From the Use of Organic Amendments in Agriculture Agronomy agricultural systems food security sustainable intensification soil health antibiotic resistance soil conservation |
| title | Potential Benefits and Risks for Soil Health Derived From the Use of Organic Amendments in Agriculture |
| title_full | Potential Benefits and Risks for Soil Health Derived From the Use of Organic Amendments in Agriculture |
| title_fullStr | Potential Benefits and Risks for Soil Health Derived From the Use of Organic Amendments in Agriculture |
| title_full_unstemmed | Potential Benefits and Risks for Soil Health Derived From the Use of Organic Amendments in Agriculture |
| title_short | Potential Benefits and Risks for Soil Health Derived From the Use of Organic Amendments in Agriculture |
| title_sort | potential benefits and risks for soil health derived from the use of organic amendments in agriculture |
| topic | agricultural systems food security sustainable intensification soil health antibiotic resistance soil conservation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/9/9/542 |
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