Variation of the chemical and biological properties of a Technosol during seven years after a single application of compost

• Published in: Applied soil ecology : a section of Agriculture, ecosystems & environment Vol. 138; pp. 156 - 159
• Main Authors: Panico, S.C., Memoli, V., Napoletano, P., Esposito, F., Colombo, C., Maisto, G., De Marco, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-06-2019
• Subjects: Compost addition; Microbial activities; Microbial biomass; Soil quality index; Microbial activities; Microbial biomass; Soil quality index; Compost addition
• ISSN: 0929-1393
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2019.02.029

Technosols are composed of natural soils mixed with artificial materials and can be an inhospitable environment for the soil microbial community. The main goal of the current research was to evaluate temporal variations of Technosol quality through an integrated approach, considering all of the evaluated chemical, physical and biological characteristics for a period of seven years after a single application of compost. The soil samples were evaluated using the following parameters: pH; water content; water holding capacity; bulk density; porosity; organic matter and N contents; C/N ratio; fungal biomass; microbial biomass; respiration; metabolic quotient (qCO2); and endogenous mineralisation coefficient (CEM). The overall evaluation showed that a single application of compost improved the soil quality in the short term. A decrease in Technosol quality over the long term appears to be due to deterioration of the physical and chemical properties, rather than a change in biological properties.
•A single application of compost improved the quality of Technosols.•Compost addition supported the soil microbial activity over the long term.•The bacterial component was more competitive than the fungi.•The soil quality improved only in the short term after a single application of compost.