Some sandy-loam soils in the county with a high quotient of vermiculite
and mica have infiltration problems even when Ca and Na are in
the proper balance. This problem is exacerbated when irrigation
water of very low salinity, such as Friant-Kern water, is applied.
Gypsum, manure, dolomite, and occasionally sulfur, acid or lime
are used in these settings. Current landfill disposal costs and
regulations are making cogeneration flyash and municipal sewage
sludge available for land application at minimal (and sometimes
zero) cost. Flyash has high levels of available Ca and can be
an effective lime substitute. Supplemental P, K, and micro nutrients
are also a plus. Levels of Na, Cl, B and other salts are a minus.
Can these materials be cost effective in improving infiltration/soil
structure and fertility in a pistachio orchard with an acid Nord
fine sandy loam?
San Joaquin Composting $500 + ad-hoc contribution, in-kind. Thermo,
in-kind. Hondo, inkind. (Kearney & DANR proposals submitted--funding
denied.)
No significant difference was found in the quantity of runoff
or preliminary neutron probe data the first year. The grower then
installed a double-line drip system. Yields were recorded the
second year and showed no significant difference in tonnage or
quality. Infiltration has shown no significant benefit as a function
of subsurface water content changes during the season. 1995 tissues
showed no nutrient differences.
Much cotton in the San Joaquin Valley is grown on loamy to heavy
clay ground with impaired drainage and marginal sodicity. As infiltration
can be adversely impacted leaching suffers and total salts or
specific ions can cause crop stress. In this setting does an ash-stabilized
sludge provide fertility and reclamation benefits superior
to traditional gypsum application?
Harrison (Ohio State), Doug Munier (UC Kern), Wayne Hall Farms.
$2,254 American N-Viro, (plus commercial lab expense -$9,000)
Salt loads were not diminished in any treatment. No significant differences were found with respect to metals accumulation. Seed cotton yields were available for only one block due to harvester error and were less than I bale/ac due to high salt loads (ECe 6.2 to 7.8 dS/m). Infiltration during the last irrigation was low for all treatments but still significantly greater for the N-Viro treatment over the gypsum or the control; 1.34, 0.78, and 0.55 inches in 12 hours, respectively. Possibly, organic binders and microbial polysaccharides may have maintained some better soil structure.
Cost of the material could be less than available gypsum. The
company decided not to pursue setting up an operation in Kern
County and the mixture is currently not available.
Urban greenwaste is the single largest category of solid waste
targeted for landfill reduction mandates in Assembly Bill 939.
Large-scale facilities in the state are making this bulk compost
available for $5 to $20/ton. Both government and private enterprises
in Kern County are gearing up to produce a total of 400 to 600
tons/day of finished compost. Costs for a 5 ton/acre application
run $35-50 for trucking and spreading alone without any material
cost. At this loading rate green waste facilities alone will need
30,000 acres for spreading in 1995. Past studies have focused
on heavy loading rates and results are variable. Is this material
a profitable amendment alternative for agriculture
in Kern County?
$7,380 Community Resource Recycling and Recovery (plus in-kind and lab expense -$8,000).
Also submitted 3/31/94 for competitive grant in a larger version
with expanded impact to the CA Integrated Waste Management Board
in cooperation with Kern County Waste Management for $ 100,000.
Funding denied.
There was significantly improved emergence in late-planted alfalfa
for all amendments, but no difference in final stand or first
year yields. Levels of soil phosphorous and zinc were found to
be significantly greater in the top 3 cm. of composted plots after
emergence. Slightly improved packout of US No. 1 Large garlic,
but not significant. Seed cotton yields were unaffected. No plant
nutritional differences seen in tissue sampling for all crops
during season; even on the course sandy loam planted to garlic
where %N of leaves was low all season. 1996 early season soil
samples of 0-12" showed some trend toward increased P and
K after a second season compost application. Infiltration in alfalfa
was unaffected. Water use appeared unaffected in all crops. (Cotton
and garlic were sprinkler irrigated.)
In addition to traditional manuring/amendment programs and the
use of urban waste strewn materials, some cotton growers have
begun serious composting efforts with gin trash. Is this a profitable
amendment program for San Joaquin cotton growers and how does
it compare to alternative materials?
$24,000 Cotton Inc.
| MANURES | COMPOSTS | SLUDGE | |||||
| Fresh Dairy | Fresh Chicken | Dairy | Gin Trash | Green Waste | Sludge/Grn Wste | For land applic.) | |
| Dry Weight | 42% | 35% | 66% | 68% | 68% | 68% | 20% |
| N | 19 | 28 | 18 | 32 | 17 | 23 | 23 |
| P | 5 | 19 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 31 | 8 |
| K | 25 | 19 | 31 | 42 | 25 | 5 | 1 |
| *Equiv.Fert.$ | $11 | $15 | $13 | $17 | $11 | $14 | $7 |
| Calcium | 13.4 | 13.8 | 28.6 | 23.1 | 14.0 | ||
| Magnesium | 5.1 | 2.6 | 5.2 | 3.3 | 1.9 | ||
| Sodium | 7.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.0 | ||
| Chloride | 5.6 | 1.4 | |||||
| Sulfur | 2.4 | 2.9 | 5.9 | 19.7 | 2.9 | 7.2 | |
| Zinc | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.33 | 0.27 | 0.38 | ||
| Iron | 0.19 | 0.56 | 3.30 | 6.53 | 10.00 | ||
| Boron | .07 | 0.02 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.02 | ||
| Copper | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.07 | 0.20 | 0.26 | ||
| *Using the following values per unit: N @ $0.20, P @ 0.27, and K @ 0.22. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Increase (ppm) | |||||||||
| Regulatory Limits | Calif. Title 22 | Federal 503 | Mined Gypsum | Ash/Sludge Mix | Sewage Sludge | Green Waste Compost | Kern Lake Soil | Sludge | Compost |
| Metal
% solids | Total mg/kg | Total mg/kg | 84.3 | 54.9 | 66.0 | 70.0 | 85.8 | 10 t/ac | 10 t/ac |
| Antimony | 500 | 3.6 | **ND | 3.1 | ND | 0.5 | 0.016 | ND | |
| Arsenic | 500 | 75 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 15.8 | 2.5 | 8.7 | 0.079 | 0.013 |
| Barium | 10,000 | 47.1 | 551.0 | 515.6 | 86.0 | 137.0 | 2.578 | 0.430 | |
| Beryllium | 75 | 0.6 | ND | ND | ND | 1.2 | ND | ND | |
| Cadmium | 100 | 85 | 0.6 | ND | 15.5 | ND | 0.3 | 0.078 | ND |
| Chromium | 2,500 | 3,000 | 7.8 | 41.3 | 131.2 | 12.0 | 4.7 | 0.656 | 0.060 |
| Cobalt | 8,000 | 3.6 | 9.4 | 7.6 | ND | 13.4 | 0.038 | ND | |
| Copper | 2,500 | 4,300 | 6.9 | 149.0 | 674.8 | 54.0 | 26.3 | 3.374 | 0.270 |
| Led | 1,000 | 840 | 3.6 | 51.8 | 100.7 | 40.0 | 11.4 | 0.504 | 0.200 |
| Mercury | 20 | 57 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 3.1 | ND | 0.1 | 0.016 | ND |
| Molybdenum | 3,500 | 75 | 1.2 | ND | 30.9 | ND | <1.2 | 0.155 | ND |
| Nickel | 2,000 | 420 | 4.9 | 40.9 | 84.9 | 16.0 | 31.0 | 0.425 | 0.080 |
| Selenium | 100 | 100 | 0.4 | ND | 5.5 | ND | 1.4 | 0.028 | ND |
| Silver | 500 | 0.6 | 13.0 | 111.1 | ND | 0.2 | 0.556 | ND | |
| Thallium | 700 | 44.2 | ND | ND | ND | 0.6 | ND | ND | |
| Vanadium | 2,400 | 17.4 | 49.3 | 16.0 | 15.0 | 47.2 | 0.080 | 0.075 | |
| Zinc | 5,000 | 7,500 | 23.8 | 334.0 | 1,000.8 | 163.00 | 93.9 | 5.004 | 0.815 |
| *From analyses taken in Kern County | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average from Hyperion Treatment Plant. | |||||||||
| **None detected. | |||||||||