Soil Reclamation Using
Composted Biosolids
A demonstration and Field
Project for Riverside County.
|
Cooperators: |
Dr.
David Crohn, Soil & Environmental Sciences. |
|
|
Aziz
Baameur, Farm Advisor, Riverside County |
|
|
Dr.
Laosheng Wu, Soil & Environmental Sciences. |
|
Duration: |
4
years |
|
Initiation
date: |
March
10, 1995 |
|
Ending
date: |
July,
1999 (?) |
|
Area
required: |
350
ft by 130 ft. |
Objectives:
Serve demonstration plots for county growers and crop consultants: Assess the
effect of composted material on N mineralization level. Show the benefits of
Organic Matter (OM) addition to soil. Increase OM to economically beneficial levels. Help reduce waste Reduce fertilizer input at
the farm level
Method/
Materials
Apply
composted biosolids at rates equivalent to: 0, 5, 10, and 40 tons/ acre.
Monitor soil physical characteristics: water retention, water penetration,
infiltration, soil aeration, soil temperature, and soil salinity. Monitor soil
chemical characteristics: total N, N03, NH4, C:N ratios. Monitor plant response
to the above treatments: tissue levels, yield, quality. Potential crops to
test: sweet corn, broccoli, green/bulb onions, squash. Operations: Plowing,
Disking, furrowing, bed shaping, compost spreading, fertilizing, incorporating
of compost and plant material. Irrigating (on and off) based on submitted schedule. Normal follow up care: pest control: weed,
insects (labeled materials) Support: Seed money (support) from the UC ANR
Division Potential support from biosolids composters in So. California
Time
table:
|
Mar.
95 |
Mar.
10-15, 1995: compost applic. |
Sweet
corn cycle (April, 95) |
|
Aug.
1995 |
July
1995 application compost |
Broccoli/green
onion cycle (Aug/Oct, 95) |
|
April
1996 |
Mar.
96: compost applic. |
Squash
cycle (Ap., 96) |
|
Oct.
1996 |
Mid
Sept. 96: compost applic. |
Broccoli
/green onion cycle (Aug/Oct, 96) |
|
March
1997 |
March
97: compost applic. |
Sweet
corn cycle (Mar, 97) |
|
Aug.
1997 |
July
1997 application compost |
Broccoli
/green onion cycle (Aug/Oct, 97) |
|
Mar.
1998: |
Mar.,
98: compost applic. |
Squash
cycle (Ap, 98) |
|
Aug/Oct.
1998 |
Aug/Oct.
98: compost applic. |
Broccoli/
bulb onion cycle (Aug/Oct, 98) |
|
June
1999 |
Harvest
onions |
Soil
evaluation and termination of study (July, 1999). Report (Dec. 1999) |