4.7 Article

The application of vegetable, fruit and garden waste (VFG) compost in addition to cattle slurry in a silage maize monoculture: nitrogen availability and use

Journal

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
Volume 19, Issue 2, Pages 189-203

Publisher

ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/S1161-0301(02)00036-9

Keywords

silage maize; dry matter yield; nitrogen efficiency; nitrogen uptake; residual mineral soil N; compost

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In Flanders. vegetable, fruit and garden wastes (VFG) are collected selectively and composted. We studied the effects of the application of this VFG compost on silage maize on a sandy loam soil. A yearly application of 22.5 Mg of VFG compost ha(-1), in addition to 42 Mg of cattle slurry ha(-1) resulted in economical optimum dry matter yields with a substantial saving of mineral fertilizer N. During the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year of this compost+slurry application, an additional amount of mineral fertilizer N of, respectively, 94, 43, 22 and 12 kg N ha(-1) was needed. Compared to a system with only mineral N fertilization, this implied savings of, respectively, 52, 92, 142 and 134 kg N ha(-1). Silage maize N uptake and N concentration in maize were higher when compost was applied. Despite of the low N output/input rate with compost application, it did not result in an excessive amount of residual soil nitrate-N, provided that the additional mineral fertilizer N was adapted to the economic optimum level. Compared to slurry application, 4 years of VFG compost application resulted in significantly higher soil organic matter and total nitrogen concentrations. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

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