IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v14y2024i8p1301-d1451447.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability of Organic Fertilizers Use in Dryland Mediterranean Agriculture

Author

Listed:
  • Carlos Ortiz

    (Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, Generalitat de Catalunya, Avda Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain
    Department of Chemistry, Physics, Environmental and Soil Sciences, University of Lleida, Avda Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain)

  • María Rosa Yagüe

    (Department of Chemistry, Physics, Environmental and Soil Sciences, University of Lleida, Avda Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain)

  • Alcira Sunilda Valdez

    (Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, National University of Asunción, San Pedro de Ycuamandyyu PY-020101, Paraguay)

  • María Gabriela Molina

    (Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ing. Agr. Félix Aldo Marrone 746—Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba X5000HUA, Argentina)

  • Àngela Dolores Bosch-Serra

    (Department of Chemistry, Physics, Environmental and Soil Sciences, University of Lleida, Avda Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain)

Abstract

Organic fertilization is a key issue in European Union (EU) regulations, particularly in the context of promoting a circular nutrient economy, maintaining soil quality, and sequestering carbon to face climate change. In a rainfed system in Northeastern Spain, an experiment was set up (split-plot design). It included five pre-sowing N fertilization treatments: control, mineral, pig slurry, and composted sewage sludge (two rates). The average N rates were 0, 30, 141, 176, and 351 kg N ha −1 , respectively. They were combined with mineral N topdressings (0, 50, and 100 kg N ha −1 ). Three crops were grown: barley (nine years), wheat (three years), and rapeseed (one year). In the driest years ( c . 350 mm rainfall), the yields averaged 2.5, 2.0, and 1.9 Mg ha −1 , respectively. The maximum yields were for barley (6.5 Mg ha −1 ) and wheat (5.5 Mg ha −1 ). The avoidance of a significant increase in soil residual NO 3 − -N, plus the control of soil build up of available P, micronutrients, and Cd, defines the fertilization strategies. (i) With a previous spring drought season, no fertilization is needed in the following year, if devoted to winter cereals. (ii) In rainier seasons, pig slurry or composted sewage sludge (lowest rate) applied at sowing is sufficient; however, 50 kg of mineral-N ha −1 at the topdressing can be applied. The study found that pig slurry favors K, Mg, Cu, and Zn availability, while composted sewage sludge enhances Fe availability. Although it is possible to reduce N inputs from organic fertilizers, organic C build-up will be constrained.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos Ortiz & María Rosa Yagüe & Alcira Sunilda Valdez & María Gabriela Molina & Àngela Dolores Bosch-Serra, 2024. "Sustainability of Organic Fertilizers Use in Dryland Mediterranean Agriculture," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:14:y:2024:i:8:p:1301-:d:1451447
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/8/1301/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/8/1301/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michalis Omirou & Dionysia Fasoula & Marinos Stylianou & Antonis A. Zorpas & Ioannis M. Ioannides, 2023. "N-Source Determines Barley Productivity, Nutrient Accumulation, and Grain Quality in Cyprus Rainfed Agricultural Systems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-12, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Katarína Olšovská & Oksana Sytar & Peter Kováčik, 2024. "Optimizing Nitrogen Application for Enhanced Barley Resilience: A Comprehensive Study on Drought Stress and Nitrogen Supply for Sustainable Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-14, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:14:y:2024:i:8:p:1301-:d:1451447. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.