Co-incorporation of biodegradable wastes with crop residues to reduce nitrate pollution of groundwater and decrease waste disposal to landfill

Published source details Rahn C.R., Bending G.D., Lillywhite R.D. & Turner M.K. (2009) Co-incorporation of biodegradable wastes with crop residues to reduce nitrate pollution of groundwater and decrease waste disposal to landfill. Soil Use and Management, 25, 113-123.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Amend the soil with organic processing wastes or their composts Action Link
	Amend the soil with municipal wastes or their composts Action Link
	Amend the soil with fresh plant material or crop remains Action Link

Amend the soil with organic processing wastes or their composts

A replicated, controlled study in 2000 on sandy loam soil in Wellesbourne, United Kingdom (Rahn et al. 2009) found that adding sugar beet Beta vulgaris tops with molasses to a barley Hordeum vulgare crop increased soil mineral nitrogen by 46% and yield by 32%, compared to no addition. Adding paper waste with sugar beet tops did not affect soil mineral nitrogen but improved yield by 23%. Amendments were applied at 3.2-3.8 t/ha, including compactor (machine which compresses waste material to reduce the space it takes up) and paper waste from the recycling industry, recently-harvested wheat Triticum aestivum straw, compost from municipal green waste, and liquid molasses (thick brown, uncrystallized juice from raw sugar) from the sugar refining industry. Amendments were applied with 42 t/ha sugar beet tops.
Amend the soil with municipal wastes or their composts

A replicated, controlled study in 2000 on sandy loam soil in Wellesbourne, United Kingdom (Rahn et al. 2009) found that adding sugar beet Beta vulgaris tops with compost to a barley Hordeum vulgare crop increased soil mineral nitrogen by 11 kg/ha and yield by 11% , compared to no addition. Adding paper waste with sugar beet tops did not affect soil mineral nitrogen but improved yield by 23%. Adding sugar beet tops with straw, compactor waste or double rates of compactor waste reduced soil mineral nitrogen by 25, 15 and 36 kg/ha, and reduced yield by 47%, 21% and 63%, respectively. Amendments were applied at 3.2-3.8 t/ha, including compactor (machine which compresses waste material to reduce the space it takes up) and paper waste from the recycling industry, recently-harvested wheat Triticum aestivum straw, compost from municipal green waste, and liquid molasses (thick brown, uncrystallized juice from raw sugar) from the sugar refining industry. Amendments were applied with 42 t/ha sugar beet tops.
Amend the soil with fresh plant material or crop remains

A controlled, replicated experiment in 2000 on sandy loam soil in Wellesbourne, UK (Rahn et al. 2009) found that adding sugar beet Beta vulgaris tops with molasses or compost to barley Hordeum vulgare increased soil mineral nitrogen by 46 and 11 kg/ha, and yield by 32% and 11% respectively, compared to no addition. Adding paper waste with sugar beet tops did not affect soil mineral nitrogen but improved yield by 23%. Adding sugar beet tops combined with straw, compactor waste or double rates of compactor waste reduced soil mineral nitrogen by 25, 15 and 36 kg/ha, and reduced yield by 47%, 21% and 63%, respectively. Amendments were applied at 3.2-3.8 t/ha, including compactor waste (produced by waste-compacting machines) and paper waste from the recycling industry, recently harvested wheat Triticum aestivum straw, compost from municipal green waste, and liquid molasses (thick brown, uncrystallized juice from raw sugar) from the sugar refining industry. Amendments were applied with 42 t/ha sugar beet tops.