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Revista de Ciências Agrárias
Print version ISSN 0871-018X
Abstract
SERRAO, M.G. et al. Impact of sewage sludge and mineral fertilizers application in soils under pasture from the Alentejo region. Rev. de Ciências Agrárias [online]. 2010, vol.33, n.1, pp.139-149. ISSN 0871-018X.
We evaluated the changes in the soil indicators pH in water, total OM and N, exchangeable cations, available P, K, Cu, and Zn, heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn), and faecal origin bacteria, between 2004 and 2007, as affected by sewage sludge (SS) application and mineral fertilisation in two field experiments with pastures. The treatments were the combinations of two types of pasture (natural and sown) with three fertilisation treatments (0, SS, inorganic fertilisers) in the experiment of Herdade do Revez (Haplic Luvisols and Haplic Leptosols), and four fertilisation treatments (0, SS, Liming+SS, and Liming+inorganic fertilisers) in Herdade da Criméia (Ferric Luvisols). The OM and available P contents were the chemical properties that significantly increased (P ≤ 5%) in the soil surface layer of both field experiments. The SS application also caused the highest significant increases in soil total N and exchangeable Mg contents in Herdade do Revez. Liming increased soil pH and exchangeable Mg, in Herdade da Criméia. The SS did not pollute the soils with heavy metals. The bacterial populations of faecal origin increased immediately after the SS application, but progressively decreased as time went by, reaching values similar to the controls.
Keywords : contamination; indicators; mineral fertilisation; pasture; sewage sludge.