Abstract

CANTERO-FLORES, Anabel et al. Compost made with green waste as an urban soil improver. Ing. agric. biosist. [online]. 2016, vol.8, n.2, pp.71-83.  Epub Sep 01, 2020. ISSN 2007-4026.  https://doi.org/10.5154/r.inagbi.2016.10.003.

Compost application is a common practice in agricultural soils, usually with manure or excreta. Its use provides organic matter and nutrients, and improves the aeration, moisture retention and physicochemical composition of the soil. The aim of this study was to evaluate in a non-natural soil the effect of adding compost, produced with green waste, in terms of its organic matter content and water holding capacity. The compost used was made at the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) Compost Plant. The soil, obtained from green areas at IPN’s Professional Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, is mainly composed of natural soil, gravel and sand. Six treatments were used: three with soil mixed with compost, one with soil with chemical fertilizer and two controls (negative: 100 % soil; positive: 100 % compost). The parameters analyzed in the soil were: organic matter content (OM), moisture content (M), field capacity (FC), pore space (PS %), water holding capacity (WHC) and permanent wilting point (PWP) in corn and bean plants. In all treatments with compost, a significant increase in OM, PS %, M %, FC, PWP and WHC was observed, with the treatment with 20 % compost being the one that presented the best results. It was concluded that adding compost produced with green waste increased OM content and helped to improve some soil characteristics.

Keywords : green areas; composting; field capacity; Zea mays L.; Phaseolus vulgaris L.