Coppola, Giuseppe Paolo (2024) Characterization of high-quality compost and assessment of the beneficial effects on soil properties after (bio)solarization and/or amendments. [Tesi di dottorato]

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The intensification of agricultural production since the 1950s aimed at meeting the needs of a growing global population has led to increased yield of crops. However, this progress caused environmental cost, including increased greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution (Hawes, 2017). The intensive use of chemicals for fertilization and pest control has led to a progressive degradation in soil quality, endangering the long-term sustainability of agricultural production (Ason et al., 2022; Matei, 2013). The consequences of use of chemicals have led to a reduction in microbial biodiversity, increased resistance of pathogens, and the accumulation of harmful chemical compounds in the soil (Mandal et al., 2020). In view of the increasing issues of human health and environment pollution, new technique has been developed to reduce chemical inputs and enhance soil health. Among the various approaches, solarization, biosolarization, and anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) are a safe and efficient, non-chemical alternative to chemical compounds (Al Shammary and Al Sadoon, 2014). These techniques use solar heat to warm the soil, causing the death of soil-borne pathogens, nematodes and weeds, and resulting a valid alternative to chemical treatments. However, in addition to pathogen control, these techniques can affect soil structure and fertility, influencing soil microbial community (Fernández-Bayo et al., 2017; Simmons et al., 2014; Yokoe et al., 2015). However, soil organic amendments such as vermicompost or compost application can mitigate the negative effects of soil solarization. Vermicompost improves soil quality, increases nutrient availability and crop productivity (Oyege and Bhaskar, 2023). In addition, the addition of vermicompost to the soil increases the activity of β-glucosidase, dehydrogenases, acid phosphatase, urease, and proteases (Przemieniecki et al., 2021; Tejada and González. 2009; Wu et al., 2023). The aim of this doctoral thesis was to answer the following research questions: 1. How do solarization and biosolarization influence the physical, chemical, biochemical, and microbiological properties of soil in both organic and conventional farming systems? 2. What is the role of vermicompost in mitigating the negative effects of solarization and biosolarization on soil properties? 3. What are the long-term effects of different doses and forms of organic fertilizers (vermicompost, pelleted manure and compost) on properties of soils treated with solarization and biosolarization? The experimental work was carried out in the Department of Agricultural Sciences at the University Federico II (Portici, Italy), in the Applied Microbial Ecology Laboratory (EMALAB) and Scientific and Technological Bioresources Nucleus (BIOREN) at Universidad de La Frontera (Temuco, Chile). The thesis work is organized in 6 chapters. In Chapter 1, a review focused the effects of solarization, biosolarization and ASD on the physical, chemical, biochemical, and microbiological properties of soil, as well as their role in reducing pesticide use, controlling nematodes, and managing weeds. The review also reported the effectiveness of these techniques in reducing the problem of antibiotic resistance genes. Further attention has also been given to the effects of these techniques in reducing the residues of herbicides and pesticides in soil. 7 In Chapter 2, the research focused on the effects of solarization and biosolarization on soil properties in organic farm located in the Plane of Sele Rivers (Italy). The effect of solarization was enhanced by the introduction of biosolarization, which integrated organic amendments such as green manure (GM) into the process. The GM consisted of a mix of plants from the Brassicaceae family, including 40% oilseed radish (raphanus sativus var. oleifer Stokes), 40% Indian mustard (brassica juncea L.) and 20% white mustard (sinapis alba L.). This amendment, combined with solar heat and plastic film covering, creates anaerobic conditions that promote the release of bioactive compounds, increasing pathogen suppression and shift in microbial communities (Fernández-Bayo, et al., 2018; Simmons et al., 2016). Moreover, this chapter reported the effects of vermicompost application in mitigating adverse effects of soil solarization, improving soil fertility and structure. The vermicompost was produced from the solid digestate obtained from an anaerobic digestion plant (C&F Energy) located in Capaccio, Italy. The digestate derived from buffalo slurry, olive mill wastewater, and whey from the dairy industry. This study represents one of the first assessments of the synergistic potential between vermicompost and soil disinfestation with green manure in an organic farming system. In Chapter 3 a similar study was conducted on a conventional farm. In this work, the effects of solarization on soil properties were analysed, and the effects of vermicompost fertilization were studied in comparison to pelleted manure fertilization. The aim was to determine the effectiveness of vermicompost as soil improver in mitigating the negative effects of solarization. The comparison between organic and conventional farms provides important insights into the responses of soils to different soil amendments. Chapter 4 focused on the long-term effects of two different doses of vermicompost on soil properties of solarized and biosolarized soils in an organic farm, during two years-experiment. Chapter 5 reported the results of a study carried out in Chile on the use of solid and liquid compost, and the effect of incubation times on the effectiveness of these applications. These fertilizers were produced by the company Rosario Co. of Santiago del Chile (Chile). The solid compost called "Biofert®", derived from various agro-industrial residues, including residues from horticulture, food industry and municipal pruning. This chapter evaluated the effects of two types of compost and microbial attenuation on soil chemical and biochemical properties after five incubation periods. This chapter also aims to understand how different forms of compost can improve soil properties over time References • Ason, B., Essumnag, D. K., Armah, F. A., Obiri, S., 2022. Soil Quality Index of land impacted by anthropogenic activities in coastal Ghana. EQA-International Journal of Environmental Quality, 47, 31-39. • Fernández-Bayo, J. D., Achmon, Y., Harrold, D. R., Claypool, J. T., Simmons, B. A., Singer, S. W., Simmons, C. W. (2017). Comparison of soil biosolarization with mesophilic and thermophilic solid digestates on soil microbial quantity and diversity. Applied Soil Ecology, 119, 183-191. • Fernández-Bayo, J. D., Stapleton, J. J., Achmon, Y., VanderGheynst, J. S., Simmons, C. W., 2018, September. The role of organic amendment stability in soil biosolarization efficacy. In IX International Symposium on Soil and Substrate Disinfestation 1270 (pp. 161-168). • Hawes, C., 2017. Assessing the impact of management interventions in agroecological and conventional cropping systems using indicators of sustainability. Agroecological Practices for Sustainable Agriculture: Principles, Applications, and Making the Transition; Wezel, A., Ed, 229-262. • Mandal, A., Sarkar, B., Mandal, S., Vithanage, M., Patra, A. K., & Manna, M. C., 2020. Impact of agrochemicals on soil health. In Agrochemicals detection, treatment and remediation (pp. 161-187). Butterworth-Heinemann. • Matei, F. D., 2013. Storage posibility of traditional plant resources. Quality-Access to Success. • Simmons, C. W., Claypool, J. T., Marshall, M. N., Jabusch, L. K., Reddy, A. P., Simmons, B. A., VanderGheynst, J. S., 2014. Characterization of bacterial communities in solarized soil amended with lignocellulosic organic matter. Applied Soil Ecology, 73, 97-104. • Yokoe, K., Maesaka, M., Murase, J., Asakawa, S., 2015. Solarization makes a great impact on the abundance and composition of microbial communities in soil. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 61(4), 641-652. • Simmons, C. W., Higgins, B., Staley, S., Joh, L. D., Simmons, B. A., Singer, S. W., VanderGheynst, J. S., 2016. The role of organic matter amendment level on soil heating, organic acid accumulation, and development of bacterial communities in solarized soil. Applied Soil Ecology, 106, 37-46. • Oyege, I., & Balaji Bhaskar, M. S., 2023. Effects of vermicompost on soil and plant health and promoting sustainable agriculture. Soil Systems, 7(4), 101. • Przemieniecki, S. W., Zapałowska, A., Skwiercz, A., Damszel, M., Telesiński, A., Sierota, Z., Gorczyca, A., 2021. An evaluation of selected chemical, biochemical, and biological parameters of soil enriched with vermicompost. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 8117-8127. • Tejada, M., González, J. L., 2009. Application of two vermicomposts on a rice crop: effects on soil biological properties and rice quality and yield. Agronomy Journal, 101(2), 336-344. • Wu, Q., Zhang, J., Liu, X., Chang, T., Wang, Q., Shaghaleh, H., Hamoud, Y. A., 2023. Effects of biochar and vermicompost on microorganisms and enzymatic activities in greenhouse soil. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 1060277.

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