Locally available compost application in organic farms: 2-year effect on biological soil properties

Abstract Composting technologies have progressed parallel to the growing interest in recycling organic waste over recent decades, whilst in-field compost application requires technical improvement and more experience order optimize their effect according agro-environment type of crop which follow incorporation into soil. In response application, biological soil features were assessed field by adopting precision agricultural machinery limiting a depth 15 cm. A 2-year trial was carried out on two sites East Po valley (Northern Italy), an district which, 2000, classified as being verge desertification, where efforts counteract matter decline been underway for some decades. green-waste produced accordance with current national directives applied autumn 2019 2020 fields using farming spreading conventional harrows incorporation. Fields divided large plots compare treatment untreated control managed practices. Seven months after microbial biomass, terms DNA, 17 enzymatic activities estimated sampling root-explored at vegetative stage different seed crops horticulture. significant overall increase activity detected second application. The qualitative varied slightly between sites: higher impact biomass observed site that poorer matter; other, phosphatase contributed general activity. Findings show that, those soils, agronomic advantage from can be obtained only repeated applications; furthermore, facilitate even small, specialized farms such hosted this trial.