Short-term effects of compost amendments to soil on soil structure, hydraulic properties, and water regime

Abstract Despite the increasing interest in applying composts as soil amendments worldwide, there is a lack of knowledge on short-term effects compost structural and hydraulic properties. Our goal was to study effect vermicompost-based structure, water retention characteristics, aggregate stability plant use efficiency compared that mineral fertilizers food-waste digestate examine if these are evident within short time after application. We set up pot experiment with spring wheat using sandy loamy receiving either fertilizer (MF); dewatered from anaerobic digestion food waste (DG), vermicomposted (VC_DG); sewage sludge-based (C_SS) vermicompost (VC_SS). then monitored calculated balance components (irrigation, outflow, evaporation, transpiration, content). At harvest, we measured shoot biomass, texture, bulk density, characteristics stability. The irrigation (IE) (WUE) were for each treatment by dividing transpiration dry biomass amount used irrigation, respectively. For soil, X-Ray computed tomography visualise pore system organic derive metrics pore-network such its fractal dimension, imaged macroporosity critical diameter. indicated composting vermicomposting resulted more complex diverse porous increased macroporosity. dimensions also can contribute structure formation stabilization their small application rate incubation time, two different types improved holding capacity efficiency. Composting appeared have best at reducing demand evaporation losses plant, likely through pore-size distribution.