Lugo Avilés, Leany Enid

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    Biosolid mixtures applied in tropical soils and their effect on Coriandrum sativum and Ocimum basilicum nutritional uptake.
    (2024-05-07) Lugo Avilés, Leany Enid; López Moreno, Martha L.; College of Arts and Sciences - Art; Román Velázquez, Félix R.; Joubert Castro, Aidalú; de la Torre, Winston; Department of Chemistry; Bair Gallegos, Daniel A.
    Agricultural soils are degraded worldwide as result of anthropogenic activities, environmental contamination, and excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Scientists are concerned about this problem and during past years, sewage compost and sludge are used as an alternative to improve soil physical and chemical characteristics. Recycling solid waste residues can be a cost-effective way to reduce landfill materials disposal and to improve macro and micronutrients availability in agricultural soils. The main objective of this research project is to incorporate two biosolids produced by PRASA (compost and sludge) to tropical soils (Coloso and Voladora) to improve plant growth and nutritional content in edible crops. Basil and coriander were cultivated in pots for 30 days at an open greenhouse in different soil mixtures. pH and electrical conductivity were measured in all soil mixtures. Germination percentage, stems length, and leavesctotal chlorophyll content were measured in plants grown in amended soils. FAAS and ICP-OES analysis were carried out to quantify total and available nutrients in soil mixtures and plant tissues. A compost maturation process was accomplished after 120 days from organic matter decomposition. A proportion of 25% compost/ 75% soil was the ideal for plant growth. The best proportion of sludge incorporation to compost and soil mixture was 25% compost/ 37.5% soil/ 37.5% sludge. In Voladora soil, pH increased from 4.55 ± 0.10 to 5.64 ± 0.22 and EC from 0. 0563 ± 0.0003 dS/m to 1.39 ± 0.01 dS/m in 25% comp/ 37.5% soil/ 37.5% sludge mixture. In Coloso soil, pH increased from 6.38 ± 0.13 to 6.82 ± 0.07 and electrical conductivity from 0.117 ± 0.001 to 1.310 ± 0.009 dS/m in 25% compost/ 37.5% soil/ 37.5% sludge mixture. Soil mixtures soluble fractions and acid digestions were also analyzed. From the total nutrient content in soil mixtures, approximately 5% was available for plants uptake. Macro and micronutrient content in plants increased with biosolids incorporation to soils. Mg content in basil leaves increased from 8.61 ± 0.70 mg/g in Voladora soil to 10.31 ± 0.60 mg/g in 25% compost/ 37.5% soil/ 37.5% sludge mixture. In coriander leaves, Mg increased from 6.91 ± 0.06 mg/g in 25% compost/ 75% soil mixture to 9.63 ± 0.02 mg/g in 25% compost/ 50% soil/ 25% sludge mixture. Mn uptake by basil leaves increased from 0.076 ± 0.005 mg/g in Coloso soil to 0.152 ± 0.019 mg/g in 25% compost/ 75% soil mixture. In coriander leaves, Mn increased from 0.357 ± 0.002 mg/g in 25% compost/ 75% soil mixture to 0.651 ± 0.006 mg/g in 25% compost/ 37.5% soil/ 37.5% sludge mixture.