Full text of DOI:10.1080/1065657X.2001.10702025

This article was downloaded by: [The University of Manchester Library]
On: 08 October 2014, At: 07:45
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered
office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Compost Science & Utilization
Publication details, including instructions for authors and
subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ucsu20
Effect of Deinking Paper Sludge Compost
On Nutrient Uptake and Yields of Snap
Bean And Potatoes Grown in Rotation
R. Baziramakengaa & R. R. Simardb
a Laval University, Horticultural Research Centre, Sainte-Foy, Canada
b Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Soils and Crops Research
Centre, Sainte-Foy, Canada
Published online: 23 Jul 2013.
To cite this article: R. Baziramakenga & R. R. Simard (2001) Effect of Deinking Paper Sludge Compost
On Nutrient Uptake and Yields of Snap Bean And Potatoes Grown in Rotation, Compost Science &
Utilization, 9:2, 115-126, DOI: 10.1080/1065657X.2001.10702025
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1065657X.2001.10702025
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the
“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,
our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to
the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions
and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,
and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content
should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources
of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,
proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or
howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising
out of the use of the Content.
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any
substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,
systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &
Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-
and-conditions

Compost Science & Utilization, (2001), Vol. 9, No. 2, 115-126
Effect of Deinking Paper Sludge Compost
On Nutrient Uptake and Yields of Snap Bean
And Potatoes Grown in Rotation
R. Baziramakenga1 and R. R. Simard2
1. Laval University, Horticultural Research Centre, Sainte-Foy, Canada
2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Soils and Crops Research Centre,
Sainte-Foy, Canada
The paper industry in Canada faces a challenge of economically sound and environ-
mentally safe disposal of massive amounts of residues. A field study was conducted
in 1996 and 1997 to evaluate the effects of application of a compost derived from a
mixture of deinking paper residues and poultry manure (DSPC) on P and K uptake,
and yields of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Centralia), and potato (Solanum
tuberosum L. cv. Gold Rush). The experiment was conducted on a Tilly silt loam
(Gleyed Humo-Ferric Podzol) located in Sainte-Croix de Lotbinière, Québec, Cana-
da. The DSPC was applied in the spring 1996 at 0, 14, 28 and 42 Mg ha-1 on a dry mat-
ter basis, and supplemented or not with mineral fertilizer (MF) at 0, 60, 120 and 180
kg P2O5-K2O ha-1. In 1997, P fertilizer was applied in subplots at 0, 100, 200 and 300
kg P2O5 ha-1. Snap bean yield increased significantly with DSPC and MF application.
Apparent P and K recoveries from MF by snap bean decreased with DSPC or MF rate.
In combination with DSPC, P and K recoveries from MF by snap bean were smaller
at all rates than those with no DSPC. Based on nutrient uptake, P and K in DSPC were
more available than in MF. Potato yield in the following year was not significantly in-
fluenced by the previous treatments nor by supplemental P fertilizer added in the sec-
ond year. This experiment indicates that compost derived from a mixture of deink-
ing papermill sludges and poultry manure is a potential source of P and K for crops
and will increase crop yields in the application year.
Introduction
Paper mills produce large quantities of residues which pose a serious disposal
problem for the paper industry. Deinking sludge is derived from the newsprint recy-
cling process. In the province of Québec, Canada, about 160,000 Mg yr-1 of deinking
sludge and 475,000 Mg yr-1 of secondary sludge from the deinking and paper making
processes are generated (Trépanier et al. 1996). Until recently, those residues were land-
filled or burned. Although burning produces energy, more stringent regulations con-
cerning atmospheric emissions increase cost (Cournoyer et al. 1997). Landfilling is ex-
pensive and is recognized as a waste of natural resources. It also generates greenhouse
gases such as CH4 and N2O (Vinten et al. 1997).
Deinking sludges are composed of cellulose and lignin fibers, clay fillers and coat-
ing agents used in the papermaking processes (Bellamy et al. 1995, Norrie and Gosselin
1996). Deinking sludges easily meet the guidelines for land application in Québec
(Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Faune du Québec 1997). Interest in the appli-
cation of deinking paper to agricultural land is growing in Québec (Cournoyer et al.
1997), where loss of organic matter, structure and compaction are recognized degra-
dation problems for horticultural soils (Tabi et al. 1990). The DSPC high C:N and C:P
ratios, however, result in N and P immobilization by the microbial biomass and a sub-
sequent nitrogen deficiency and depressed growth (Aitken et al. 1998; Simard et al.
1998a). Nitrogen immobilization may be reduced by using supplementary N fertiliz-
Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001 115

R. Baziramakenga and R. R. Simard
er, a N2-fixing plant, and/or a fallow period before planting a crop on the amended
soil (Bellamy et al. 1995).
Composting deinking sludge could potentially reduce sludge C:N ratio, sludge
volume and potential N immobilization in amended soils, thus producing a mar-
ketable material suitable for agricultural and horticultural uses. It also produces a ma-
terial that does not have the bad odor characteristic of fresh residues. There is a large
surplus of manure in many watersheds in the province of Quebec, Canada (Simard
1996). Manure, by providing N and P, can be combined with paper mill residues which
act as a C source to produce composts with a more balanced composition (Stratton et
al. 1995). Compost products are more stable or less biologically active, and generally
have higher C:N and C:P ratios than manures and, therefore, may act as a slow-release
source of N and P (Gagnon and Simard 1999). Presently, composting is used to man-
age 12% of all papermill biosolids in Québec (Désilets 2000). There is little information
on compost made from deinking paper sludge mixed with manure (Simard et al. 2000).
Cocomposting with P- and K-rich organic material such as poultry manure may be a
way to produce compost of higher P and K contents than with other types of manure.
While the effect of compost on soil N availability has been studied extensively, other
nutrients such as P and K have received little attention. Gagnon and Simard (1999) ob-
served that the P potential nutrient value of composts is dependent upon compost
source materials and manure management, and should be based on their inorganic P
content. Plant available K was positively affected by compost addition (Schlegel 1992;
Warman 1995; Chen et al. 1996). Conversely, in his review, Barker (1997) concluded
that compost could not be expected to be a good source of K for plant nutrition. Simard
et al. (1998b) found no changes in P and K contents of cabbage heads grown in soil
amended with compost of deinking paper sludge and cattle manure.
Nowadays, management plans for raw or composted organic material use are usu-
ally based on N availability (Lucero et al. 1995). Organic materials generally have a low-
er N:P ratio than crop plants, thus when composts are applied to meet crop N needs,
more P is applied than is required by the plants, this may result in substantial increas-
es in soil P and K (Robinson and Sharpley 1996; Mazzarino et al. 1998). Several reports
indicate that P and K will be in excess for many forage and field crops when fresh or
composted poultry manure is used to supply their N requirement (Edwards and Daniel
1992; Shepherd and Withers 1999; Warman and Cooper 2000). Simard et al. (2000) also
indicated that composted deinking sludges increase the soil Mehlich-3 extractable P at
potato harvest. The knowledge of P and K availability for compost is an important fac-
tor to evaluate if composting is a viable option for disposal of deinking paper sludge
under the cool and humid conditions of eastern Canada. The objective of this study was
to assess the impact of deinking paper sludge and poultry manure compost (hereafter
referred to as DSPC) on P and K uptake and yield of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv.
Centralia), and its residual P effect on potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Gold Rush) yield.
Materials and Methods
The experiment was conducted in 1996 and 1997 at the Joseph Rhéaume experi-
mental farm of Laval University located in Sainte-Croix de Lotbinière (46° 39' latitude
north and 72° 06' longitude west), province of Québec, Canada. The soil is a Tilly loam
(Gleyed Humo-Ferric Podzol) with a pH of 5.8 in 0.01 M CaCl2 and contained 26.9 g
kg-1 organic matter expressed on a dry weight basis. The two-years old compost (raw
deinking paper sludge and poultry manure) was obtained from Les Composts du
Québec Inc. (Québec, Canada).
116 Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001

Effect of Deinking Paper Sludge Compost on Nutrient Uptake and Yields
of Snap Bean and Potatoes Grown in Rotation
The treatments included three rates of DSPC (14, 28 and 42 Mg ha-1 on a dry mat-
ter basis) alone or in combination with mineral fertilizer (MF), three rates of MF (60,
120 and 180 kg P2O5- K2O ha-1), and an untreated control. The field plot design was a
randomized complete block design with three replicates of 10 treatments. Experimen-
tal units (plots) were 7.5 m x 10 m. All treatments with MF received 45 kg N ha-1 as am-
monium nitrate (Conseil des Productions Végétales du Québec 1996). The DSPC and
MF were applied on 26 May 1996. The soil was tilled with a disk harrow to a depth of
10 cm after treatment application to incorporate the DSPC and MF. The plots were
seeded with snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Centralia) on 27 May 1996. Seeds were
placed 4 cm deep at a seeding rate of 45 kg ha-1. Each plot consisted of 10 rows, 70 cm
apart, and each of 10 m in length. Weed, disease and insect control were applied as de-
scribed in local crop growth guides (Conseil des Productions Végétales du Québec
1993, 1994). Bean pods were hand harvested on 19 September 1996, and grain yield was
determined. Bean grains and stubble were collected for chemical analysis at harvest.
In May 1997, plots were divided into four subplots with an area of 3.66 m x 4.55
m. The main plots received 150 kg N ha-1 (ammonium nitrate), and 215 kg K2O ha-1
(50% as K-Mg-sulfate and 50% as KCl), and subplots were four rates (0, 100, 200 and
300 kg P2O5 ha-1) of P fertilizer as 0-46-0. The fertilizers were applied in two bands lo-
cated 5 cm to each side of tubers. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Gold Rush) tubers
were hand planted in open furrows on 26 May 1997 at a spacing of 90 cm between rows
and 35 cm within the row. Individual subplots consisted of four rows, with the mid-
dle two rows designated as harvest rows. Tubers were harvested on 20 September
1997, and total and marketable yields, and specific gravity of fresh tubers for each plot
were recorded. Potato above-ground biomass at 10% flowering stage (mid-season) and
tubers at harvest were taken for chemical analysis.
The N, P, K, Ca and Mg contents in plant tissues were determined following a wet
digestion in H2SO4 and H2O2 whereas the content of other elements was determined
after dry ashing at 450°C and recovery in 2 M HNO3 (Richards 1993). The compost was
characterized in triplicate as follows: dry matter content from weight loss by oven dry-
ing at 105°C, pH in 0.01 M CaCl2 in 1:2 compost:solution ratio, total C by loss on igni-
tion, total N by dry combustion (CNS-1000, LECO Corporation, St. Joseph, Michigan),
total P, K, Ca and Mg by wet digestion in H2SO4-H2O2 , total Zn, Mn, Cu, Pb and Cd
by dry ashing and recovery in 2 M HNO3 (Richards 1993). Water-soluble elements
were extracted in duplicate for 30 min in a 1:1 soil:water ratio followed by filtration
through 0.2 m filter paper. The soil pH was measured in 0.01 M CaCl2 (1:2 soil:solu-
tion), P, K, Ca, Mg and metals were extracted by the Mehlich-3 solution (Tran and
Simard 1993). The P content in the extracts was determined by colorimetry (Hitachi U-
1000, Tokyo, Japan) using the molybdate reaction (Murphy and Riley 1962) whereas
the other elements were determined by flame (K) or atomic absorption spectroscopy
+
(Perkin-Elmer 503, Überlingen, Germany). The NH4 content in the extracts was de-
termined by the colorimetric reaction with nitroprusside (Nkonge and Ballance 1982).
-
The NO3 was measured by ion chromatography at 210 nm on a Dionex 4000i appara-
tus equipped with VDM- II UV-Vis and CDM-II conductivity detectors (Dionex Cor-
-
-2
poration, Sunnyvale, California). Water-soluble Cl and SO4 contents were deter-
mined by ion chromatography/conductivity detection.
The agronomic use efficiency, in terms of yield produced per unit applied P or K
for selected treatments, was calculated as the difference between yield from treatment
and yield from untreated control divided by the total amount of nutrient applied. To-
tal and grain nutrient uptake was obtained by multiplying dry matter yield by tissue
nutrient content. Apparent recovery of total P and K from DSPC and MF was calculat-
Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001 117

R. Baziramakenga and R. R. Simard
ed as the increase in crop nutrient uptake over the untreated control, divided by the to-
tal amount of P or K applied as DSPC or MF. In addition, apparent recovery of applied
fertilizer P or K by snap bean at various DSPC rates was calculated as the increase in P
or K uptake over plots receiving only DSPC, divided by fertilizer P or K applied. Fer-
tilizer P and K equivalencies of DSPC were calculated according to Sullivan et al. (1998).
Data transformation was carried out when needed to improve the normality of the
distribution of studied variables. An analysis of variance for a randomized complete
block design in 1996 and for split-plot in 1997 was used to test for significant differ-
ences among treatments, and means were compared using a Fisher’s protected least-
significant-difference (LSD) procedure. The standard error is presented as a measure
of the variability of the data. All statistical analysis were performed with the SAS sta-
tistical package (Statistical Analysis System Institute 1990).
Results and Discussion
Compost Characteristics
The relevant characteristics of the DSPC used are given in Table 1. The DSPC had
643 g water kg-1 and was slightly alkaline (pH 7.6). Its C:N ratio was 32.2 which should
normally result in soil N immobilization (Sullivan et al. 1998). Water-soluble mineral N
(NO3-N + NH4-N) was only
17% of total N. The molybdate
reactive water-soluble P was
250 mg kg-1 which represent
14% of total P. The DSPC had
a C:P ratio of 259, suggesting a
net immobilization of P short-
ly after addition to soils (Lin-
do et al. 1993; Barker 1997).
The N:P ratio of DSPC was ap-
proximately 8:1. Considering
the N:P uptake ratio of most
crops which ranges from 4 to
8 (Mazzarino et al. 1998), the
application of this material as
the only plant nutrient source
to meet the N requirement
may not result in a soil P-
buildup over time. The total K
content was 910 mg kg-1, 34%
of which in water-soluble
form. This compost contained
significant amounts of Ca and
Mg of which little was in wa-
ter-soluble form. The contents
of heavy metals were below
that for the quality AA criteria
for compost in Canada (Cana-
dian Council of Ministers of
the Environment 1997).
TABLE 1.
Chemical composition of DSPC and soil used
DSPC
Water-
1
Property
Units
Total
Soluble
Soil
5.7
-1
Electrical conductivity
dS m
5.9
7.6
pH CaCl
2
-1
Water
g kg
g kg
g kg
643
785
14.4
32.2
-1
-1
Organic matter
Total N
26.9
C/N
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
NO -N
3
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
mg kg
1120
1290
250
310
350
40
NH -N
4
P
1790
910
6930
280
621
83
39.1
91.3
1283
68.4
K
Ca
Mg
Fe
Mn
Zn
Cu
B
39.0
2.11
19.9
0.96
0.71
0.61
0.97
1.18
2.83
25
2.44
2.56
0.02
Cd
Co
Cr
Ni
Pb
Cl-
0.23
0.13
0.2
25.3
14.3
2-
SO
4
1
pH in 0.01 M CaCl and Mehlich-3 extractable elements for the 0-20 cm
2
soil layer.
118 Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001

Effect of Deinking Paper Sludge Compost on Nutrient Uptake and Yields
of Snap Bean and Potatoes Grown in Rotation
Snap Bean Yields
The application of MF and DSPC significantly (P<0.05) increased grain bean yield com-
pared with the untreated control (Figure 1). The increase in grain yield in the DSPC-
amended soil over the untreated control ranged from 17 to 24%. On average, bean grain
yields for the DSPC
treatments were
similar to those for
MF treatments
P>0.05). Ozores-
Hampton
and
Bryan (1993) re-
ported that munici-
pal solid waste
compost at 90 and
135 Mg ha-1 did not
affect yield of snap
bean seeded imme-
diately after appli-
cation. In that
study, compost
had
lower
P
(0.09%) and Ca
(0.26%) contents
compared to com-
Figure 1. Snap bean yield in 1996 as influenced by DSPC and MF application.
post used in the present study. In addition, the study of Ozores-Hampton and Bryan
(1993) was carried out on a calcareous soil whereas the Tilly soil is acidic (pH = 5.8).
The joint application of DSPC and MF did not result in a significant additional in-
crease in grain bean yield compared to MF or DSPC alone. Robinson (1983) observed a
synergistic effect of compost and inorganic N fertilizer on bean yield. A synergistic ef-
fect of deinking
sludge compost
and MF was re-
ported for winter
cabbage (Brassica
oleracea var. Capi-
tata L.) and pota-
toes (Simard et al.
1998b, 1999). The
lack of a synergistic
effect in our study
indicates
DSPC provides for
the immediate
that
needs of bean
crops like MF. The
agronomic effi-
ciency from DSPC,
calculated in term
of grain bean pro-
Figure 2. Agronomic efficiency of P and K from DSPC and MF by snap bean.
Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001 119

R. Baziramakenga and R. R. Simard
duced per kg P added, was equal to that from MF (Figure 2). Based on K applied, the
agronomic efficiency decreased with DSPC or MF rate, but was higher with DSPC than
with MF. These results clearly demonstrate the availability of P and K from DSPC to
snap bean or its positive effect on the availability of the soil pools of these elements.
Nutrient Uptake and Fertilizer Equivalency
The application of DSPC and MF at low and intermediate rates increased the P con-
centration of grain and stubble of snap bean (Table 2). Compared to the untreated con-
trol, however, this increase was not statistically significant. DSPC and MF treatments
resulted in larger total P uptake than in the untreated control plots. However, P up-
take was not significantly different among the DSPC rates, suggesting that enough P
was available in the lowest DSPC rate treatment whereas additional P from higher
rates was excessive. On average, DSPC treatments resulted in similar total P removal
to those from MF treatments. The percentage of P from MF and DSPC recovered by
snap bean was inversely related to the application rate, varying from 15 to 4.2 % for
MF, and from 12.5 to 5.3 % for DPSC. In combination with DSPC, the apparent P re-
covery of applied fertilizer varied from 1.4 to -3.6 %, suggesting that P uptake from MF
was not improved by DSPC addition. In a greenhouse study, Browaldh (1992) found
that P use efficiency by snap bean was inversely related to the compost and chicken
manure rates. The lower P use efficiency in manure- or compost-amended plots was
generally attributed to the lower recovery of P from the organic P source and the larg-
er amount of nutrients applied with it (Motavalli et al. 1989). The second hypothesis is
highly probable in the present study. Gagnon and Simard (1999) indicated that the P
potential value of compost was strongly related to their total P content. Another rea-
son for this low P recovery may be the greater capacity of the compost-amended soil
to provide large amounts of plant available P.
TABLE 2.
Effect of deinking sludge compost (DSPC) and mineral fertilizer (MF)
on P content and uptake by snap bean
1
2
3
Treatment
DSPC MF (P O -K O)
P content
P uptake
Recovery
Grain
Stubble
Grain
Total
2
5
2
-1
-1
-1
-1
(Mg ha
)
(Mg ha
)
g kg
kg ha
(%)
0
0
0
0
5.73 a
6.31 a
6.16 a
5.71 a
6.31 a
6.05 a
5.81 a
5.73 a
6.19 a
5.60 a
0.88 a
0.95 a
0.92 a
1.01 a
1.09 a
1.05 a
0.96 a
1.00 a
1.04 a
0.87 a
11.9 b
15.2 ab
14.8 ab
13.3 ab
15.3 ab
14.9 ab
14.8 ab
13.8 ab
15.7 a
13.1 b
16.3 ab
16.7 a
17.1 a
17.0 a
14
28
42
0
0
0
14
28
42
12.5
7.0
5.3
15.0
6.7
4.2
4.4 (-3.6)
4.2 (1.4)
1.9 (-1.4)
0
60
120
180
60
120
180
16.6 a
16.4 ab
15.4 ab
17.5 a
16.6 a
16.1 ab
1
2
3
-1
Treatments including MF received 45 kg N ha as ammonium nitrate.
Means within a column with the same letter are not significantly different at P = 0.05 according to LSD test.
Numbers in parentheses are apparent recoveries of fertilizer P and K applied.
Apparent nutrient recovery can be used to roughly calculate the fertilizer equiva-
lency assuming that nutrients from organic materials and MF have the same uptake
efficiency by the crop (Motavalli et al. 1989; Cogger et al. 1999). In this study, it was not
possible to establish a standard curve since fertilizer P uptake was the same over three
120 Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001

Effect of Deinking Paper Sludge Compost on Nutrient Uptake and Yields
of Snap Bean and Potatoes Grown in Rotation
inorganic P application rates. Furthermore, each increment of MF rate provided the
same amount of P as each increment of DSPC. Therefore, fertilizer P equivalency of
DSPC for snap bean was calculated as the ratio of apparent recovery of the DSPC to
the apparent recovery of MF (Sullivan et al. 1998; Wen et al. 1997). From data in Table
2, fertilizer P equivalency of DSPC ranged from 83 to 126%. We found no reports con-
cerning fertilizer equivalency of compost of deinking sludge and chicken manure.
Nevertheless, fertilizer P equivalency in this study is in the range of that reported by
Motavalli et al. (1989) for dairy manure for a corn crop, and are much higher than those
in use in the local recommendation guide for chicken manure (Beaudet 1995).
TABLE 3.
Effect of deinking sludge compost (DSPC) and mineral fertilizer (MF)
on K content and uptake by snap bean
1
2
3
Treatment
DSPC MF (P O -K O)
K content
K uptake
Recovery
Grain
Stubble
Grain
Total
2
5
2
-1
-1
-1
-1
(Mg ha
)
(Mg ha
)
g kg
kg ha
(%)
0
0
0
15.1 a
15.7 a
15.6 a
15.4 a
15.3 a
15.4 a
15.2 a
15.4 a
15.7 a
15.4 a
15.7 abc
14.1 bc
16.4 ab
14.9 abc
16.5 ab
13.5 bc
13.0 c
31.2 c
53.0 b
60.5 ab
63.9 ab
68.3 a
…
14
28
42
0
37.8 abc
37.5 abc
36.2 bc
36.9 bc
37.9 abc
38.9 ab
37.2 bc
39.7 ab
44.9 a
57.5
42.0
39.1
21.9
7.0
0
0
60
120
180
60
120
180
63.9 ab
60.0 ab
61.3 ab
61.0 ab
63.7 ab
71.1 a
0
0
5.5
14
28
42
1
14.5 bc
14.2 bc
18.0 a
12.8 (1.1)
8.5 (-0.2)
9.6 (1.9)
-1
Treatments including MF received 45 kg N ha as ammonium nitrate.
2
3
Means within a column with the same letter are not significantly different at P = 0.05 according to LSD test.
Numbers in parentheses are apparent recoveries of fertilizer P and K applied.
Grain K concentration was not affected by DSPC and MF application (Table 3). Ad-
dition of 42 Mg DSPC ha-1 alone or combined with MF significantly increased the total K
uptake as compared with the untreated control. On average, there was no significant dif-
ference between inorganic K fertilizer and DSPC in K uptake (P>0.05). The K uptake was
slightly increased by the combination of DSPC and MF as compared with each K source
alone. Apparent K recovery decreased with increasing DSPC or MF rates. The mean K
recovery was 46% (range 57.5-39.1%) for DSPC and 11.5% for MF (range 5.5-21.9%). In
combination with DSPC, the apparent recovery of applied inorganic K varied from 1.9 to
-0.2%. These results agree with those of Browaldh (1992) who obtained an increase in K
uptake by snap bean from compost and chicken manure, and a decrease of K use effi-
ciency with application rate. Similarly to P, the low values of K use efficiency suggest that
amounts of K applied through DSPC and MF were largely in excess to plant needs. Us-
ing the same approach as for P, the fertilizer K equivalency calculation indicated that K
in DSPC was 1.8 to 2.6 times more available than K in fertilizer. These high values may
be related to lower amounts of K applied with DSPC as compared to MF. These results
agree with those of Wen et al. (1997) who found that the K applied with sewage sludge,
and sludge and manure compost to snap bean was equally as available as K fertilizer.
Although snap bean is a N2-fixing crop, addition of DSPC at the 42 Mg ha-1 rate slight-
ly increased the N concentration of grain and stubble of snap bean (Table 4). Grain N con-
centration was significantly increased by joint application of DSPC at 14 Mg ha-1 and MF.
Nitrogen removal was increased significantly with an application of 42 Mg DSPC ha-1
Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001 121

R. Baziramakenga and R. R. Simard
TABLE 4.
Effect of deinking sludge compost (DSPC) and mineral fertilizer (MF)
on N content and uptake by snap bean
1
2
Treatment
MF (P O -K O)
N content
N uptake
DSPC
(Mg ha
Grain
Stubble
Grain
Total
2
5
2
-1
-1
-1
-1
)
(Mg ha
)
g kg
kg ha
1
1
0
0
0
35.3 b
36.2 b
33.5 b
37.8 ab
37.6 ab
37.4 ab
35.6 b
41.6 a
35.3 b
34.0 b
3.51 ab
71.5 c
87.1 abc
80.2 bc
89.0 abc
90.6 ab
91.4 ab
90.8 ab
100.1 a
89.0 abc
98.6 ab
76.2 c
14
28
42
0
3.52 ab
3.37 ab
3.90 ab
3.52 ab
3.68 ab
2.53 b
86.1 bc
0
93.4 abc
108.9 a
0
60
120
180
60
120
180
96.1 abc
97.6 ab
95.2 abc
106.7 ab
94.7 abc
96.3 abc
0
0
14
28
42
4.05 ab
3.41 ab
4.81 a
1
2
-1
Treatments including MF received 45 kg N ha as ammonium nitrate.
Means within a column with the same letter are not significantly different at P = 0.05 according to LSD test
TABLE 5.
Snap bean Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Co and Ni contents as influenced by DSPC and MF
Treatment
MF
DSPC
(Mg ha
(P O -K O)
Ca
Mg
Mn
Zn
Pb
Cd
mg kg
Cr
Ni
Co
2
5
2
-1
-1
-1
-1
)
(kg ha
)
g kg
Grain
2.41 a
2.34 a
2.32 a
2.45 a
2.32 a
2.25 a
2.35 a
2.30 a
2.22 a
2.26 a
0
0
0
2.50 a
1.49 a
1.45 a
1.85 a
1.74 a
1.69 a
2.57 a
1.83 a
1.62 a
1.93 a
1.64 a
1.58 a
1.55 a
1.61 a
1.59 a
1.56 a
1.61 a
1.59 a
1.52 a
1.45 a
14.8 b
15.5 ab
16.5 ab
15.8 ab
18.4 a
27.3 a
25.2 a
26.0 a
25.9 a
25.2 a
27.5 a
27.1 a
26.5 a
24.8 a
26.3 a
1.90 a
1.86 ab
1.82 ab
1.81 ab
1.76 ab
1.86 ab
1.88 ab
1.86 ab
1.79 ab
1.72 b
2.73 a
2.40 a
1.77 a
2.00 a
2.61 a
2.60 a
2.58 a
2.39 a
1.73 a
1.82 a
5.96 abc
5.93 abc
5.68 bc
4.34 c
1.38 ab
1.15 b
1.16 b
1.25 ab
1.35 ab
1.33 ab
1.37 ab
1.46 a
14
28
42
0
0
0
60
120
180
60
120
180
7.24 ab
8.31 a
0
17.4 ab
17.7 ab
16.7 ab
17.4 ab
17.1 ab
0
7.89 ab
7.50 ab
6.58 abc
6.19 abc
14
28
42
1.21 b
1.17 b
Stubble
2.99 a
2.89 a
2.57 a
2.88 a
2.95 a
2.86 a
2.80 a
2.98 a
2.74 a
2.73 a
0
0
0
13.0 bc
12.5 bc
13.7 bc
11.5 c
2.63 ab
2.40 bc
2.52 ab
2.20 bc
2.97 a
28.1 c
28.4 c
14.7 c
17.3 abc
18.5 abc
16.6 bc
19.5 ab
16.3 bc
16.2 bc
1.14 ab
1.09 b
1.62 a
1.61 a
1.65 a
1.72 a
1.73 a
1.60 a
1.78 a
1.74 a
1.46 a
1.61 a
0.73 a
0.44 a
0.69 a
0.64 a
1.04 a
0.67 a
0.65 a
0.60 a
0.94 a
0.45 a
0.92 ab
0.73 ab
0.56 b
14
28
42
0
0
33.2 bc
28.9 c
1.05 b
0
1.13 ab
1.07 b
0.93 ab
0.973 a
0.64 ab
0.94 ab
0.64 ab
0.63 ab
0.71 ab
60
120
180
60
120
180
17.6 a
11.1 c
32.3 bc
30.0 c
0
2.22 bc
2.00 c
1.12 ab
1.16 ab
1.25 a
0
12.5 bc
15.3 ab
11.1 c
33.3 bc
14
28
42
2.41 bc
2.04 c
36.1 abc 17.9 abc
42.2 abc
45.2 a
19.8 ab
21.4 a
1.05b
11.8 c
2.28 bc
1.17 ab
1
Means within a column with the same letter are not significantly different at P = 0.05 according to LSD test.
compared to the untreated control. Improved uptake of N by snap bean in soil amended
with compost has been reported (Browaldh 1992). In that study, the increase in N uptake
induced by compost was due to the stimulating effect of compost on root development
in the early stages and nodulation by the higher amounts of nutrient contained in the
122 Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001

Effect of Deinking Paper Sludge Compost on Nutrient Uptake and Yields
of Snap Bean and Potatoes Grown in Rotation
compost. In addition, DSPC was very high in K and may have enabled the bean plants
to utilize the soil N more efficiently. However, care should be taken to apply the right
amount, because high soil available N levels reduce the potential of legumes for N fixa-
tion (Bowren et al. 1995). We did not attempt to calculate apparent N recovery by snap
bean because the relative contribution of symbiotic fixation is unknown.
Though Ca and Mg concentrations tended to be lower for the highest rates of DSPC
and MF, there was no significant difference between untreated control and DSPC or
MF treatments (Table 5). The joint application of DSPC and MF increased significant-
ly Mn and Zn contents of stubble. Compared with untreated control, Pb, Cd, Cr and
Ni concentrations in bean tissues were not affected by DSPC treatments. However, Cd
contents of grain bean tend to decrease with DSPC rate, with a significant decrease for
Cd in plots that received 45 Mg DSPC ha-1 combined with MF. Bean grain Ni content
was increased by MF while the opposite effect was observed in plots that received
DSPC. The decreased concentration of plant Cd and Ni may be due to the added or-
ganic matter through DSPC addition. An increased adsorption of Cd by the soil solid
phase with increasing organic matter has been reported (He and Singh 1993).
Residual P Effect
No significant interaction was found between treatments applied in the previous
year and in the second year P rates for foliar N and P contents of potato (Table 6). Fo-
liar P content increased linearly (P<0.05) with second year P rates in mid-season (Fig-
ure 3). There was a significant interaction (P<0.01) between 1996 treatments and P rates
for foliar K concentration in the early growing season (Table 6). Except for untreated
control and DSPC combined with MF treatments, the foliar K concentration decreased
linearly (P<0.01) with increasing P rates (Table 7). Marschner (1986) indicated that ac-
cumulation of P in the soil may induce deficiencies of the other nutrients. Potato yields
were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by the 1996 treatments nor by the P fertilizer
applied in spring 1997 (Tables 6). The average yield obtained with the control treat-
ment (53 Mg ha-1) was much greater than the provincial average for 1997 (23 Mg ha-1).
Potato tuber specific gravity was increased linearly (P<0.05) by P fertilizer applied in
spring 1997, whereas previous treatment had no significant effect (Table 6). The lack
TABLE 6.
Analysis of variance (mean squares) of treatment effects on foliar P, K and N
contents, yields of potato and tuber specific gravity in 1997
P
K
N
Yield
Specific
Source Of
Variation
Mid-
Season
Mid-
Season
Mid-
Season
Gravity
Total Marketable (x10
-6)
Harvest
Harvest
Harvest
Previous
treatments (T)
Error a
0.977
0.462
0.342
0.146
0.156
12
0.123
0.065
0.042
0.055
0.035
12
1434
110
371*
117
48
67
34.9
2.4
17.1
16.3
7.5
51.7
29.7
23.64
17.4
17.0
7
46.8
28.8
20.8
16.9
17.5
8
6.51
11.82
13.23
5.00
P O
623 ***
72 **
32
2
5
T * P O
2
32
41.6
41.6
11
17.9
11.1
15
5
Error b
CV (%)
42
6.14
13
16
0.23
Contrasts
P O , linear
0.964 *
0.002
0.005
0.009
1787 ***
4.7
126
11
0.11
1.65
17.67
2.51
9.12
7.77
5.09
6.69
36.41*
0.83
2
5
P O , quadratic
2
5
*, **, *** significant at P=0.05, 0.01 and 0.001, respectively
Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001 123

R. Baziramakenga and R. R. Simard
of any significant effect of sec-
ond year fertilizer P on potato
tuber yields is surprising
since this soil was low in
available P (Conseil des Pro-
ductions Végétales du
Québec 1996). These results
corroborate those of Samson
(1998), who showed that pota-
to did not respond to fertiliz-
er P on the same soil series
with a low soil test P. Simard
et al. (1991) reported that
Mehlich-3 method underesti-
mated the corn and barley
available P content for the
fine-textured soils.
Figure 3. Foliar P contents of potato at 10% flowering stage as influenced
by P fertilizer applied in spring 1997.
TABLE 7
Effect of previous treatments and fertilizer P
on foliar K content of potato in mid-season
Summary
The results of this study
showed that snap bean yield
increased significantly with
DSPC and MF application.
Snap bean yields produced
with DSPC were similar to
those produced with MF. Tis-
sue concentrations of P, K and
other elements suggest that
DSPC may be a sufficient and a
balanced source of nutrients
for plant growth on the studied
soil. Apparent P and K recov-
eries decreased with increas-
ing DSPC and MF rates. In
combination with DSPC, fertil-
izer P and K use efficiency co-
-1 1
PreviousTreatment
MF
P O rates (kg ha
)
2
5
2
DSPC (P O -K O)
0
100
200
300
P effect
2
5
2
-1
-1
-1
(Mg ha
)
(kg ha
)
g kg
0
0
0
0
41.5 a
51.8 a
48.6 a
53.2 a
49.3 a
59.2 a
41.6 a
43.1 a
47.4 a
56.3 a
38.5 c
43.4 b
45.0 b
42.0 b
41.5 b
38.9 b
36.6 b
38.6 b
37.1 b
58.4 a
41.6 b
35.4 a
41.3 a
40.3 a
41.4 a
39.7 a
36.5 a
37.7 a
37.9 a
41.3 a
44.7 a
NS
L*
L*
L**
L**
L*
14
28
42
0
0
0
14
28
42
51.6 abc
45.2 abc
47.8 abc
50.7 abc
61.3 abc
42.8 bc
43.7 abc
57.6 abc
42.0 bc
0
60
120
180
60
120
180
L*
NS
NS
NS
1
Means within a column with the same letter are not significantly
different at P = 0.05 according to LSD test.
NS, Not significant; *, **significant at P=0.05 and 0.01, respectively;
L, linear.
2
efficients by snap bean were lower than those with no DSPC. The fertilizer P and K equiv-
alent values indicate the potential of DSPC to maintain a sufficient supply of nutrients.
The yield of potatoes in the following year was not significantly influenced by the previ-
ous treatments nor by supplemental P fertilizer added in the second year. Co-compost-
ing deinking sludges with poultry manure can produce compost with sufficient amount
of available P and K to sustain growth of horticultural crops. This suggest that compost-
ing may be considered as a viable approach for recycling deinking paper mill sludges.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Daishowa Inc., the Composting Council of Canada , Nutrite Inc.,
and the Government of Canada for their financial support. Compost was provided by
Les Composts du Québec Inc. The contribution of Jean Coulombe, Jean Zizka and
124 Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001

Effect of Deinking Paper Sludge Compost on Nutrient Uptake and Yields
of Snap Bean and Potatoes Grown in Rotation
Serge Yelle in the project is appreciated. Special thanks are expressed to Alain
Larouche, Bernard Gagnon and Simon Roy for their technical assistance.
References
Aitken, M., B. Evans and J.G. Lewis. 1998. Effect of applying paper mill sludge to arable land on
soil fertility and crop yields. Soil Use Manag., 14:215-222.
Barker, A.V. 1997. Composition and uses of compost. In: Rechcigl, D.E. and H.C. MacKinnon
(eds.) Agricultural Uses of By-Products and Wastes. American Chemical Society, No. 668,
Washington, DC, pp. 141-162.
Beaudet, P. 1995. Coefficients d’efficacité des engrais de ferme. Bulletin technique 22. Conseil
des Productions Végétales du Québec, Québec. 22 pp.
Bellamy, K.L., C. Chong and R.A. Cline. 1995. Paper sludge utilization in agriculture and con-
tainer nursery culture. J. Environ. Qual., 24:1074-1082.
Bowren, K.E., V.O. Biederbeck, H.A. Bjorge, S.A. Brandt, B.P. Goplen, J.L. Henry, H. Ukrainetz,
T. Wright and L.A. MacLean. 1995. Soil Improvement with Legumes. Saskatchewan Min-
istry of Agriculture and Food, Saskatoon, 24 pp.
Browaldh, M. 1992. Influence of organic and inorganic fertilizers on common bean (Phaseolus
vulgaris L.) grown in P-fixing Mollic Andosol. Biol. Agric. Hortic., 9:87-104.
Canadian Council Ministers of the Environment. 1997. Quality criteria for compost. Publication
106- F, Ottawa, Ontario. 25 pp.
Chen, L., W.A. Dick, J.G. Streeter and H.A.J. Hoitink. 1996. Ryegrass utilization of nutrient re-
leased from composted biosolids and cow manure. Compost Sci. Utiliz., 4:73-83.
Cogger, C.G., D.M. Sullivan, A.I. Bary and S.C. Fransen 1999. Nitrogen recovery from heat-dried
and dewatered biosolids applied to forage grasses. J. Environ. Qual., 28:754-759.
Conseil des Productions Végétales du Québec. 1993. Mauvaises herbes-répression. AGDEX 640.
Gouvernement du Québec, Québec, Québec. 109 pp.
Conseil des Productions Végétales du Québec. 1994. Répertoire des traitements de lutte anti-par-
asitaire. AGDEX 250-265. Gouvernement du Québec, Québec, Québec. 86 pp.
Conseil des Productions Végétales du Québec. 1996. Grilles de référence en fertilisation. AGDEX
540. Gouvernement du Québec, Québec, Québec. 109 pp.
Cournoyer, M. S., F. Granger and P.Y. Michon. 1997. Valorisation des résidus des fabriques de
pâtes et papiers. Guide de bonnes pratiques. Urgel Delisle et Associés, Saint-Charles-sur-
Richelieu, Québec, 64 pp.
Désilets, L. 2000. La valorisation des résidus de papetières: État de la situation et perspectives.
In: Colloque sur les biosolides. Conseil des Productions Végétales du Québec, Québec,
Québec, pp. 7-19.
Edwards, D.R. and T.C. Daniel. 1992. Environmental impacts of on-farm poultry waste dispos-
al - A review. Biores. Technol., 41:9-33.
Gagnon, B. and R.R. Simard. 1999. Nitrogen and phosphorus release from on-farm and indus-
trial composts. Can. J. Soil Sci., 79:481-489.
He, Q.B. and B.R. Singh. 1993. Effect of organic matter on the distribution, extractibility and up-
take of cadmium in soils. J. Soil Sci., 44:641-650.
Lindo, P.V., R.W. Taylor, J.W. Shuford and D.C. Adriano. 1993. Accumulation and movement
of residual phosphorus in sludge-treated Decatur silt clay loam soil. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant
Anal., 24:1805-1816.
Lucero, D.W., D.C. Martens, J.R. McKenna and D.E. Starner. 1995. Accumulation and movement
of phosphorus from poultry litter application on a Star clay loam. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant
Anal., 26:1709-1718.
Marschner, H. 1986. The mineral nutrition of higher plants. Academic Press, London, UK. 674 pp.
Mazzarino, M.J., F.L. Laos, P. Satti, and S. Moyano. 1998. Agronomic and environmental aspects
of utilization of organic residues in soils of the Andean-Patagonian region. Soil Sci. Plant
Nutr., 44:105-113.
Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Faune du Québec. 1997. Critères provisoires pour valori-
sation des matières résiduelles (épandage, entreposage temporaire, compostage, fabrication
et utilisation de terreaux). Service de l’assainissement agricole et des activités de compostage.
Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Faune, Gouvernement du Québec, Québec, 94 pp.
Motavalli, P.P, K.A. Kelling and J.C. Converse. 1989. First-year nutrient availability from inject-
ed dairy manure. J. Environ. Qual., 18:180-185.
Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001 125

R. Baziramakenga and R. R. Simard
Murphy, J. and Riley, J.P. 1962. A modified single solution method for determination of phos-
phate in natural water. Anal. Chim. Acta, 27: 31-36.
Nkonge C. and G.M. Ballance. 1982. A sensitive colorimetric procedure for nitrogen determina-
tion in micro-Kjeldahl digests. J. Agric. Food Chem., 30: 416-420
Norrie, J. and A. Gosselin. 1996. Paper sludge amendments for turfgrass. HortScience, 31: 957-960.
Ozores-Hampton, M. and H.H. Bryan. 1993. Municipal solid waste (MSW) soil amendments: In-
fluence on growth and yield of snap beans. Proc. Florida State Hort. Soc., 106:208-210.
Richards, J.E. 1993. Chemical characterization of plant tissue. In: M. R. Carter (ed.) Soil Sampling
and Methods of Analysis. Canadian Society of Soil Science, Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL,
pp. 115-139.
Robinson, R.G. 1983. Yield and composition of field bean and adzuki bean in response to irri-
gation, compost, and nitrogen. Agron. J., 75:31-35.
Robinson, J.S. and A.W. Sharpley. 1996. Reaction in soil phosphorus released from poultry lit-
ter. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 60:1583-1588.
Samson, N. 1998. Fertilisation optimale de variétés de pomme de terre au Québec. Thèse de Maî-
tise. Université Laval, Québec, Québec. 91 pp.
Schlegel, A.J. 1992. Effect of composted manure on soil chemical properties and nitrogen use by
grain sorghum. J. Prod. Agric., 5:153-157.
Shepherd, M.A. and P.J. Withers. 1999. Applications of poultry litter and triple superphosphate
fertilizer to a sandy soil: effects on soil phosphorus status and profile distribution. Nutr.
Cycl. Agroecosyst., 54:233-242.
Simard, R.R., T.S. Tran and J. Zizka. 1991. Strontium chloride-citric acid extraction evaluated as
a soil-testing procedure for phosphorus. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 55:414-421.
Simard, R.R. 1996. Manure management in the province of Québec: the urgent need for solutions.
In: Proceedings of Waste Management Workshop. Canadian. Society of. Soil Science. Agri-
culture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, pp 65-80.
Simard, R.R., R. Baziramakenga, S. Yelle and J. Coulombe. 1998a. Effects of deinking paper
sludges on soil properties and crop yields. Can. J. Soil Sci., 78:689-697.
Simard, R.R., J. Coulombe, R. Lalande, B. Gagnon and S. Yelle. 1998b. Use of fresh and com-
posted deinking sludge in horticultural production. In: S. Brown, J.S. Angle and L. Jacobs
(eds.) Beneficial Co-utilization of Agricultural, Municipal and Industrial By-products. Kluwer
Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands, pp. 349-361.
Simard, R.R., R. Lalande, B. Gagnon and G. Parent. 2000. Beneficial use of paper-mill residue
compost in a potato-spring wheat rotation. In: Warman, P.R. and B.R. Taylor (eds.) Pro-
ceedings of the International Composting Symposium (ICS’99). Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada,
pp. 716-736.
Statistical Analysis System Institute. 1990. SAS/Stat user’s guide. Vol. 2. GLM-VARCOMP. Ver-
sion 6. 4th ed. SAS Inst., Cary, North Carolina.
Stratton, M.L., A.V. Barker and J.E. Rechcigl. 1995. Compost. In: Rechcigl J.E. (ed) Soil Amend-
ments and Environmental Quality. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, Florida, pp. 249-310.
Sullivan, D.M., S.C. Fransen, A.I. Bary and C.G. Cogger. 1998. Fertilizer nitrogen replacement
value of food residuals composted with yard trimmings, paper or wood wastes. Compost
Sci. Utiliz., 6:6-18.
Tabi, M., L. Tardif, D. Carrier, G. Laflamme and M. Rompré. 1990. Inventaire des problèmes de
dégradation des sols agricoles du Québec. Rapport de synthèse. Gouvernement du Québec,
Québec, Québec. 71 pp.
Tran T.S. and R.R. Simard. 1993. Mehlich-3 extractable elements. In: M.R. Carter (ed.) Soil Sam-
pling and Methods of Soil Analysis. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, Florida, pp. 43-50.
Trépanier, L., J. Gallichand, J. Caron and G. Thériault. 1996. Environmental impact of on-farm
storage of deinking paper mill sludge. Trans. Amer. Soc. Agric. Engin., 39:1853-1859.
Vinten, A.J.A., R. Davies, K. Castle and E.M. Baggs. 1997. Control of nitrate leaching from a ni-
trate vulnerable zone using paper mill waste. Soil Use Manag., 13:1-9.
Warman, P.R. 1995. Influence of rates and timing on incorporation of dairy manure compost on
sweet corn yield, composition and soil fertility. Compost Sci. Utiliz., 3:66-71.
Warman, P. R. and J.M. Cooper. 2000. Fertilization of a mixed forage crop with fresh and com-
posted chicken manure and NPK fertilizer: Effects on dry matter yield and soil and tissue
N, P and K. Can. J. Soil Sci., 80: 337-344.
Wen, G., J.P. Winter, R.P. Voroney and T.E. Bates. 1997. Potassium availability with application
of sewage sludge, and sludge and manure composts in field experiments. Nutr. Cycl. Agroe-
cosyst., 47:233-241.
126 Compost Science & Utilization
Spring 2001