Meat and bone meal and biosolids as slow-release phosphorus fertilizers

Authors

• Anne Bøen Bioforsk - Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research
• Trond Knapp Haraldsen Bioforsk - Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.7498

Keywords:

availability, P-AL, P-Olsen, ryegrass, organic fertilizers, sewage sludge

Abstract

Biosolids and meat and bone meal (MBM) are commonly used as fertilizers in agriculture, often at application rates where total phosphorus (P) far exceeds the annual demand. In a pot experiment, three biosolids and two types of MBM were tested at two commonly used application rates. Their contributions to P uptake in ryegrass (second and third season) were compared with annual mineral P fertilization. The soil was analysed for extractable P (P_AL and P_Olsen). Only soil amended with digested, limed biosolids provided a P uptake in ryegrass the third season comparable to annual NPK fertilization. Bone-rich MBM had considerable contributions to third season P uptake in soil with pH < 6. The product application rates did not influence P uptake significantly for any of the products. P_Olsen was found suitable to describe residual effects on soil P solubility, whereas the P_AL-method was not applicable for MBM fertilized soils.