The Effect of Anaerobic Digestate on the Soil Organic Carbon and Humified Carbon Fractions in Different Land-Use Systems in Lithuania

Abstract

The most important component of agricultural system are soils as the basis for the growth of plants, accumulation of water, plant nutrients and organic matter. The main task of our research was to ascertain changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) and mobile humified carbon fractions in digestate-treated soils. We have performed three field experiments using the same design on two soil types in 2019–2020. We studied the fertilization effects of different phases of digestate on Retisol and Fluvisol. Fertilization treatments: control; separated liquid digestate 85 kg ha−1 N; and 170 kg ha−1 170 N; separated solid digestate 85 kg ha−1 N; and 170 kg ha−1 N. We have found a greater positive effect on the increase in SOC because of the use of the maximum recommended fertilization rate of the solid digestate. The content of mobile humic substances (MHS) tended to increase in grassland and crop rotation field in digestate-treated soil. In our experiment, maximum concentration of SOC was found in 0–10 cm soil layer, while in the deeper layers the amount of SOC, MHS and mobile humic acids proportionally decreased. We concluded, that long-term factors as soil type and land use strongly affected the humification level expressed as HD (%) in the soil and the highest HD was determined in the grassland soil in Fluvisol.