Monitoring of physicochemical parameters of soils after applying pig slurry. Analysis of its application in short and long periods in the province of Córdoba, Argentina

Abstract

Soil amendment with manures from intensive livestock breeding is, currently, a usual practice which could produce positive and/or negative effect on several soil properties. In this work, the effect of consecutive additions of pig slurry (PS), during 1 and 15 years, in two different farms in the Province of Córdoba (Argentina), was analyzed. Also, a control soil (without amendment), and an untilled soil were studied for comparison for each farm. This is the first research to be conducted in this part of the country. In this research we study the effect of PS applications in large commercial pig farms. For all soils and PS samples collected the following parameters: pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total N (TN), available phosphorus (P), Na, K, Ca and Mg, were analyzed. PS presents an alkaline pH, high EC, high phosphorus and nitrogen content. The statistical analysis, shown that PS application for 15 years could significantly modify the soil physicochemical properties, but one PS application before harvest, is similar to soil control. The soil amended with PS through 15 years shown: higher pH (7.57), and EC (3.09 dSm−1) values, and high P content (264 ppm), probably due to the low P mobility. Values of TN (2.15 g L−1) increased with the PS application, making this. The PS application, as a soil amendment, an advantage treatment for TN conservation and to avoid the commercial fertilizer use. PS application has to be planned in order to increase the soil nutrient recovery. The PS doses (m3 ha−1) must be carefully calculated to prevent soil nutrient unbalance and possible soil and/or groundwater contamination. These results could be an important contribution on the proper PS application, as soil amendment, in the province of Córdoba and in other Argentinian regions.