Microbiological and Chemical Modifications of Soil Cultivated with Grapevine Following Agronomic Application of Olive Mill Wastewater

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 231; no. 2; p. 86
• Main Authors: Lanza, B., Di Serio, M.G., Di Giovacchino, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.02.2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agricultural wastes; Agrochemicals; Agronomy; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; crop production; crops; Cultivation; Decantation; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Fertility; Fertilizers; Food industries wastewaters; Fruit cultivation; Fruits; Grapes; Grapevines; Hydrogeology; Italy; long term effects; microorganisms; mineral fertilizers; Nutrients; olive mill wastewater; Organic chemistry; Organic matter; recycling; Soil; Soil characteristics; Soil chemistry; Soil fertility; Soil improvement; Soil microbiology; soil properties; Soil Science & Conservation; Soils; Spreading; viticulture; Vitis; Wastewater; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Italy; Soil microbial respiration; Grapevine production; Soil microorganisms; Soil properties; Olive mill wastewater (OMW)
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-020-4462-9

The reuse of olive mill wastewater (OMW) by spreading on agricultural land is subject to a long-time debate since they supply to agricultural land both substances of undoubted positive influence on fertility and compounds that may adversely alter its chemical, physical and microbiological characteristics and/or cause negative effects on crops. In this study different amounts of OMW from 3-phases centrifugal decanter were spread in February on soil cultivated with grapevine in a research-farm located in central Italy for 11 consecutive years, with the aim to verify the long term effect on grape production, physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of soil. In particular, the effect of the OMW spread in the largest amount (50 L m −2 ) was an increase of the weight of the grape-brunches and total grapes production and, in addition, an improvement of the soil characteristics due to the increase of the content of the organic reducing substances with humic-like properties. Moreover, it was also ascertained that in the short-medium period (2–8 months) the respiratory activity of the micro-organisms of the soil parcels, treated with different amount of OMW, was higher than that of the soil control parcels. The results obtained demonstrated that the controlled spreading of OMW helps to increase both the grapes crop and the fertility of the soil, recycling the organic matter and mineral nutrients, in this way allowing to reduce, or avoid, the use of chemical fertilisers.