Crop residue stabilization and application to agricultural and degraded soils: A review.
Agricultural activities produce vast amounts of organic residues including straw, unmarketable or culled fruit and vegetables, post-harvest or post-processing wastes, clippings and residuals from forestry or pruning operations, and animal manure. Improper disposal of these materials may produce undesirable environmental (e.g. odors or insect refuges) and health impacts. On the other hand, agricultural residues are of interest to various industries and sectors of the economy due to their energy content (i.e., for combustion), their potential use as feedstock to produce biofuels and/or fine chemicals, or as a soil amendments for polluted or degraded soils when composted. Our objective is review new biotechnologies that could be used to manage these residues for land application and remediation of contaminated and eroded soils. Bibliographic information is complemented through a comprehensive review of the physico-chemical fundamental mechanisms involved in the transformation and stabilization of organic matter by biotic and abiotic soil components.
Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, P.O. Box 54-D, Temuco, Chile; Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, P.O. Box 54-D, Temuco, Chile.
Jorge
J
Medina
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Center, K.W. Neatby Building, Ottawa K1A0C6, Canada.
Carlos
C
Monreal
Departamento de Microbiología del Suelo y Sistemas Simbióticos, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain.
José Miguel
JM
Barea
Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, P.O. Box 54-D, Temuco, Chile.
César
C
Arriagada
Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, P.O. Box 54-D, Temuco, Chile; Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, P.O. Box 54-D, Temuco, Chile.
Fernando
F
Borie
Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, P.O. Box 54-D, Temuco, Chile; Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, P.O. Box 54-D, Temuco, Chile. Electronic address: pablo.cornejo@ufrontera.cl.
Pablo
P
Cornejo
D000383:Agriculture; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry*; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D018505:Waste Management
D008670:Metals; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012987:Soil
Agricultural residues; Composting; Organic matter transformations; Organo-mineral complexes