title: The effect of lignite on nitrogen mobility in a low-fertility soil amended with biosolids and urea.
abstract: Lignite has been proposed as a soil amendment that reduces nitrate (NO3(-)) leaching from soil. Our objective was to determine the effect of lignite on nitrogen (N) fluxes from soil amended with biosolids or urea. The effect of lignite on plant yield and elemental composition was also determined. Batch sorption and column leaching experiments were followed by a lysimeter trial where a low fertility soil was amended with biosolids (400 kg N/ha equivalent) and urea (200 kg N/ha equivalent). Treatments were replicated three times, with and without lignite addition (20 t/ha equivalent). Lignite did not reduce NO3(-) leaching from soils amended with either biosolids or urea. While lignite decreased NO3(-) leaching from an unamended soil, the magnitude of this effect was not significant in an agricultural context. Furthermore, lignite increased cumulative N2O production from soils receiving urea by 90%. Lignite lessened the beneficial growth effects of adding biosolids or urea to soil. Further work could investigate whether coating urea granules with lignite may produce meaningful environmental benefits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Dharini
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paramashivam
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Clough
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carlton
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Kelsi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gough
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.affiliation: Environmental Science and Research, Kenepuru Science Centre, PO Box 50-348, Porirua 5240, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jacqui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horswell
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Sherlock
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clucas
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand. Electronic address: brett.robinson@lincoln.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Brett H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D003031:Coal / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005308:Fertilizers; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D014508:Urea / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D005308:Fertilizers; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014508:Urea; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Black urea; Coal; Fertilizer; Lysimeter; Sewage sludge