Article Sidebar
Article Details
Submission of a paper for publication implies the transfer of the copyright from the author(s) to the publisher upon acceptance. International Formulae Group is therefore the copyright holder after publication of an article in International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, and published articles should not be used for commercial purpose without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. They are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Main Article Content
Chemical and microbial properties of farmer’s field soils fertilized with municipal solid wastes without pretreatment in the peri-urban zone of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Abstract
Peri-urban agriculture can contribute to food security and nutrition in developing countries. However, due to rising mineral fertilizer prices, farmers in these countries such as Burkina Faso are supplying the required nutrients to their fields by adding municipal solid waste (MSW). This uncontrolled use of waste matter that is not treated could pose several risks on soil quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact on chemical and microbial soil properties of this nasty, but current practice. The study investigated the chemical and microbial characteristic of soils receiving different quantity of waste for several years (20, 10 and 7 years). Soils were sampled around the city of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Soil chemical (C, N, P and pH) and microbial (basal respiration, microbial biomass and microbial diversity) characteristics were assessed. A comparison between unamended soils and the amended ones revealed that the MSW increased soil C, N and P content up to 2 fold. The increase was higher in the 20 years old field that received MSW. The microbial biomass evaluated by the substrate induced respiration method was significantly higher in soils fertilized with MSW, while the microbial activity determined by 21-day soil respiration was not significantly different between treatments. The catabolic diversity was not significantly different. These results suggested that the accumulated organic matter in supplied MSW soils would present particular properties notably a slight biodegradability. This study showed that while the chemical characteristic was related to different quantity of MSW, through different years applied, the microbial activities were not significantly modified. The informal quantity and quality added were discussed.
© 2010 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Urban, agriculture, soil, carbon, nitrogen, SIR, microbial activity.
