Effects of amendment with oil mill waste and its derived-compost on soil chemical and microbiological characteristics and olive (Olea europaea L.) productivity

A new type of solid oil mill waste (SOMW), produced by latest-generation decanter, and its derived compost were spread on land for three consecutive years in an olive grove to evaluate the soil chemical characteristics, bacterial abundance and community structure, plant growth and production and oil quality. After the third year of the experiment in both treatments, there was no increase in total organic C (TOC) in the upper layer, while a reduction of TOC concentration in the deeper layer was detected. Moreover, in the upper soil layer, the available P increased in both treated soils compared to control while exchangeable K increased only in SOMW treated soil. In both the treated soils, viable counts of different bacteria showed little or no differences compared with the control. Further, PCR-DGGE analysis of the soil bacterial community indicated the presence of a very high biodiversity that was not affected by the long-term treatment with either SOMW and composted-SOMW. The treated soils with both matrices showed an increase in the vegetative activity and olive yield such as a positive effect on oil quality by increasing phenol content. The overall results indicate that both SOMW and its derived-compost can be positively used as soil amendment, thus, contributing to the reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers.