INTRODUCTION

FIELDS & ROW CROPS

FORESTS

EXPERIENCE & RESEARCH

Biosolids enrich the soil with essential nutrients and add needed organic matter to the soil.

The agricultural benefits of biosolids have been documented for many decades by numerous scientific studies and through the practical experience of thousands of farmers.  In Virginia, farmers typically report that the application of biosolids to land can, in some cases, more than double crop productivity.  And since biosolids are applied free to farmland in Virginia, farmers can save up to $150 an acre when biosolids are applied to land, compared to the cost of commercial fertilizer.

Plants need a complex mixture of nutrients, soil, air and water. Biosolids contain many essential plant nutrients, including the primary macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and, to a lesser extent, potassium; the secondary macronutrients magnesium, calcium and sulfur; and such micronutrients as copper, zinc, iron, manganese, molybdenum and boron. Humans also need many of these elements, which are contained in multi-vitamins.

Organic matter in biosolids improves soil quality, reduces compaction, increases water-holding capacity, and provides an energy source for necessary microbial activity. This reduces water runoff and soil erosion, increases water conservation and increases resistance to drought. Biosolids that have been lime-stabilized help neutralize acidity in soils, just as is done by agricultural limestone, which helps maintain the proper soil pH for crop growth.

Chemically, biosolids increase the soil’s cation exchange capacity (CEC), which is a measure of how well a soil retains certain plant nutrients.  The organic matter in biosolids acts like a magnet and attracts plant nutrients.  It helps hold plant nutrients in the root zone and prevents them from leaching.

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