This is an archive post-print (ie final draft post-refereeing)

Please cite this paper as follows: FILIATRAULT, P., CAMIRÉ, C., Jeffrey P. NORRIE, J.P.,

and BEAUCHAMP, C.J. 2006. Effects of de-inking paper sludge on growth and nutritional status

of alder and aspen. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 48(3) : 209-226.

For PDF : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2006.02.001

8/2/2005 11:01 AM

Effects of de-inking paper sludge on growth and nutritional status of alder and aspen

Patrick FILIATRAULT1,2, Claude CAMIRÉ3, Jeffrey P. NORRIE1,4 and

Chantal J. BEAUCHAMP1,5

1 Département de phytologie, Faculté des sciences de l’Agriculture et de l’Alimentation,

Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, QC, G1K 7P4, Canada

2 Present address: Ligniculture Québec, Département de biologie, Faculté des sciences, Université

de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada

3 Centre de recherche en biologie forestière, Faculté de foresterie et de géomatique, Université

Laval, Sainte--Foy, QC, G1K 7P4, Canada

4 Present address: Acadian Seaplants Limited, 30 Brown Avenue, Dartmouth, NS, B3B 1X8,

Canada

5 Corresponding author: Chantal.Beauchamp@plg.ulaval.ca

Improving our understanding of phosphorus (P)or nitrogen (N) fertilization on growth and

nutritional status of two woody colonizer species, alder (Alnus crispa (Has.) Pursh) or aspen

(Populus deltoides Marsh.), using de-inking paper sludge (DPS) as an organic soil amendment is

an avenue to develop sustainable restoration. Factorial greenhouse experiments were therefore

conducted to determine the best combination of DPS and fertilizer on growth and nutritional

status of woody species grown in degraded soils. For alder, five level of DPS (0, 20, 40, 60 and

80% DPS) in clay substrate or four levels of DPS (0, 10, 20 and 30% DPS) in sand substrate were

studied in combination with three levels of P (0, 0.75 and 1.5 g P kg-1 DPS). Similarly, the same

levels of DPS in clay or sand substrates were studied in combination with four levels of N (5, 10

and 15 g N kg-1 DPS) for aspen. For alder, the use of DPS in quantities greater than 30% in

substrate without supplemental P caused a reduction in alder growth and leaf N content.

However, alder showed reasonable growth and nutrition, regardless of the proportion of DPS in

the substrate when P was adjusted to 0.75 g kg-1 DPS (d.w.). For aspen, the addition of DPS

without supplemental N decreased growth and leaf N content. However, aspen demonstrated

satisfactory growth and nutrition when DPS was included at less than 60% of DPS in the

substrate and when substrate N was adjusted to 10 or 15 g kg-1 DPS (d.w.). The results of this

study suggest that one time heavy application of DPS constitutes a potentially effective organic

amendment for soil restoration purposes, but require additional fertilizers to sustain plant growth

and nutrition.

Keyword: alder, phosphorus, aspen, nitrogen, fertilization, paper sludge, organic soil amendment,

Alnus crisp, Populus deltoïdes

INTRODUCTION

The restoration, rehabilitation or revegetation of degraded sites, like sandpits, land disturbed by

mining, etc. is required to avoid negative environmental impact. In the case of sandpits or mined

lands, these sites support poorly plant establishment due to improper soil physical, chemical or

microbial properties (Shuman and Belden, 1991; Schuman, 1999). However, the addition of

heavy load of fertilizers and organic amendments, such as woodchips, wood residues, straw, leaf,

etc. (Shuman and Belden, 1991), lead to more successful restoration due to improved water

retention and bulk density, as well as restoring nutrient cycling and microbial functions. Up to

now, most studies had concentrated on grass species using woodchips, wood residues, manure

and straw for restoration projects (Schuman, 1999), but woody species and wastes produced by

paper mills need to be considered too. In fact, one in situ restoration project using paper sludge

was a failure due to the lack of tree fertilizing knowledge (Bellamy, K.L. Ortech Corporation,

personal communication).

The de-inking paper sludge (DPS), a waste produced during paper recycling, was selected to

restore important pools of organic matter in degraded soil, since there are rich in carbon and their

content in potentially toxic compounds is low (Beauchamp et al., 2002). Used in agriculture and

in restoration, DPS amendments increased yield and plant growth, soil C, soil water retention and

soil cationic exchange capacity (CEC) (Chantigny et al., 2000; Fierro et al., 1997, 1999, 2000;

Simard et al., 1998; Trépanier et al., 1996). Finally, DPS provide materials serving as a long-term

source of organic matter (Fierro et al., 2000). However, negative effects of DPS have also been

reported where plant nutrient deficiencies occurred (Fierro et al., 2000; Zibilske, 1987). Since

DPS are poor in phosphorus (P)and nitrogen (N), supplemental P or N fertilizers have to be

considered to overcome the potential P or N deficiencies for N-fixing woody species or woody

species. Based on other woody amendments, supplemental N may be added from 3 to 16 g N kg-1

depending on the amount of materials added to soil for most plant species (Allison et al., 1963;

Dolar et al., 1972; Shuman and Belden, 1991). However, little is known to overcome the N and P

limitations of high rate of DPS for woody species.

Indeed, to insure the success of restoration projects, the selection of woody species must be on

their capacity to growth in degraded soils amended with single heavy rate of fresh organic matter

supplemented with fertilizers. Under such conditions, some impacts may be suspected on woody

species. Therefore, to favor the reintroduction of woody species, it becomes essential to evaluate,

under controlled conditions, the impact of organic amendments supplemented with fertilizer on

their growth and nutritional status prior to their use in restoration studies. The purposes of this

study were to determine the quantity of DPS to amend to clay or sand substrates, as well as to

determine the quantity of supplemental P or N to obtain adequate growth and plant nutrition of

one N-fixing woody species, Alnus crispa or one non N-fixing woody species, Populus deltoids.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Substrate Components Analyses and Evolution

Chemical characteristics of DPS, clay and sand were determined separately. Samples of these

components were dried at 37 °C for 48 h, sieved and grounded. Concentrations of total P, K,

calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry

(AAS; Perkin-Elmer 3300, Perkin Elmer, Boston, MA, USA), after digestion in a mix of HClO4-

HNO3, by using 0.5 g substrate in a final volume of 100 mL (Isaac and Kerber, 1971).

Concentrations of the other elements (iron (Fe), Cu, Zn and aluminum (Al)) were determined by

this same method using 1 g of sample. Exchangeable elements and available phosphorus were

extracted using the Mehlich III method (C.P.V.Q., 1988) and measured by spectrophotometry.

Ammonium-nitrogen and nitrates-nitrogen were extracted using 1M KCl and measured with a

Technicon. Total C and total N were determined by dry combustion (CNS-1000 Leco; Michigan,

USA). The decomposed organic matter and non-decomposed matter as percentage of ash was

evaluated by incineration (Bell, 1964) using 50 g samples for the clay substrate and 100 g

samples for the sand substrate. Soil water pH and electrical conductivity (E.C.) measurements

were taken from a 1:2 mix: (mass: volume), except for DPS where a 1:9 ratio was required

(adapted from C.P.V.Q., 1988). All analyses were made in triplicate (Table 1). In addition, clay

and sand substrates amended with DPS with and without supplemental fertilizer, were also

analyzed in triplicate for pH and E.C. evolution using the same techniques at 0 and 4.5 months.

Plant Growth Experiments

Species used in the present study were alder (Alnus crispa (Has.) Pursh) and aspen (Populus

deltoides Marsh.). One-year-old plants were produced in tree nurseries with alder plants being

inoculated with Frankia sp.

For each species, one experiment was undertaken with clay and DPS substrate, and one examined

sand and DPS substrate. For alder, two experiments concentrated on P fertilization, while for

aspen, these two experiments concentrated on N fertilization. The split-factors for these

experiments were the level of fertilization, as the main factor and the rate of DPS as the sub-

factor. Each experiment had 6 replicates consisting of one tree per 2.5 L pot. Rates of DPS,

expressed on a volume basis, were 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80% for the clay substrate and 0, 10, 20 and

30% for the sand substrate. Also, to facilitate aeration for each pot, 20% perlite was added on a

total volume basis.

The natural P and N contents in DPS (0.11 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) and 1.6 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.);

Table 1) was considered in the calculation of the rate of fertilizers. The basal fertilization for the

two species consisted of the application of 75 kg N ha-1 for aspen or none for alder, 60 kg P ha-1,

50 kg K ha-1 and oligo-elements in the clay substrates, and 75 kg N ha-1 for aspen or none for

alder, 195 kg P ha-1, 300 kg K ha-1 and oligo-elements in the sand substrates (C.P.V.Q., 1994).

This basal fertilization was constant among the 0 g N kg-1 DPS treatments (Table 2).

Supplemental fertilization was used to adjust DPS contents to 0.75 and 1.5 g P kg-1 (d.w.) (or

0.075 and 0.15% P) for alder and 5, 10 and 15 g N kg-1 (d.w.) (or 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% N) for aspen.

With fertilization being based on the rate of incorporated DPS, quantities of supplemental P or N

increased with an increase in DPS rate for calculated C:P ratio of about 3556, 510 and 255 or C:N

of about 246, 77, 38 and 26 within one fertilizer level (Table 2). For the control treatments

without DPS, the amount of supplemental P or N represented an additional 0.75 and 1.5 g P kg-1

to the 10% DPS for the substrate or 5, 10 and 15 g N added to 20% DPS for the substrate. This

enabled statistical comparisons between the control treatments and 20% DPS treatments, and the

20% DPS treatments vs. 40, 60 and 80% DPS treatments for the clay substrate. Similarly for the

sand substrate, this enabled statistical comparisons between the control treatments and 10% DPS

treatments, and the 10% DPS treatments vs. 20 and 30% DPS treatments.

Nitrogen, P and K were added in the form of granular fertilizer. The oligo-elements (70 g kg-1

iron, 20 g kg-1 manganese, l.4 g kg-1 zinc (Zn), 1 g kg-1 copper (Cu), 13 g kg-1 boron, 0.6 g kg-1

molybdene; Plant-Prod Co., ONE), were added in the form of soluble fertilizer. The N fertilizer

was 25% in the form of ammonium sulphate (21-0-0), retained for its acidic effect, and 75% in

slow-release methylene urea form (Nutralene) (40-0-0). Phosphate was added as triple

superphosphate (0-46-0) and potassium as potassium chloride (0-0-60). The granular fertilizers

were incorporated at the beginning of the experiments.

The greenhouse experiments lasted 4.5 month. Temperatures were held constant at 21 °C and 13

°C (day:night) under 16 h light and 8 h dark. Plants were watered, every other day. Tree diameter

and height were measured at the beginning and end of the experiments. At the end of

experiments, the dry mass of the aerial parts was weighed. The 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th leaves from

the apex were also sub-sampled and weighed to determine leaf dry weight.

Leaf Analyses

Leaf samples from different repetitions were grouped to obtain three composite samples, i.e.,

repetitions 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and, 5 and 6. Leaf samples were dried at 60 °C for 48 h and digested

in a mix H2SO4-Se (Isaac and Johnson, 1976), using 0.1 g of leaves in a final volume of 100 mL.

The concentration in P, K, Ca and Mg was made by AAS. Nitrogen content was measured by dry

combustion (CNS-1000 Leco; Michigan, USA).

Data Analyses

Control treatments without DPS were used to evaluate upper and low growth limits for each

species, based on the type of supplemental fertilization (P or N). The nutritional profile point at

which minimal sustained growth occurred was retain as a point of reference to determine the

lower rates of P or N required by substrate amended with DPS to sustain growth.

The test statistics for these factorial designs involved the use of multivariate analysis of variance,

MANOVA (Morrison, 1976). Firstly, the principal component analysis reduced the number of

growth parameters (i.e., shoot dry mass, height and diameter increments) into one “growth

factor” (Morrison, 1976), that consolidated several growth terms into one excellent factor.

Secondly, this growth factor was then used to perform the Wilk’s statistic to compare different

treatments, using contrast comparisons. Since only the 0% DPS treatment had comparable

fertilization treatment to that of the 20% DPS in clay substrate or the 10% DPS in sand substrate,

these treatments were compared together. Then, the other treatments were compared with them.

Finally, the relationship between the “growth factor” (i.e., aerial dry mass, height and diameter

increments, and leaf dry weight) and nutritional status was established by correlation analyses.

All these analyses were performed with SAS (SAS, 1990).

RESULTS

Substrate Evolution

Initially, DPS amendment increased the pH of the clay substrate but, after 4.5 months, the pH

remained stable or decreased slightly (Table 3). In contrast, DPS amendments to the sand

substrate lowered pH. Supplemental P did not alter substrate pH. Supplemental N slightly

decreased substrate pH but after 4.5 months, the pH remains stable or marginally lower. Initially,

soil E.C. increased after DPS addition to the clay substrate, but was slightly lower in sand

substrate (Table 3). After 4.5 months, supplemental P did not alter substrate E.C., while

supplemental N increased E.C.

Growth and Nutritional Status of Alder.

Clay substrate

Alder growth evolved differently in the presence of 20 to 80% DPS, and in the presence of P

fertilization (Table 4, Figure 1). When DPS was added to clay at more than 20%, a decrease in

growth was noted in the absence of supplemental P. However, the rate of supplemental P

sometimes resulted in greater growth compared to the control (Interaction DPS* P: P< 0.01;

Table 4). Growth decreased from 20 to 40% DPS treatments, but increased from 40 to 60% DPS

treatments, and again decreased from 60 to 80% DPS treatments. Nevertheless, growth increased

linearly with increased P fertilization (Interaction DPS 20 to 80% C* PL: P< 0.01). The 60%

DPS combined with 0.75 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) and, 40 and 60% DPS treatments combined with

1.5 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) helped the plants reach maximal growth in clay (Table 4; Figure 1).

There was a linear increase in the growth factor with increasing leaf N content (R2= 0.71 P<

0.0001; Figure 2), and leaf N increased with P fertilization. Other nutritional elements were not

linked to the growth factor. On average, leaf P (1.4 g P kg-1), K (9.5 g K kg-1), Ca (13 g Ca kg-1)

and Mg (3.5 g Mg kg-1) content were not affected by the addition of DPS and supplemental P

fertilization.

Sand substrate

On average, the growth of alder increased with supplemental P, reached a maximum and then

decreased, regardless of the rate of DPS (DPS: NS; PQ: P< 0.01; Table 4, Figure 3).

Supplemental P supported the growth of alder at both DPS rates, but growth was highest at 0.75 g

P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) (Table 4).

There was a linear increase of the growth factor with increasing leaf N content (R2= 0.31 P<

0.01; Figure 4), and the increased in leaf N content was correlated to an increase in supplemental

P fertilization. However, there was a linear decrease of the growth factor with increasing leaf K

(R2=-0.73 P< 0.0001; Figure 4). Leaf K content was found to be more important in the 0% DPS

treatment. In general, the other nutritional elements were not directly linked to differences in

growth. Leaf P, K, Ca and Mg were not affected by the addition of DPS and P fertilization, with

average contents of 1.2, 15, 16 and 3.0 g kg-1, respectively.

Growth and Nutritional Status of Aspen

Clay substrate

The addition of DPS to clay soil resulted in a decrease in aspen growth, but the rate of

supplemental N sometimes overcame the negative impact of growth (Interaction DPS* N: P<

0.01; Table 5; Figure 5). Comparing 0 and 20% DPS treatments, growth decreased with the

addition of DPS, but increased with N fertilization (Interaction DPS 0 vs. 20% * NL: P< 0.05;

Table 5; Figure 5). For 20 to 80% DPS, plant growth was affected by DPS rate and by nitrogen

(Interaction DPS 20 to 80% Q * NC: P< 0.01; Table 5; Figure 5). Thus, growth increased with N

fertilization and a minimum of 10 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.) was necessary to reach minimal growth

observed in the absence of DPS (Table 5; Figure 5). Conversely, at 80% DPS, maximal growth

was found under 5 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.), but decreased with increasing N from 10 and 15 g N kg-1

DPS (d.w.). However, no DPS treatments allowed a plant growth similar to the control treatments

(Table 5; Figure 5).

There was a linear increase in the growth factor with increasing leaf N content (R2= 0.81 P<

0.0001; Figure 6). Leaf N content increased with increasing N fertilization for all treatments,

except 80% DPS. A linear increase in the growth factor was also observed with increasing leaf K

content (R2= 0.47 P< 0.001; Figure 6). Leaf K content decreased with increasing substrate DPS.

In contrast, there was a decrease in the growth factor with increasing leaf Mg content (R2=-0.33

P< 0.05; Figure 6), where increasing N fertilization resulted in a concurrent increase in leaf Mg

content. Other nutritional elements were not directly linked to the growth factor. On average,

aspen leaves contained 1.3 g P kg-1, 11 g Ca kg-1 and 4.0 g Mg kg-1.

Sand substrate

For sand substrates, the addition of DPS also caused a decrease in aspen growth, while

supplemental N, usually, resulted in increased growth (Interaction DPS* N: P< 0.01; Table 5,

Figure 7). For 0 and 10% DPS, growth decreased in response to additional DPS, but increased

with N fertilization (Interaction DPS 0 to 10%* NQ: P< 0.05). However, growth was more

reduced at 5 and 10 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.) than at 0 and 15 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.) (Figure 7). At DPS

rates of 10 to 30%, growth increased with DPS rate, but was also influenced by supplemental N

rate (Interaction DPS 10 to 30% L * NQ: P< 0.05). Without supplemental N, growth decreased

with increasing DPS rate. In treatments amended with 5 or 10 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.), growth

increased. Supplemental N at 5 g kg-1 DPS (d.w.) was necessary to reach the minimum growth

observed in the absence of DPS and additional N fertilization (Figure 7). Finally, growth was

unchanged by the addition of 15 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.). However, no treatment amended with DPS

showed plant growth in sand comparable to the control treatments (Table 5; Figure 7).

There was a linear increase in the growth factor with increasing leaf N content (R2= 0.31 P<

0.01; Figure 8), where leaf N content increased with N fertilization. In contrast, the growth factor

decreased linearly with leaf K content (R2=-0.73 P< 0.0001; Figure 8), where leaf K content

increased with N fertilization. In the absence of DPS and additional N, leaf content was 14 g N

kg-1 and 18 g K kg-1, but DPS amendment resulted, on average, in decreased leaf N (11 g N kg-1)

and K content (17 g K kg-1); thereby N was a limiting plant growth. Other nutritional elements

were not linked to growth. On average, aspen leaves contained 1.1 g P kg-1, 12 g Ca kg-1 and 2.9

g Mg kg-1.

DISCUSSION

While the effects of DPS on crops performance and soil properties has been studied for grasses

and legumes, high rates of DPS has not been studied previously for woody species. The present

work showed evidence that high rates of DPS can be used as carbon soil amendment for

restoration purposes. Still, N-fixing woody species should be selected for sustainable restoration

field project to avoid the use of high rates of N.

Growth and Nutritional Status of Alder

In general, alder responded positively to DPS and P amendments. For clay and sand substrates,

our study suggests that a supplemental 0.75 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) to the basal fertilization gives

satisfactory plant growth regardless of the DPS content. Again, this situation was similar to the

one reported by Fierro et al. (1997) who proposed 0.8 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) to avoid negative

effects of DPS on growth and nutrition of N2-fixing legumes such as Galega and Melilotus. In

addition, this value of 0.75 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) or 96 to 249 kg P ha-1 is still in the limit reported

to sustain good growth and nutrition in alder (Gosz et al., 1973; Rustad and Cronan, 1988;

Tisdale et al., 1993).

Leaf N content in alder is optimal at 22 to 25 g kg-1 while leaf P content is optimal at 1.2 g kg-1

(Prégent and Camiré, 1985). N deficiency in some plants not receiving additional P likely

resulted from a lack of P. Phosphorus fertilization generally improved leaf N status. Indeed,

Prégent and Camiré (1985) identified P as the major element affecting N status of Alder crispa

and A. glutinosa. In sand substrates, leaf K was higher (10 to 20 g kg-1) than previously reported

values of 6.9 to 8.5 g kg-1 (Camiré et al., 1983; Prégent et al., 1987). This leaf K level did not

appear to damage plants, but may result in some nutrient antagonisms.

Growth and Nutritional Status of the Aspen

This study determined that N fertilization was required in order to obtain satisfactory aspen

growth in DPS amended clay or sandy soils. In general, for clay, a minimum of 10 g N kg-1 DPS

(d.w.) or 555 to 2235 kg N ha-1 were required for amendments up to 60% DPS; while for sandy

substrates 10 to 15 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.) or 315 to 1155 kg N ha-1 were required regardless of the

percentage of DPS. In both cases, the C:N ratio need to be reduce below 36 for satisfactory

growth. This study indicates that supplemental fertilizations from 10 to 15 g N kg-1 is required to

insure best plants growth (Campbell et al., 1995; Dolar et al., 1972; Henry, 1991). It is also

similar to the 9 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.) required for the highest production of grasses, such as

Agropyron, Alopecurus and Festuca (Fierro et al., 1997), but higher than the 2.5 to 5.0 g N kg-1

or up to 2000 kg N ha-1 of wood residue for good grass production (Schuman, 1999). The nature

and the speed of decomposition of the wood residue could explain these differences.

In addition, supplemental N was also important for nutritional status. Thus, for clay and sand

substrates, it was necessary to add at least 10 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.). For aspen, Bernier (1984)

suggested that N leaf contents of less than 20 g N kg-1 resulted in N deficiency. Also, nutritional

deficiencies appeared in aspen when leaf contents were below 2.5 to 3.0 g kg-1 for P, 15 to 20 g

kg-1 for K, 6 to 10 g kg-1 for Ca and 1.7 to 2.0 for Mg (Bonneau, 1988). In general, when DPS

was added to soil without supplemental N, leaf N, P or K content was outside acceptable limits

for growth underscoring the importance of supplemental fertilization.

It is possible that plant nutrient immobilization is the principal limitation in DPS as an organic

amendment for most plant species (Fierro et al., 2000). Other possibilities, such as higher

substrate pH and salt concentrations could explain poor plant growth (Campbell et al., 1995;

Dolar et al., 1972). After 4.5 months, experiments showed little variation in pH and E.C.

However, for aspen in clay substrate amended with 80% DPS and 15 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.) or 2955

kg N ha-1, plants dropped their leaves at the beginning of these experiments. This leaf drop may

be attributable to ammonia volatilization (NH3) or N toxicity (Tisdale et al., 1993). In our

experiments, the alkaline pH of the substrates coupled with the mild temperatures and greenhouse

ventilation may have contributed to ammonia volatilization. With the rate of supplemental

fertilization being based on the rate of incorporated DPS, the amount of supplemental N

increased with an increased rate of DPS. It is therefore possible that N applied to the substrates

comprising 80% DPS reached a toxicity threshold in NH4+ in addition to favoring the release of

ammonia, particularly in the beginning of the experiment. This was not observed in sand

substrates, because rates of supplemental N were lower. Nevertheless, high rates of N should not

be considered for further experimentation.

CONCLUSION

Fresh organic matter, as DPS, in degraded soils can improve the growth of woody species when

supplemented with the appropriate fertilizers. Alder appears the most suitable candidate species

for sustainable restoration since it does not require supplemental N fertilization. Still, the addition

of 0.75 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) is required to obtain satisfactory growth and adequate leaf N content

in the presence of DPS. Aspen may be used for restoration of degraded soils, but it requires

supplemental fertilization of 10 to 15 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.; 315 to 2235 kg N ha-1 DPS (d.w.)), or

to reduce the C:N ratio at 38 to 26, to obtain satisfactory growth and adequate leaf nutrient

content. Also, to allow aspen growth, a maximum of 60% DPS should be incorporated into clay

substrates. So, for further restoration studies, the total amount of N to be used should be

considered, and the high rates of N should not be considered for further experimentation. The

results from these studies provide useful information for developing sustainable restoration

strategies using single heavy application of organic matter, but the woody species and the amount

of DPS amended to soils need to be considered to sustain plant growth and nutrition and to limit

the amount of N applied to the environment.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thank “Les Composts du Quebec Inc.”, for their financial support and help in

supplying the sand substrate. Thanks are given to “Daishowa Inc.” (now Stadacona) for

supplying de-inking paper sludge and clay substrates. Thanks are also extended to the “Fonds

pour la formation de chercheurs et l’aide to la recherche (FCAR)”, scholarship to P. Filiatrault.

Ongoing greehouse assistance was provided by Jean Goulet. Finally, the authors thank Lise

Beauséjour, Marc-Antoine Drouin and Jean Martin for their assistance in the laboratory.

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Table 1. Chemical and physical properties of substrate components.

Variable De-inking Paper Sludge

Clay Sand Detection Limit

Mean Standard Error

Mean Standard Error

Mean Standard Error

pH 8.44 0.10 7.13 0.08 7.98 0.02 N. A.a Electrical Conductivity (mmho cm-1)

0.49 0.03 0.39 0.06 0.50 0.05 0.01

Bulk Density (g cm-3) 0.20 0.00 0.73 0.02 1.43 0.02 N. A. Total Organic Mater (mg kg-1) 777000 3000 105000 1000 8000 0 N. A. Carbon (C) (mg kg-1) 383000 2600 53600 1600 5200 700 200 Total N (mg kg-1) 1600 200 800 200 < 500 100 500 C/N ratio 246.4 32.6 19.4 1.3 24.3 8.0 N. A. N-NO3- (mg kg-1) N. D.a N. A. 22.1 0.7 N. D. N. A. 0.5 N-NH4+ (mg kg-1) 3.0 0.8 1.9 0.1 0.5 0.0 0.5 Total P (mg kg-1) 107.7 8.0 1391.6 41.2 433.9 6.3 1.0 C/P ratio 3556 231 38.5 0.2 12.0 1.4 N. A. Available P (mg kg-1) 38.2 3.9 85.8 9.8 10.3 0.8 0.4 Total K total (mg kg-1) 183.0 57.3 4646.0 39.8 1811.3 414.0 1.5 Exchangeable K (mg kg-1) 58.9 2.1 264.8 0.6 25.4 1.3 0.6 Total Ca (mg kg-1) 10710.0 1196.7 9585.0 161.3 10611.3 649.2 5.0 Exchangeable Ca (mg kg-1) 7600.6 73.4 3342.2 86.9 4035.2 453.3 2.0 Total Mg (mg kg-1) 742.0 84.6 8530.0 75.5 1855.3 23.3 0.5 Exchangeable Mg (mg kg-1) 310.6 2.0 547.2 17.8 80.5 4.6 0.2 Total Fe (mg kg-1) 1293.0 287.6 27841.7 316.6 12006.7 76.4 2.5 Total Zn (mg kg-1) 25.3 0.6 273.9 1.6 16.1 0.7 1.3 Total Cu (mg kg-1) 103.9 3.0 80.9 1.9 10.9 2.8 2.5 Total Al (mg kg-1) 19789.0 835.8 21942.5 973.1 6759.2 129.1 50.0 a: N. D.: Not Detected; N. A.: None Applicable.

Table 2. Total phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) application rates used in the clay and sand

substrates at various DPS rates.

Substrate and DPS Rate

0 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.)

C:P = 3556

0.75 g P kg-1 DPS

(d.w.) C:P = 510

1.5 g P kg-1 DPS

(d.w.) C:P = 255

0 g N kg-1 DPS

(d.w.) C:N = 246

5 g N kg-1 DPS

(d.w.) C:N = 77

10 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.)

C:N = 38

15 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.)

C:N = 26

Clay substrate

Including the basal fertilization of 60 kg P ha-1 and P content of DPS

(kg P ha-1)

Including the basal fertilization of 75 kg N ha-1 and N content of DPS

(kg N ha-1)

0% DPS 60 96 132 75 315 555 795 20% DPS 60 96 132 75 315 555 795 40% DPS 60 132 204 75 555 1035 1515 60% DPS 60 168 276 75 795 1515 2235 80% DPS 60 204 348 75 1035 1995 2955 Sand Substrate

Including the basal fertilization of 195 kg P ha-1 and P content of

DPS (kg P ha-1)

Including the basal fertilization of 75 kg N ha-1 and N content of DPS

(kg N ha-1)

0% DPS 195 213 231 75 195 315 435 10% DPS 195 213 231 75 195 315 435 20% DPS 195 231 267 75 315 555 795 30% DPS 195 249 303 75 435 795 1155

Table 3. Initial and final pH and electrical conductivity (EC; mmho cm-1) of the substrates

supplemented with 0 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.), 15 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.) or 1.5 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.).

Substrate Initial (0 month) Final (4.5 months) and DPS Rate

0 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.)

0 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.)

0 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.)

1.5 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.)

15 g N kg-1 DPS (d.w.)

pH EC pH EC pH EC pH EC pH EC Clay substrate

0 7.52 0.28 7.23 0.15 7.37 0.25 7.37 0.25 7.35 0.56 20 7.73 0.22 7.59 0.19 7.39 0.30 7.34 0.30 7.40 0.44 40 8.03 0.10 7.86 0.03 7.79 1.01 7.71 0.34 7.37 1.30 60 8.11 0.12 8.10 0.03 7.93 0.41 7.98 0.46 7.80 0.68 80 8.34 0.05 8.29 0.02 8.16 0.44 7.56 0.68 7.45 1.67

Sand Substrate 0 8.75 0.28 8.68 0.18 8.67 0.15 8.56 0.12 8.50 0.31 10 8.65 0.19 8.55 0.18 8.49 0.14 8.38 0.16 8.59 0.23 20 8.67 0.22 8.55 0.23 8.42 0.16 8.26 0.17 8.42 0.30 30 8.66 0.21 8.46 0.20 8.57 0.14 8.19 0.16 8.31 0.32 Mean of triplicate analyses

Table 4. Plant growth increments of alder in clay and sand substrates amended with de-inking

paper sludge (DPS) and phosphorus (P).

Treatment Clay Sand DPS rate (%)

P rate (g P kg

-1 DPS

(d.w.))

Shoot dry weight (g)

Height increment (mm)

Stem diameter increment (mm)

Shoot dry weight (g)

Height increment (mm)

Stem diameter increment (mm)

0z - 12.41 517.3 4.4 6.48 244.8 3.0 10 - - - - 9.21 344.5 3.3 20 - 12.18 494.1 5.0 9.19 389.7 3.2 30 - - - - 10.68 359.2 3.6 40 - 10.64 366.9 3.5 - - - 60 - 16.70 564.5 4.9 - - - 80 - 11.94 342.7 3.8 - - - - 0y 8.28 356.0 3.3 6.93 296.6 2.4 - 0.75 13.42 470.2 4.8 10.63 369.8 4.0 - 1.50 16.55 544.7 4.8 9.14 341.7 3.3 0 0 10.97x 489.5 3.8 4.66 257.3 1.9 0 0.75 11.70 486.5 4.4 7.41 251.5 3.7 0 1.50 14.56 576.0 4.9 6.78 229.8 2.9 10 0 - - - 7.83 297.8 2.4 10 0.75 - - - 11.86 430.3 4.2 10 1.50 - - - 7.92 305.3 3.2 20 0 10.14 422.5 4.8 5.86 269.2 2.2 20 0.75 12.79 565.8 5.3 12.13 479.8 4.6 20 1.50 13.61 493.8 5.0 9.58 420.2 2.8 30 0 - - - 8.62 349.0 3.1 30 0.75 - - - 11.12 317.3 3.4 30 1.50 - - - 12.30 411.3 4.2 40 0 3.76 155.6 1.3 - - - 40 0.75 10.50 325.2 3.8 - - - 40 1.50 16.51 584.7 5.1 - - - 60 0 9.81 451.7 3.5 - - - 60 0.75 17.50 558.7 6.1 - - - 60 1.50 22.79 683.2 5.1 - - - 80 0 5.95 227.5 2.6 - - - 80 0.75 14.61 414.7 4.6 - - - 80 1.50 15.26 386.0 4.0 - - - zOverall N means at a given rate of DPS.

yOverall DPS means at a given N rate. xBolded data represented the minimal and maximal observed values for the treatments without DPS.

Table 5. Plant growth increments of aspen in clay and sand substrates amended with de-inking

paper sludge (DPS) and nitrogen (N).

Treatment Clay Sand DPS rate (%)

N rate (g N kg

-1 DPS

(sec))

Shoot dry weight (g)

Height increment (mm)

Stem diameter increment (mm)

Shoot dry weight (g)

Height increment (mm)

Stem diameter increment (mm)

0z - 16.43 295.1 1.9 11.07 240.3 1.5 10 - - - - 8.63 142.0 1.0 20 - 9.58 163.0 1.1 8.70 150.2 1.2 30 - - - - 8.30 195.9 1.1 40 - 9.30 159.7 1.0 - - - 60 - 9.33 176.1 0.9 - - - 80 - 6.74 151.4 0.7 - - - - 0y 7.10 74.0 0.8 5.05 49.2 0.5 - 5 9.73 169.2 1.0 7.36 136.3 0.9 - 10 11.81 238.9 1.1 11.30 254.0 1.6 - 15 12.79 282.1 1.7 12.96 286.5 1.7 0 0 11.26x 229.5 1.5 5.45 108.7 0.7 0 5 14.20 292.7 1.9 10.22 231.5 1.7 0 10 17.47 296.2 1.7 14.07 300.7 2.0 0 15 22.81 362.0 2.6 14.57 320.3 1.6 10 0 - - - 5.52 38.3 0.4 10 5 - - - 5.92 87.7 0.6 10 10 - - - 9.32 196.0 1.1 10 15 - - - 13.74 246.0 1.7 20 0 6.64 47.7 0.7 4.90 33.5 0.4 20 5 8.15 120.3 0.6 6.31 84.2 0.7 20 10 10.23 191.2 1.2 10.60 218.0 1.9 20 15 13.30 292.8 2.1 13.00 265.0 1.7 30 0 - - - 4.33 16.2 0.3 30 5 - - - 6.93 143.0 0.7 30 10 - - - 11.19 301.2 1.4 30 15 - - - 10.54 314.5 2.0 40 0 5.37 16.3 0.5 - - - 40 5 7.47 86.7 0.6 - - - 40 10 12.48 236.7 1.1 - - - 40 15 11.88 299.2 1.7 - - - 60 0 7.14 43.8 0.7 - - - 60 5 8.32 114.0 0.9 - - - 60 10 12.68 260.3 0.8 - - - 60 15 9.17 308.4 1.2 - - - 80 0 5.10 32.5 0.3 - - -

80 5 10.50 232.2 1.2 - - - 80 10 6.20 210.2 0.7 - - - 80 15 4.87 126.8 0.4 - - - zOverall N means at a given rate of DPS. yOverall DPS means at a given N rate. xBolded data represented the minimal and maximal observed values for the treatments without DPS.

FIGURES LEGEND

Figure 1. Multivariate relationship between alder growth factor and the rate of DPS in a clay

substrate supplemented with phosphorus. The dashed line represents the minimal growth.

According to P fertilization, the regression equations were : 0 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) : FC = 0.0798 -

0.0131 RPD, r2 = 0.19 p ≤ 0.05 ; 0.75 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) : FC = 0.3865 + 0.0039, r2 = 0.02NS ;

1.5 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) : FC = 0.6092 + 0.0304 RPD - 0.0004 RPD2, r2 = 0.13NS.

Figure

2. Relationship between the alder growth factor and leaf N content in a clay substrate amended

with increasing rates of DPS and phosphorus. The line represents minimal leaf content required

to avoid plant deficiency.

Figure 3. Multivariate relationship between the alder growth factor and the rate of DPS in a sand

substrate supplemented with phosphorus. The dashed line represents the minimal growth.

According to P fertilization, the regression equations were: 0 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) : FC = -1.1912

+ 0.0200 RPD, r2 = 0.08 NS ; 0.75 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) : FC = -0.6207 + 0.1239 RPD - 0.0037

RPD2, r2 = 0.21 p ≤ 0.08 ; 1.5 g P kg-1 DPS (d.w.) : FC = -0.9221 + 0.0342 RPD, r2 = 0.23* p ≤

0.05.

Figure

4. Relationship between alder growth factor and leaf N content in a sand substrate amended with

increasing rates of DPS and phosphorus. The line represents the minimal leaf content required to

avoid plant deficiency, whereas the dashed line represents the maximal leaf content to avoid plant

toxicity.

Figure 5. Multivariate relationship between the aspen growth factor and the rate of DPS in a clay

substrate supplemented with N. The dashed line represents the minimal growth factor. According

to N fertilization, the regression equations were : 0 g N kg-1 (d.w.) : FC = 0.2896 - 0.0554 RPD +

0.0005 RPD2, r2 = 0.75 p ≤ 0.001 ; 5 g N kg-1 (d.w.) : FC = 0.9418 + 0.0837 RPD + 0.0010 RPD2,

r2 = 0.80 p ≤ 0.001 ; 10 g N kg-1 (d.w.) : FC = 0.9352 + 0.0158 RPD, r2 = 0.39 p ≤ 0.001 ; 15 g N

kg-1 (d.w.) : FC = 2.2070 + 0.0368 RPD, r2 = 0.77 p ≤ 0.001.

Figure 6. Relationship between the aspen growth factor and leaf N content in a clay substrate

amended with increasing rates of DPS and N. The line represents the minimal leaf content

required to avoid plant deficiency.

Figure 7. Multivariate relationship between the aspen growth factor and the rate of DPS in a sand

substrate supplemented with N. The dashed line represents the minimal growth factor. According

to N fertilization, the regression equations were : 0 g N kg-1 (d.w.) : FC = -0.9044 - 0.0180 RPD,

r2 = 0.40 p ≤ 0.001 ; 5 g N kg-1 (d.w.) : FC = 0.3922 - 0.1506 RPD + 0.0040 RPD2, r2 = 0.80 p ≤

0.001 ; 10 g N kg-1 (d.w.) : FC = 1,0326 - 0.1029 RPD + 0.0030 RPD2, r2 = 0.30 p ≤ 0.001 ; 15 g

N kg-1 (d.w.) : FC = 0.9427 - 0.0040 RPD, r2 = 0.01NS

Figure 8. Relationship between the aspen growth factor and leaf N content in a sand substrate

amended with increasing rates of DPS and N. The line represents the minimal leaf content

required to avoid plant deficiency.