Role of organic fractions on C decomposition and N mineralization of animal wastes in soil

The relative contributions of water-soluble, water-non-soluble, Van Soest-soluble, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) fractions of pig slurry (PS), cattle slurry (CS), cattle farmyard manure (FYM), and composted cattle farmyard manure (CFYM) to the overall C and N mineralization of the raw wastes were studied by incubating treated soil for 107 days at 15°C under non-limiting N conditions. The C or N mineralization of soluble fractions was calculated from the difference between C or N mineralization of the raw and non-soluble fractions. The organic N content of raw wastes ranged from 15 to 32 mg N g−1 dry matter and organic C to organic N ratio from 13 to 29. The water-soluble fraction (SOLW) was close to 100 mg C g−1 raw waste C for CS, FYM, and CFYM but reached 200 mg C g−1 for PS. The Van Soest-soluble fraction (SOLVS) was the main fraction for PS, CS, and CFYM (>500 mg C g−1 raw waste C) but only 303 mg C g−1 raw waste C for FYM. Both soluble and non-soluble fractions contributed to C decomposition of slurries, with half to more than half of the decomposed C derived from the degradation of soluble compounds. Most of the C decomposed from FYM was derived from the large NDF fraction, but the contribution from the water-soluble C to the decomposition was also significant. Carbon mineralization of CFYM was due to the degradation of the NDF fraction, whereas soluble C did not contribute. Amounts of N mineralized or immobilized by raw wastes and non-soluble fractions at the end of incubation were significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with their organic C to organic N ratio. The contribution of the Van Soest-soluble fraction to N mineralization varied greatly between the four wastes. Finally, large differences in the C degradability and N availability of the water and Van Soest-soluble fractions were demonstrated.