Articles | Volume 12, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-841-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-841-2026
Original research article
 | 
31 Aug 2026
Original research article |  | 31 Aug 2026

Field application of rice straw–sewage sludge compost in Mediterranean citrus orchards: effects on soil properties, nutrient status and fruit quality

Isabel Rodríguez-Carretero, Rodolfo Canet, Ana Pérez-Piqueres, and Ana Quiñones

Cited articles

Abouziena, H. F., Hafez, O. M., El-Metwally, I. M., Sharma, S. D., and Singh, M.: Comparison of weed suppression and mandarin fruit yield and quality obtained with organic mulches, synthetic mulches, cultivation, and glyphosate, HortScience, 43, 795–799, 2008. 
Aggelides, S. M. and Londra, P. A.: Effects of compost produced from town wastes and sewage sludge on the physical properties of a loamy and a clay soil, Bioresour. Technol., 71, 253–259, 2000. 
Albiach, R.: Estudio de varios índices de actividad biológica del suelo en relación a diferentes aportaciones de enmiendas orgánicas, PhD thesis, Universitat de València, Spain, https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/tesis?codigo=226241 (last access: 24 August 2026), 1997. 
Azim, K., Soudi, B., Boukhari, S., Perissol, C., Roussos, S., and Thami Alami, I.: Composting parameters and compost quality: a literature review, Org. Agricult., 8, 141–158, 2018. 
Bhuyan, M. H. M. B., Sarker, J., Rahman, S., Fujita, M., and Hasanuzzaman, M.: Evaluation of integrated nutrient management for mandarin orange production in hot humid region of Bangladesh, Am. J. Exp. Agricult., 10, 1–10, 2016. 
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Short summary
This study evaluates compost made from rice straw and sewage sludge in Mediterranean citrus orchards. Compost improved some indicators of soil fertility, nutrient availability, and biological activity, while maintaining crop nutritional status. Yield and fruit quality were largely unaffected. These findings support the recycling of organic residues as a strategy to improve soil health and promote more sustainable citrus production.
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