Effect of Different Organic Amendment Supply on Young Bearing Walnut Trees Nutritional Status and Soil Fertility

Fertilization management is crucial mainly during the walnut training phase in order to obtain good plant formation, which is essential for guaranteeing future optimal yield. The aim of the present experiment was to evaluate the effect of different organic amendments on plant nutritional status and soil fertility in young bearing walnut trees. The experiment was conducted in 2023 and 2024 on walnut trees of the cultivar Chandler grafted on Juglans regia, planted in 2021. Since 2023, plants were yearly treated as follows: 1. non-fertilized control; 2. mineral fertilization; 3. application of municipal solid waste compost; and 4. application of compost from agri-food chain scraps. Soil amendments were supplied at the same rate as mineral fertilizer (120 kg N ha-1) in spring on the tree row on a 1.5 m wide strip, while mineral fertilizer was split in two applications (50% in spring and 50% in summer). Plant growth, measured with trunk diameter and pruning wood weight, was enhanced by mineral fertilization, followed by compost, in comparison to the control. Soil mineral N was too high in relation to plant needs, with a consequent increase in the risk of nitrate leaching. Organic amendments increased soil nutrient availability, microbial activity, and carbon concentration, which, in the long term, could provide a positive environmental effect related to its sequestration into the soil.