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Agriculture
Volume 15
Issue 14
10.3390/agriculture15141543
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Evaluation of Olive Mill Waste Compost as a Sustainable Alternative to Conventional Fertilizers in Wheat Cultivation

by
Ana García-Rández
,
Silvia Sánchez Méndez
,
Luciano Orden
*,
Francisco Javier Andreu-Rodríguez
,
Miguel Ángel Mira-Urios
,
José A. Sáez-Tovar
,
Encarnación Martínez-Sabater
,
María Ángeles Bustamante
,
María Dolores Pérez-Murcia
and
Raúl Moral
Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Universidad Miguel Hernández, Carretera de Beniel Km 3.2, Orihuela, 03312 Alicante, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agriculture 2025, 15(14), 1543; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15141543 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 30 May 2025 / Revised: 15 July 2025 / Accepted: 16 July 2025 / Published: 17 July 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fertilizer Management Strategies for Enhancing the Growth, Yield and Quality in Crops)
Versions Notes

Abstract

This study evaluates the agronomic and environmental performance of pelletized compost derived from olive mill waste as a sustainable alternative to mineral fertilizers for cultivating wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) under conventional tillage methods. A field experiment was conducted in semi-arid Spain, employing three fertilization strategies: inorganic (MAP + Urea), sewage sludge (SS), and organic compost pellets (OCP), each providing 150 kg N ha−1. The parameters analyzed included wheat yield, grain quality, soil properties, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Inorganic fertilization yielded the highest productivity and nutrient uptake. However, the OCP treatment reduced grain yield by only 15%, while improving soil microbial activity and enzymatic responses. The SS and OCP treatments showed increased CO2 and N2O emissions compared to the control and inorganic plots. However, the OCP treatment also acted as a CH4 sink. Nutrient use efficiency was greatest under mineral fertilization, though the OCP treatment outperformed the SS treatment. These results highlight the potential of OCP as a circular bio-based fertilizer that can enhance soil function and partially replace mineral inputs. Optimizing application timing is critical to aligning nutrient release with crop demand. Further long-term trials are necessary to evaluate their impact on the soil and improve environmental outcomes.
Keywords: olive mill waste compost; pelletized fertilizer; wheat yield; nitrogen use efficiency; greenhouse gas emissions olive mill waste compost; pelletized fertilizer; wheat yield; nitrogen use efficiency; greenhouse gas emissions

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

García-Rández, A.; Sánchez Méndez, S.; Orden, L.; Andreu-Rodríguez, F.J.; Mira-Urios, M.Á.; Sáez-Tovar, J.A.; Martínez-Sabater, E.; Bustamante, M.Á.; Pérez-Murcia, M.D.; Moral, R. Evaluation of Olive Mill Waste Compost as a Sustainable Alternative to Conventional Fertilizers in Wheat Cultivation. Agriculture 2025, 15, 1543. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15141543

AMA Style

García-Rández A, Sánchez Méndez S, Orden L, Andreu-Rodríguez FJ, Mira-Urios MÁ, Sáez-Tovar JA, Martínez-Sabater E, Bustamante MÁ, Pérez-Murcia MD, Moral R. Evaluation of Olive Mill Waste Compost as a Sustainable Alternative to Conventional Fertilizers in Wheat Cultivation. Agriculture. 2025; 15(14):1543. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15141543

Chicago/Turabian Style

García-Rández, Ana, Silvia Sánchez Méndez, Luciano Orden, Francisco Javier Andreu-Rodríguez, Miguel Ángel Mira-Urios, José A. Sáez-Tovar, Encarnación Martínez-Sabater, María Ángeles Bustamante, María Dolores Pérez-Murcia, and Raúl Moral. 2025. "Evaluation of Olive Mill Waste Compost as a Sustainable Alternative to Conventional Fertilizers in Wheat Cultivation" Agriculture 15, no. 14: 1543. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15141543

APA Style

García-Rández, A., Sánchez Méndez, S., Orden, L., Andreu-Rodríguez, F. J., Mira-Urios, M. Á., Sáez-Tovar, J. A., Martínez-Sabater, E., Bustamante, M. Á., Pérez-Murcia, M. D., & Moral, R. (2025). Evaluation of Olive Mill Waste Compost as a Sustainable Alternative to Conventional Fertilizers in Wheat Cultivation. Agriculture, 15(14), 1543. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15141543

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