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356-14 Effects of Organic Amendments on Physical, Chemical, and Biological Soil Health Outcomes in Urban Agriculture

Session: Urban groundwater and geochemistry

Presenting Author:

Victoire Soumano

Authors:

Soumano, Victoire Daniela¹, Badillo, Jackie², Daniels, Alecia ³, Shenoy, Neel⁴, Owyang, Elaine⁵, Godfrey, Jessie ⁶, Garcia, Joshua⁷r> (1) Environmental Systems, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA, (2) Garcia Lab, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA, (3) Agricultural, Health, and Natural Resources, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky, USA, (4) Environmental Systems, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA, (5) Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont, Fremont, CA, USA, (6) University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, Oakland, CA, USA, (7) Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA,

Abstract:

Rising urbanization generates a growing amount of organic waste, the management of which puts a significant strain on municipal budgets and land usage while also contributing to air and water pollution. One strategy for addressing this issue could be to redirect this waste to the production of organic amendments such as biochar and compost, both of which show potential for improving soil health and plant performance across diverse ecosystems. While the soil health benefits of these amendments are well-documented in contexts such as large-scale agricultural production and natural ecosystems, field studies examining their potential benefits in urban agricultural soils are lacking. In this study, we worked with Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont, a small urban farm in Fremont, CA, USA, to evaluate the influence of locally sourced compost and biochar on physical, chemical, and biological soil health outcomes as well as crop productivity through an on-farm field trial. Preliminary data from samples collected three months after the start of our experiment show that the application of compost and biochar increased soil electrical conductivity relative to unamended soils, suggesting a potential increase in available nutrients. Additionally, we found that soils treated with mixed compost and biochar displayed increased microbial biomass carbon relative to unamended soils, suggesting that mixed compost and biochar could be effective in supporting microbial growth and activity in urban soils. We found that amended soils had lower labile carbon compared to unamended soils, which may be a result of microbial carbon consumption. Overall, our data suggest locally sourced organic amendments could alter soil health outcomes in urban agriculture and hold promise for supporting soil health and functioning in urban landscapes.

Effects of Organic Amendments on Physical, Chemical, and Biological Soil Health Outcomes in Urban Agriculture

Description

Session Format: Oral

Presentation Date: 10/14/2026

Presentation Start Time: 05:10 PM

Presentation Room: CCC, 112

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