Soil Chemical and Physical Properties from UK Winter Wheat Digestate Trials

Soil physicochemical and biological data were collected from 30 plots across two UK research sites in 2017. The dataset includes measurements for three soil depths (0-15, 15-30, 30-60 cm) from a winter wheat field experiment comparing control plots with those receiving different digestate fertilizers. Data collection was part of the UK-China Virtual Joint Centre for Improved Nitrogen Agronomy project.

Use Cases

• Compare soil properties across three depth layers (0-15, 15-30, 30-60 cm) to analyze nutrient leaching from digestate application.
• Analyze the effect of acidified digestate with nitrification inhibitor DMPP versus standard food-based digestate on soil physicochemical measurements.
• Model relationships between soil properties and microbial community composition data available in a separate linked dataset.

Strengths

• Data from 30 experimental plots organized in a randomized complete block design at two distinct UK sites.
• Includes three specific soil depth intervals (0-15, 15-30, 30-60 cm) for comparative analysis.
• Measurements taken within a defined 2017 sampling period (April to August) relative to digestate application and harvest.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to 15 plots per site, with only 5 replicates per treatment type (control, digestate, ADNI).
• Dataset is temporally static, containing only data from a single year (2017).
• Soil biological data (microbial community, nitrogen genes) is stored in a separate dataset, requiring a join for holistic analysis.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Soil samples collected by staff from CEH Bangor, Bangor University, and Rothamsted Research; measurements carried out at Rothamsted Research Harpenden and CEH Wallingford.

Time Range

April 2017 to August 2017

Freshness

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Geography

United Kingdom: Rothamsted Research at North Wyke, Devon and Bangor University at Henfaes Research Station, North Wales