Vinasse as a fertilizer and soil amendment BSTA Annual Conference Meeting Feb. 6, 2015 Barbados Vinasse as a fertilizer and soil amendment Cesar A. Guerrero, Eng Mount Gay Dist. - Consultant

!Thinking out of the box! Think about it: An scenario of sugarcane production on small and medium farms and their importance for the country Basic review of low cost of cane production and the sustainability of the industry Rum distillation and Vinasse - Problem or solution? Positive and negative aspects of vinasse Less use of synthetic fertilizers Improving cane yield and soil condition Write the problem with vinasse and discuss solution I will present a case study where the calculations will be necessary

Origen of Molasses? The cane is harvested, transported and crushed The juice is boiled to concentrate it, promoting sugar crystallization Cane syrup or first syrup has the highest sugar content Molasses is created with the second boiling and sugar extraction. Use to be a pollutant till uses were found (alcohol distilleries, ruminant feed, etc.) Short column is smaller so there is less room for water to sep. vs tall column

Origen of Vinasse? Vinasse is a product of distillation of the beer (fermented Molasses-cane juice) for alcohol production. Is an aqueous effluent with suspended solids It is largely composed of water, organic matter and minerals elements. Vinasse can be a valuable organic fertilizer (mostly replacing potassium), as well as an important source of water replacement on the soil. Accordingly, it has been used by the sugarcane industry for fertirrigation, giving back to the soil nutrients that sugarcane extracts from it as it grows and matures. If not properly handled; could be an environmental pollutant In leading alcohol (ethanol) producing countries: vinasse is considered a nutrient source not a waste or residue, but a valuable source of nutrients. Basic review of cachaça production and potential for ethanol production from the head and tail

Types of distilleries by products: vinasses, dunder, stillage, slops, biol… All kind of feedstuff for alcohol distillation generate vinasses: From cane juice and from molasses From corn From sweet sorghum From sugar beet Rice From other species of Saccharum Liquid of bio-digesters

Vinasse: alternatives for use It’s been used as: A source for animal feed (cattle, chickens, swine) Organic fertilizer (along with filter cake) Power generation (uses of bio-digesters or anaerobic digester. Result: methane and organic fertilizer ) Conventional fertilizer (addition of synthetic fertilizers)

Brasil:Vinasse Typical Analysis Tell why I want to transform head and tail, we don’t drink it because it is bad for our health

Mexico: typical analysis Distillery generate 210,000 cubic mt/year. Use of 150 and 250 cubit meter/Ha. Chiapas, Mexico, 2008.

Dominican Republic: typical vinasse analysis from molasses unit Results pH 4.32 TSS (Total Suspended solids) mg/L 40,000 TS (Total Solids) 55,300 Density Kg/L .99 Organic matter 52,100 P2O5 2,000 K2O 6,120 Total Nitrogen 12,100 Calcium (Ca) 1,860 Magnesium (Mg) 680 Iron (Fe) 34.7 Zinc (Zn) 11.355.7 COD (Chemical Oxigen Demand) 41,021 BOD (Biological Oxigen Demand) 1,493 Dominican Republic: typical vinasse analysis from molasses

Barbados: typical analysis

Vinasse: Benefit as Fertilizer Rich in potassium, sulfur, nitrogen and organic matter --- improves soil chemical and physical quality Improves CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) and as a result soil fertility. Profitable, since it reduces the demand for inorganic fertilizers Improves biological properties (accelerate biological decomposition or residues in the field) Replaces most of the nutrient the crop removes from the soil. In 1986: no soil contamination of nitrates where found up to 1 mt deep in soils that had received vinasse.(Brazil) Studies in 1996 show no influence of NO3, NH4 and other N compound in soil profile when vinasse was applied. (Brazil)

Sugarcane nutrient removal (lb/Ac) Yield Nitrogen Phosphorus (P2O5) Potassium (K2O) Sulfur (S) 100 ton 160 90 335 54 Bagasse 200 66 265 32 Total 360 156 610 86 Source: International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI)

Vinasse application and nutritional levels Vinasse Rate and Nutrient Contribution to Soil Barbados's Proposal Scenario A 2.471 A/Ha Vinasse rate 20,000 lt/Ha 8,094.000 lt/Ac 5,284.02 gal/Ha Analysis Range % rate ammount (Kg) Rate Kg/Ac Solids 8.5% 1,700   688 Organic solids 0.035 0.07 700 1,400 283 567 Nitrogen 0.08% 0.1% 16 20 6 8 Phosphorous 0.01% 0.03% 3 5 1 2 Potasium 0.50% 0.75% 100 150 40 61 Calcium 0.15% 0.20% 30 12 Magnesium 0.18% 36 15

Considerations before any application program Information about the soil, water bodies, vinasse and the environment is necessary: Complete evaluation of soil (Organic Matter, N, P2O5, K2O, Sulphur, Ca, Mg, Micros, pH, ICC, etc.) Slopes % Water analysis (more or less as soils analysis) Location and distance of water bodies or wells Climatic characteristics Deep of water level or aquifer in the confined area

Vinasse lagoons with geo-membranes Speak a little

Dominican Rep. Experience: sprinkler irrigation with gun

Reel applying vinasse to sugarcane fields

Note the amount of cane trash on top of the soil Note the amount of cane trash on top of the soil. Microbiological activity for its decomposition is promote by vinasse application.

Traveler apply average of 5 Ha (12.4 Acre)/ 5-6 h/day Estimated Volume of application 150 cubic mt/ Ha (150,000 lt/Ha) Nitrogen injected as liquid Urea at 40 kg /Ha (86 kg/Ha Urea) or 35 kg/Ac Urea The crop not only benefit from the nutrients provided by vinasse but the water supply during dry season.

Barbados :Equipment and Program - Proposal Tank Capacity 4,500 gal (17,000 lt) Requirements: -150-175 tractor with hydraulic PTO (power take-off) shaft -Must be articulated Advantages: -more control over vinasse rate application -application will located vinasse app on sugarcane rows -avoid sprinkler application -variable rates -application range varies from 0-45 days after harvest Yield: -variable volume:10-50 gal/min x nozzle(111-570 lt/ min) -0.9 Ha/ hour (2.2 Ac/hour)

Conclusions Fact: All man kind activity and industrial process generate by products. The value of by products and its disposal depends on the impact to the environment and its concentrations of valuable and reusable material. Vinasse: the result of the process to obtain alcohol from sugarcane (juice and molasses) has proven to be a valuable product. Europe, USA, Central America, Caribbean and South America are currently using vinasse to replace nutrients required by the crop. The application of vinasse and filter mud has increase yield and improving the sustainability of the sugarcane industry in many countries. Reduction on the use of mineral fertilizers has positively impacted the cost of production. Organic certification of vinasse application is promoting organic sugarcane in various countries. Various methods of application could be implemented to deliver vinasse to sugarcane fields.

!Thanks for your kind attention!!! Questions? Thank you very much for your attention