NUTRIENT USE EFFICIENCY OF LIQUID FRACTION OF DIGESTATE: A THREE – YEAR FIELD TRIAL Ivona Sigurnjak, C. Vaneeckhaute, E. Michels, B. Ryckaert, J. Vandenbulcke, G. Ghekiere, F.M.G. Tack, E. Meers
OUTLINE PROBLEM OBJECTIVES METHODS RESULTS CONCLUSION
PROBLEM STATEMENT Sutton et al. Our Nutrient World: Global overview on nutrient management (2013)
OBJECTIVES Nitrate Directive (91/676/EC) limits manure application up to maximum of 170 kg N/ha Liquid fraction of digestate (NK-rich) Solid fraction of digestate (P-rich) Separation
OBJECTIVES Synthetic fertilizer LF of digestate LF of digestate Nitrate Directive (91/676/EC) limits manure application up to maximum of 170 kg N/ha Crop N requirements (kg N/ha) 250 Synthetic fertilizer LF of digestate LF of digestate 170 Animal manure Animal manure Digestate
MATERIAL AND METHODS 0,8 ha Location: Wingene, Belgium Area: 0,8 ha In total 8 scenarios including the reference n= 4 replicates 32 plots 4 scenarios with LF of digestate Growing period: April - October Reference: animal manure + synthetic fertilizers: ammonium nitrate (27% N) and patentkali (30% K2O and 10% MgO) 0,8 ha
MATERIAL AND METHODS Mean nutrient values of animal manure, digestate and LF of digestate in a three-year field trial Parameters Animal (pig) manure Digestate LF of digestate DM (%) 4.3 - 10 8.6 - 14 1.6 - 2.5 pH 7.7 - 7.8 8.3 7.4 - 7.8 EC (mS cm-1) 31 - 35 36 34 Ntot (g kg-1 FW) 5.3 - 8.1 4.5 - 4.9 3.6 - 6.3 NH4-N (g kg-1 FW) 3.2 - 5.6 4.5 2.8 – 5.4 P2O5 (g kg-1 FW) 2.4 - 5.4 2.8 - 5.0 0.57 - 1.14 K20 (g kg-1 FW) 2.9 - 4.4 5.4 - 5.5 3.0 - 5.0
MATERIAL AND METHODS Dosage of total N and K2O based on fertilizer analysis and soil advice (225/250 kg N/ha, 80 kg P2O5/ha, 180/250 kg K2O/ha) for the cultivation of maize Sc. Years Mineral Start N Mineral N Animal manure Digestate mixture LF digestate K20 P205 kg N/ha kg K2O/ha kg P2O5/ha 1 2011 25 29 160 78 80 2012 30 125 213 2013 89 2 18 178 228 225 81 3 140 58 33 77 112 121 76 119 186 4 88
MATERIAL AND METHODS Sampling of plant and soil – July, September, October (harvest), November (nitrate residue) Physicochemical analysis PLANT Yield Fresh & dry weight, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S, metals Biogas potential (2011 and 2012) SOIL 0-30 cm: dry weight, organic matter, pH-H2O, pH-KCl , EC, N, NO3-N, NH4-N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S, metals, plant available nutrients 30-60 cm, 60-90 cm: dry weight, organic matter, NO3 -N
Fresh weight (FW) biomass yield (t ha-1) in time RESULTS Fresh weight (FW) biomass yield (t ha-1) in time + SF - SF
Soil NO3-N (kg/ha) residue in time RESULTS Soil NO3-N (kg/ha) residue in time 90 kg NO3-N ha-1 + SF - SF
Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE %) in time RESULTS Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE %) in time + SF - SF - SF
Economic and ecological assessment for 2011 RESULTS Economic and ecological assessment for 2011 Vaneeckhaute, C., et al. Ecological and economic benefits of the application of bio-based mineral fertilizers in modern agriculture. Biomass Bioenergy (2013)
CONCLUSION Liquid fraction of digestate in agriculture can: substitute synthetic NK- fertilizer result in significant economic and ecological benefits ...however, special attention should be given to its nutrient composition due to high dependence of the input streams in the process of anaerobic co-digestion!
THANK YOU FOR THE ATTENTION. QUESTIONS? Department of Applied Analytical and Physical Chemistry Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Applied Ecochemistry Coupure Links 653 B – 9000 Ghent, Belgium Prof. Dr. ir. Erik Meers Erik.Meers@ugent.be Dr. ir. Evi Michels Evi.Michels@ugent.be M.Sc. Ivona Sigurnjak Ivona.Sigurnjak@ugent.be