Recycling of biogas digestates in plant production: NPK fertilizer value and risk of leaching
Abstract Purpose The main purposes of the study were to assess the NPK fertilizer value of biogas digestates in different soils and to evaluate the risk of unwanted nutrient leaching. Methods The fertilizer value of digestates from anaerobic digesters was investigated in a greenhouse pot experiment...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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OICC Press
2018-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40093-017-0188-0 |
| _version_ | 1826905087013814272 |
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| author | Trine A. Sogn Ivan Dragicevic Roar Linjordet Tore Krogstad Vincent G. H. Eijsink Susanne Eich-Greatorex |
| author_facet | Trine A. Sogn Ivan Dragicevic Roar Linjordet Tore Krogstad Vincent G. H. Eijsink Susanne Eich-Greatorex |
| author_sort | Trine A. Sogn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Purpose The main purposes of the study were to assess the NPK fertilizer value of biogas digestates in different soils and to evaluate the risk of unwanted nutrient leaching. Methods The fertilizer value of digestates from anaerobic digesters was investigated in a greenhouse pot experiment with wheat in three different soils; silt, loam and sand. The digestates were based on different feedstock and had a low, dry matter content. The fertilizing effect of digestates was compared to mineral fertilizer and manure. To investigate the fate of excess nutrients in soil after the growing season, the pots were leached after harvest. A complementary soil column leaching experiment without plants was carried out in the laboratory. Results The concentration of ammonium in digestates provided a good indicator of the nitrogen fertilizer value of the digestates. In the silt and loam, the ammonium N fraction in digestates had a fertilizer replacement value equal to that of mineral fertilizer N, whereas the replacement value was higher in the nutrient poor sandy soil. Digestates often have a ratio between nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which is not favourable for plant growth. However, the suboptimal balance did not result in reduced plant growth or unwanted leaching from soil. Conclusions The results show that digestates from biogas production based on fundamentally different feedstock are promising as NPK fertilizers. The N fertilization can simply be based on the digestate NH4 + concentration and, at least for wheat production, considerable variation in the concentrations of K and P can be tolerated. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-36f190b1b37c4a35945635d10cb5e42b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2195-3228 2251-7715 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-17T08:23:23Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | OICC Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-36f190b1b37c4a35945635d10cb5e42b2025-01-02T22:58:39ZengOICC PressInternational Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture2195-32282251-77152018-01-0171495810.1007/s40093-017-0188-0Recycling of biogas digestates in plant production: NPK fertilizer value and risk of leachingTrine A. Sogn0Ivan Dragicevic1Roar Linjordet2Tore Krogstad3Vincent G. H. Eijsink4Susanne Eich-Greatorex5Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life SciencesFaculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life SciencesNorwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchFaculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life SciencesFaculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life SciencesFaculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life SciencesAbstract Purpose The main purposes of the study were to assess the NPK fertilizer value of biogas digestates in different soils and to evaluate the risk of unwanted nutrient leaching. Methods The fertilizer value of digestates from anaerobic digesters was investigated in a greenhouse pot experiment with wheat in three different soils; silt, loam and sand. The digestates were based on different feedstock and had a low, dry matter content. The fertilizing effect of digestates was compared to mineral fertilizer and manure. To investigate the fate of excess nutrients in soil after the growing season, the pots were leached after harvest. A complementary soil column leaching experiment without plants was carried out in the laboratory. Results The concentration of ammonium in digestates provided a good indicator of the nitrogen fertilizer value of the digestates. In the silt and loam, the ammonium N fraction in digestates had a fertilizer replacement value equal to that of mineral fertilizer N, whereas the replacement value was higher in the nutrient poor sandy soil. Digestates often have a ratio between nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which is not favourable for plant growth. However, the suboptimal balance did not result in reduced plant growth or unwanted leaching from soil. Conclusions The results show that digestates from biogas production based on fundamentally different feedstock are promising as NPK fertilizers. The N fertilization can simply be based on the digestate NH4 + concentration and, at least for wheat production, considerable variation in the concentrations of K and P can be tolerated.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40093-017-0188-0DigestatesFertilizerNitrogenPhosphorusPotassium |
| spellingShingle | Trine A. Sogn Ivan Dragicevic Roar Linjordet Tore Krogstad Vincent G. H. Eijsink Susanne Eich-Greatorex Recycling of biogas digestates in plant production: NPK fertilizer value and risk of leaching International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture Digestates Fertilizer Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium |
| title | Recycling of biogas digestates in plant production: NPK fertilizer value and risk of leaching |
| title_full | Recycling of biogas digestates in plant production: NPK fertilizer value and risk of leaching |
| title_fullStr | Recycling of biogas digestates in plant production: NPK fertilizer value and risk of leaching |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recycling of biogas digestates in plant production: NPK fertilizer value and risk of leaching |
| title_short | Recycling of biogas digestates in plant production: NPK fertilizer value and risk of leaching |
| title_sort | recycling of biogas digestates in plant production npk fertilizer value and risk of leaching |
| topic | Digestates Fertilizer Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40093-017-0188-0 |
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