Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

A new sludge-derived organo-mineral fertilizer gives similar crop yields as conventional fertilizers

A new sludge-derived organo-mineral fertilizer gives similar crop yields as conventional fertilizers Sewage sludge, a waste material commonly known as biosolids, has good potential as a valuable agricultural resource, providing that its nutrient imbalances could be overcome. Sewage sludge is rich in phosphorus but low in nitrogen and potassium. Technology exists to supplement sewage sludge with mineral fertilizers, such as urea and muriate of potash as sources of nitrogen and potassium, respectively, to produce an organo-mineral fertilizer with balanced crop nutrient requirements. Here, an experimental plot trial set up in 2008 was established at Broxton, Cheshire, UK, to compare crop yield response for typical crop varieties. Crops included wheat, oilseed rape, barley, beans and forage maize, treated with conventional fertilizer and organo-mineral fertilizer. The organo-mineral fertilizer is a nutrient-balanced sludge-based product produced by drying digested sewage sludge cake at 80 °C in a tumbling evaporator, which produces sludge granules of 3–6 mm in diameter. Analysis was carried out on soil NPK and crop yield. N use efficiency was measured to assess N uptake. Results show that there is no significant difference in crop yield between treatments over the three trial years, with the exception of one crop. This finding demonstrates that the new organo-fertilizer is as efficient as conventional fertilizers. Moreover, levels of heavy metal in soil did not exceed permissible levels. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that it is the first field scale trial of a modified sewage sludge product that has the potential to transform a hitherto waste product into a practical fertilizer product. We conclude that the organo-mineral fertilizer is a promising alternative product for sustainable agriculture. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Agronomy for Sustainable Development Springer Journals

A new sludge-derived organo-mineral fertilizer gives similar crop yields as conventional fertilizers

Download PDF
11 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/springer-journals/a-new-sludge-derived-organo-mineral-fertilizer-gives-similar-crop-rmt1U5QOdL
Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by INRA and Springer-Verlag France
Subject
Life Sciences; Agriculture; Soil Science & Conservation; Sustainable Development
ISSN
1774-0746
eISSN
1773-0155
DOI
10.1007/s13593-013-0135-z
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Sewage sludge, a waste material commonly known as biosolids, has good potential as a valuable agricultural resource, providing that its nutrient imbalances could be overcome. Sewage sludge is rich in phosphorus but low in nitrogen and potassium. Technology exists to supplement sewage sludge with mineral fertilizers, such as urea and muriate of potash as sources of nitrogen and potassium, respectively, to produce an organo-mineral fertilizer with balanced crop nutrient requirements. Here, an experimental plot trial set up in 2008 was established at Broxton, Cheshire, UK, to compare crop yield response for typical crop varieties. Crops included wheat, oilseed rape, barley, beans and forage maize, treated with conventional fertilizer and organo-mineral fertilizer. The organo-mineral fertilizer is a nutrient-balanced sludge-based product produced by drying digested sewage sludge cake at 80 °C in a tumbling evaporator, which produces sludge granules of 3–6 mm in diameter. Analysis was carried out on soil NPK and crop yield. N use efficiency was measured to assess N uptake. Results show that there is no significant difference in crop yield between treatments over the three trial years, with the exception of one crop. This finding demonstrates that the new organo-fertilizer is as efficient as conventional fertilizers. Moreover, levels of heavy metal in soil did not exceed permissible levels. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that it is the first field scale trial of a modified sewage sludge product that has the potential to transform a hitherto waste product into a practical fertilizer product. We conclude that the organo-mineral fertilizer is a promising alternative product for sustainable agriculture.

Journal

Agronomy for Sustainable Development – Springer Journals

Published: Feb 8, 2013

References

  • Influence of organo-mineral fertilization on wheat and maize crops and the evolution of soil fertility under long-term experiments in the Moldavian Plain
    Ailincăi, D; Ailincăi, C; Zbant, M; Mercus, A; Topa, D
  • Comparative effect of organic, organomineral and mineral fertilizers on soil properties, nutrient uptake, growth and yield of maize (Zea mays)
    Ayeni, LS; Adeleye, EO; Adejumo, JO
  • Council of the European Communities, 1991a. Council Directive concerning the protection of water against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources. Council Directive of 31 December 1991 (91/676/EEC)
  • Council Directive 99/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste
  • The story of phosphorus: global food security and food for thought
    Cordell, D; Drangert, J-O; White, S
  • Fertiliser manual (RB209)
  • Perspectives for nutrient removal from sewage sludge and implications for sludge strategy
    Edge, D
  • The state of soils in England and Wales
  • Initial results from a long-term, multi-site field study of the effects on soil fertility and microbial activity of sludge cakes containing heavy metals
    Gibbs, PA; Chambers, BJ; Chaudri, AM; McGrath, SP; Carlton-Smith, CH; Bacon, JR; Campbell, C; Aitken, MN
  • Food security: the challenge of feeding 9 billion people
    Godfray, HCJ; Beddington, JR; Crute, IR; Haddad, L; Lawrence, D; Muir, JR; Pretty, J; Robinson, S; Thomas, SM; Toulmin, C
  • Is there a need for a more sustainable agriculture?
    Gomiero, T; Pimentel, D; Paoletti, MG
  • The phosphate life-cycle: rethinking the options for a finite resource
    Hilton, JK; Johnston, AE; Dawson, CJ
  • Soil quality—determination of pH
  • Soil quality—determination of cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, nickel and zinc. Flame and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric methods
  • The analysis of agricultural materials
  • Code of good agricultural practice for the protection of soil (Revised, 1998)
  • A modified single solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters
    Murphy, J; Riley, JP
  • Quantifying heavy metal inputs to agricultural soils in England and Wales
    Nicholson, FA; Smith, SR; Alloway, BJ; Carlton-Smith, C; Chambers, BJ
  • Farm management pocketbook
    Nix, J
  • Recycling of sewage sludge and household compost to arable land: fate and effects of organic contaminants and impact on soil fertility
    Petersen, SO; Henriksen, K; Mortensen, GK; Krogh, PH; Brandt, KK; Sørensen, J; Madsenf, T; Petersen, J; Grønc, C
  • Waste incineration and the environment
    Petts, J
  • Agri-culture: reconnecting people, land and nature
    Pretty, J
  • Agricultural sustainability: concepts, principles and evidence
    Pretty, J
  • Sustainable intensification in African agriculture
    Pretty, J; Toulmin, C; Williams, S
  • The implications for human health and environment of recycling biosolids onto agricultural land
    Smith, SR
  • Chemical composition of sewage sludges and analysis of their potential use as fertilizers
    Sommers, LE
  • Minimisation of excess sludge production for biological wastewater treatment
    Wei, Y; Houten, RT; Borger, AR; Eikelboom, DH; Fan, Y