Title:
Biogas Digestates as Organic Fertilizer in Different Crop Rotations - The Third Year
Author(s):
Formowitz, B., Fritz, M., Heimler, F.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
With the intention to close nutrient cycles by using biogas digestates as organic fertilizer in pure and mixed treatments, a satellite experiment was set up in 2009 to compare their humus accumulation capacity to an exclusive mineral fertilization. Results of the first two years were already presented at the 18th and 19th Biomass Conference in 2009 and 2010. Surveys of the third year and the comparison with the previous ones are presented in this contribution. Similar yields of all treatments and all years clearly indicate that biogas digestates serve as an adequate alternative to substitute mineral fertilizer. The comparison of rotation A and B leads to the assumption that yield performances were rather influenced by weather conditions then by fertilizer qualities. However, a mixed fertilization seems to be a good measure to optimize yields by enlarging the time frame for fertilizer application, due to a possible late mineral N-supply to achieve e.g. high quality wheat. Differences of cumulative NH3 losses between two study sites were more dependent on varying NH4+ proportions of digestates used than on weather conditions on the application date.
Keywords:
energy crops, fertilization, digestate, renewable energies, rotation
Topic:
Biomass Resources
Subtopic:
Energy crops and energy grasses
Event:
20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
1DV.2.64
Pages:
635 - 638
ISBN:
978-88-89407-54-7
Paper DOI:
10.5071/20thEUBCE2012-1DV.2.64
Price:
FREE
