Impact of Adding Anaerobic Digestate to Soil and Consequences on Crop Performance

Juana Maria Hallat-Sanchez; Jo Smith; Gareth Norton

doi:10.3390/ agronomy13122889

Impact of Adding Anaerobic Digestate to Soil and Consequences on Crop Performance

Juana Maria Hallat-Sanchez, Jo Smith, Gareth Norton^* (Corresponding Author)

^*Corresponding author for this work

Aberdeen Centre For Environmental Sustainability

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Abstract

Anaerobic digestate is proposed as an alternative to inorganic fertilisers, but a better understanding of how anaerobic digestates impact the soil and how plant growth is influenced is needed for wider acceptance. In this study, a series of pot experiments were conducted growing spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in a range of soils with the application of digestate or synthetic fertiliser. Two application rates corresponding to total nitrogen at 120 and 480 kg ha−1 were used together with unfertilised soil as a control. Growth characteristics were measured as plant height, number of tillers, straw biomass, grain biomass and total biomass. Most growth characteristics (tillering, and straw and grain yield) increased with increasing application rates of nitrogen. An increase of 7–20% in plant height was observed with anaerobic digestate compared to synthetic fertilisers. However, results differed depending on the source of digestate and soil type. The nitrogen balance index (the ratio of the chlorophyll to polyphenolic compounds, which is linked to the nitrogen status of the crop) showed an increase of 40–50% for digestate applied at a nitrogen rate of 480 kg ha−1 compared to the control. By measuring nitrogen as ammonium, nitrate and nitrite in the different soils over 35 days, differential nitrogen release was also demonstrated, with soil water concentrations of ammonium decreasing rapidly after an early peak in all the treatments, and nitrate peaking after days 3–4. Results suggest that digestate may be used to replace synthetic fertilisers when applied in a range of soils.

Original language	English
Article number	2889
Number of pages	16
Journal	Agronomy
Volume	13
Issue number	12
Early online date	24 Nov 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ agronomy13122889
Publication status	Published - 24 Nov 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding: This study was funded by The LEVERHULME TRUST (Grant DS-2017-073). Juana HallatSanchez, a Leverhulme Trust Doctoral Scholar, is part of the 15 PhD scholarships of the “Leverhulme Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Production of Chemicals and Materials” at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland, UK).

Acknowledgments: This study has been carried out thanks to the funding of the Leverhulme CDT. The authors also acknowledge Andrew for providing the digestate from his farm (Gaskfarm) and the other owners of the digestate (Powerhouse). This study was supported by the University of Aberdeen, UK. The authors thank Michael McGibbon for his technical assistance.

Data Availability Statement

Data Availability Statement: Data is contained within the article or Supplementary Material.

Keywords

digestate
anaerobic digestion
soil nitrogen
ammonium
soil incubation

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

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abstract = "Anaerobic digestate is proposed as an alternative to inorganic fertilisers, but a better understanding of how anaerobic digestates impact the soil and how plant growth is influenced is needed for wider acceptance. In this study, a series of pot experiments were conducted growing spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in a range of soils with the application of digestate or synthetic fertiliser. Two application rates corresponding to total nitrogen at 120 and 480 kg ha−1 were used together with unfertilised soil as a control. Growth characteristics were measured as plant height, number of tillers, straw biomass, grain biomass and total biomass. Most growth characteristics (tillering, and straw and grain yield) increased with increasing application rates of nitrogen. An increase of 7–20% in plant height was observed with anaerobic digestate compared to synthetic fertilisers. However, results differed depending on the source of digestate and soil type. The nitrogen balance index (the ratio of the chlorophyll to polyphenolic compounds, which is linked to the nitrogen status of the crop) showed an increase of 40–50% for digestate applied at a nitrogen rate of 480 kg ha−1 compared to the control. By measuring nitrogen as ammonium, nitrate and nitrite in the different soils over 35 days, differential nitrogen release was also demonstrated, with soil water concentrations of ammonium decreasing rapidly after an early peak in all the treatments, and nitrate peaking after days 3–4. Results suggest that digestate may be used to replace synthetic fertilisers when applied in a range of soils.",

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KW - ammonium

KW - soil incubation

U2 - 10.3390/ agronomy13122889

DO - 10.3390/ agronomy13122889

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JO - Agronomy

JF - Agronomy

IS - 12

M1 - 2889

ER -

Impact of Adding Anaerobic Digestate to Soil and Consequences on Crop Performance

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Availability Statement

Keywords

UN SDGs

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