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Assessing Nitrogen Availability in Biobased Fertilizers: Effect of Vegetation on Mineralization Patterns

Author

Listed:
  • Hongzhen Luo

    (Department of Green Chemistry & Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium)

  • Ana A. Robles-Aguilar

    (Department of Green Chemistry & Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium)

  • Ivona Sigurnjak

    (Department of Green Chemistry & Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium)

  • Evi Michels

    (Department of Green Chemistry & Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium)

  • Erik Meers

    (Department of Green Chemistry & Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium)

Abstract

Biobased nitrogen (N) fertilizers derived from animal manure can substitute synthetic mineral N fertilizer and contribute to more sustainable agriculture. Practitioners need to obtain a reliable estimation of the biobased fertilizers’ N value. This study compared the estimates for pig slurry (PS) and liquid fraction of digestate (LFD) using laboratory incubation and plant-growing experiments. A no-N treatment was used as control and calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) as synthetic mineral fertilizer. After 100 days of incubation, the addition of PS and LFD resulted in a net N mineralization rate of 10.6 ± 0.3% and 20.6 ± 0.4% of the total applied N, respectively. The addition of CAN showed no significant net mineralization or immobilization (net N release 96 ± 6%). In the pot experiment under vegetation, all fertilized treatments caused N immobilization with a negative net N mineralization rate of −51 ± 11%, −9 ± 4%, and −27 ± 10% of the total applied N in CAN, PS, and LFD treatments, respectively. Compared to the pot experiment, the laboratory incubation without vegetation may have overestimated the N value of biobased fertilizers. Vegetation resulted in a lower estimation of available N from fertilizers, probably due to intensified competition with soil microbes or increased N loss via denitrification.

Suggested Citation

  • Hongzhen Luo & Ana A. Robles-Aguilar & Ivona Sigurnjak & Evi Michels & Erik Meers, 2021. "Assessing Nitrogen Availability in Biobased Fertilizers: Effect of Vegetation on Mineralization Patterns," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-18, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:11:y:2021:i:9:p:870-:d:633019
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yunlong Zhang & Tengteng Li & Shuikuan Bei & Junling Zhang & Xiaolin Li, 2018. "Growth and Distribution of Maize Roots in Response to Nitrogen Accumulation in Soil Profiles after Long-Term Fertilization Management on a Calcareous Soil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, November.
    2. Xin Zhang & Eric A. Davidson & Denise L. Mauzerall & Timothy D. Searchinger & Patrice Dumas & Ye Shen, 2015. "Managing nitrogen for sustainable development," Nature, Nature, vol. 528(7580), pages 51-59, December.
    3. Claudia Maurer & Julia Seiler-Petzold & Rudolf Schulz & Joachim Müller, 2019. "Short-Term Nitrogen Uptake of Barley from Differently Processed Biogas Digestate in Pot Experiments," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-14, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pavel Krasilnikov & Miguel Angel Taboada & Amanullah, 2022. "Fertilizer Use, Soil Health and Agricultural Sustainability," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-5, March.

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