AGRICULTURE Cline Vaneeckhaute February 24, 2011 Cline - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SUSTAINABLE NUTRIENT CYCLING IN INTENSIVE AGRICULTURE

Céline Vaneeckhaute

February 24, 2011

• Lab. of Analytical & Applied Ecochemistry

Céline Vaneeckhaute Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering

TNAV: Academia Meets Industry

Presentation overview

• I. General introduction
• II. Research objectives
• III. Preliminary results
• IV. Perspectives

Céline Vaneeckhaute Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering

• I. General introduction

Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering Céline Vaneeckhaute

Exceedance over EU Nitrate directive

% in 2003-2004 % in 2004-2005 % in 2005-2006

Manure excess on soil balance

The Flanders situation

Intensive industrial farming has resulted in localised nutrient (N,P) excesses at a regional level Similar situations in US (NC), France (Bretagne), The Netherlands, Germany (Nord Westfalen), Italy, etc.

Overlegplatform water Faculteit Bio-ingenieurswetenschappen

Animal manure Solid fraction Liquid fraction Physical separation Composting

Soil enhancer

Nutrient reduction by biological treatment

Manure processing

Fertilizer

Spreading over land

BIWA workshop IVPV Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering Céline Vaneeckhaute

Overlegplatform water Faculteit Bio-ingenieurswetenschappen

Animal manure Solid fraction Liquid fraction Physical separation Composting

Soil enhancer

Nutrient reduction by biological treatment

Dischargeable water

Constructed wetlands

Manure processing

Fertilizer

Spreading over land

Overlegplatform water

Anaerobic digestion

Dischargeable water

Tempus Faculty of Bioscience engineering Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering Céline Vaneeckhaute

Problem statement

Nutrient excess vs. nutrient depletion

• Artificial fertilizer use & import:
• Flanders: 26 million kg N & 4,5 million kg P2O5

*

• EU: 10,5 million tonnes N & 2,7 million tonnes P2O5

*

• Fossil fuel consumption for artificial nutrient production is high:
• 37,4 GJ / ton NH4

*

• 2 liters oil / ton N*
• Prices for artificial fertilizers are increasing
• Nutrient resources are depleting: especially phosphorous!

Céline Vaneeckhaute *European Fertilizer Manufacturers Association, 2009

=> Important to maximally recuperate & recycle valuable nutrients from manure processing

• Lab. of Analytical & Applied

Ecochemistry Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering

• II. Research objectives

Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering Céline Vaneeckhaute

Crop production Livestock production

Nutrient processing

Manure Feed

Biogas production

Energy crops Green fertilizers + energy Feed Manure External energy & nutrients

Renewable energy

Research objectives

• Lab. of Analytical & Applied Ecochemistry

Céline Vaneeckhaute

Organic-biological waste

Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering

GREEN FERTILIZERS ?

• Lab. of Analytical & Applied Ecochemistry

Céline Vaneeckhaute Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering

Research objectives

Research objectives

• During manure and digestate treatment various nutrient rich derivatives are being

produced which could potentially be re-used as green substitutes for mineral fertilizers produced by fossil fuels (= green fertilizers)

• Ex.: Concentrates produced by membrane filtration, waste water from air

scrubbers, etc.

• This research aims to:
• Investigate the fertilizer value of these products by means of physico-

chemical characterizations (EC, pH, macro- & micronutrients, speciation)

• Situate the bottlenecks for agricultural re-use
• Assess pot- & field experiments to investigate the impact on soil chemistry,

soil fertility and soil quality by agricultural application of these products

• Lab. of Analytical & Applied Ecochemistry

Céline Vaneeckhaute Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering

• III. Preliminary results

Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering Céline Vaneeckhaute

Preliminary results

Membrane filtration concentrates

• Principle: Treatment of liquid fractions into dischargeable

water by means of intensive membrane filtration (Reversed Osmosis)

• Fertilizer value:
• N-content: 5,9-6,4 kg N/ton FW (cfr. animal manure)
• N-efficiency: 82% (> animal manure)
• K-content: 5,1-13 kg K2O/ton FW (> animal manure)

=> Potential N-K fertilizer

• Bottlenecks for re-use:
• Salt content: Risk of soil degradation
• Potassium content: Risk of head illness for cattle
• Ratio Na, K / Ca, Mg (Sodium Adsorption Ratio): Risk of soil compaction
• Lab. of Analytical & Applied Ecochemistry

Céline Vaneeckhaute Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering

Preliminary results

Waste water from NH3-scrubbers

• Principle: Removal of NH3 from air by

addition of H2SO4 and formation of (NH4)2SO4

• Fertilizer value:
• N-content: 13-17 kg N/ton FW (> animal manure)
• N-efficiency: 100% (> animal manure)

=> Potential N-S fertilizer

• Bottlenecks for re-use:
• Salt content: Risk of soil degradation
• H2S-formation: Toxique at low concentrations!
• Corrosive and acidifying product
• Lab. of Analytical & Applied Ecochemistry

Céline Vaneeckhaute Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering

• IV. Perspectives

Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering Céline Vaneeckhaute

Perspectives

• There are potential green fertilizers produced by manure and

digestate treatment

• Pot & field experiments are necessary to investigate the impact on

soil chemistry, soil fertility and soil quality by application of these new potential green fertilizers

• Nutrient balances (soil, plant, ground water) should be assessed and

compared with those for conventional fertilizers

• Potential re-use in the chemical industry ?
• Lab. of Analytical & Applied Ecochemistry

Céline Vaneeckhaute Tempus project Faculty of Bioscience engineering