Nutrient Management with

Organo Mineral Fertiliser

Authors: Keith Chaney, Grace Smith and Charles Murray

Harper Adams University

Meeting: International Conference on Biochars, Composts, and Digestates

Venue: Bari, Italy

Date: 18th October 2013

Aim

• To evaluate the yield response of agricultural crops to the application of Organo Mineral Fertiliser (OMF).

• To investigate the application of OMF on the level of potentially toxic elements PTE’s in the soil.

• To investigate the application of OMF on earthworm populations.

• To determine the spread patterns of OMF in agricultural fertiliser applicators (spinning disc machines).

2

Todays presentation will include

• Yield data from 2010-2013 growing seasons

• The heavy metal content of soil following application

of OMF for 5 years

• How the number of earthworms are affected

• Results from spreader tests using OMF granules

Crops

• Winter wheat

• Winter oats

• Spring barley

• Grass

Location of experimental sites in the UK

Harper Adams University

Location of the field experiments in North Wales

Location of the plot experiments at Broxton, Cheshire

Broxton, Cheshire, UK site prior to harvest 2011

Three year winter wheat data

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012

Gra

in Y

ield

(t/

ha

)

Conventional

OMF

No significant difference in yield

Winter oats 2011/12

No significant difference in grain yield

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Conventional OMF

Gra

in Y

ield

(t/

ha)

Spring barley 2013

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Conventional OMF

Gra

in Y

ield

(t/

ha)

Yield significantly higher using conventional fertilisers P=0.002

Grass cut for silage 2011 Broxton, Cheshire, UK

harvest 2011

Three year grass yield data from experimental plots

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Conventional OMF

Mea

n f

resh

yie

ld (

t/h

a)

1st Cut

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101214161820

Conventional OMF

Mea

n f

resh

yie

ld (

t/h

a)

2nd Cut

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10

Conventional OMF

Mea

n f

resh

yie

ld (

t/h

a)

3rd Cut

No significant difference in grass yield

Grass yield data from field experiments 2012

No significant difference in grass yield

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Conventional OMF

Gra

ss F

resh

Yie

ld (

t/h

a)

2nd cut silage at Cwm, North Wales 2nd cut silage at Rhuddlan, North Wales

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Conventional OMF

Gra

ss F

resh

yie

ld (

t/h

a)

Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE’s) in Soil 2007-2011

0-30cm Depth

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

pH Copper Zinc Nickel Cadmium Lead Chromium Mercury

mg

/kg

dry

so

il

2007/2008 conventional

2011 conventional

2007/2008 OMF

2011 OMF

There was a very small, but statistically significant decline in the level of nickel and mercury

Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE’s) in Soil 2007-2011

0-30cm Depth

0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

0.14

0.16

0.18

Cadmium Mercury

mg

/kg

of

dry

so

il

2007/2008 Conventional

2011 Conventional

2007/2008 OMF

2011 OMF

Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE’s) in Soil 2007-2011

0-30cm Depth

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

pH Copper Zinc Nickel Cadmium Lead Chromium

Perc

enta

ge o

f p

erm

itab

le l

evel

2007/2008 conventional

2011 conventional

2007/2008 OMF

2011 OMF

OMF and Earthworms

Earthworm numbers

2011 and 2012

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Nu

mb

er o

f ea

rth

wo

rms/

m2

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Conventional OMF

Nu

mb

er o

f ea

rth

wo

rms/

m2

Conventional OMF

Arable 2012

Grassland 2011

Grassland 2012

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Conventional OMF

Nu

mb

er o

f ea

rth

wo

rms/

m2

Agricultural Fertiliser Spreader Tests

Kuhn Axis

KRM ExTrend

Spreader test results

Granules - General Feedback • Consistent size • Suitable strength for spreading • Will spread to 24m • Acceptable spread patterns • Low bulk density • Spreading in the wind might be difficult. • Unlikely to spread further than 24m

Spread patterns for Organo Mineral Fertiliser (OMF)

Kuhn Axis

CV% = 7.93

KRM ExTrend

CV% = 10.8

OMF gave similar yields to conventional fertiliser when applied to cereal and grassland crops Application of OMF on the same soil for 5 years had very little effect on the level of PTE’s Application of OMF on the same soil for 5 years did not affect earthworm numbers. OMF can be spread accurately with twin spinning disc fertiliser spreaders up to a bout width of 24 metres

Conclusions