Organic slurry treatment products are gaining popularity for many different reasons. Among them are their nutrient content, transportability, and marketability. But how effective are they? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of different products. Read on to learn more.
Inorganic nutrients
Inorganic and organic nutrient inputs are complementary resources for improving soil health and crop performance. They also result in synergy, improving nutrient conservation and synchronization with crop demands.
The combined use of these two types of nutrients can improve crop yield and quality while reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
Biological slurries typically contain high levels of N, P, and K, but these are not always enough to meet the needs of crops and other organisms in a given area. To improve soil fertility, biological slurries should be enriched with inorganic nutrients. This will correct nutrient deficiencies without harming soil organisms. Chemical fertilizers contain primary macronutrients as well as secondary and trace minerals.
Combining organic and inorganic fertilization can increase the abundance of specific bacterial taxa, which play important roles in the soil’s C, N, and P transformations. Inorganic nutrients, on the other hand, do not harm organisms and provide additional food for them. These benefits make biological fertilizers an effective alternative to synthetic fertilizers. However, you should still use biological slurry treatment methods to make your biological fertilizer more efficient.
Organic fertilizers can boost your crops’ growth, but it must be certified. They can use the USDA Organic Seal, and non-organic ingredients cannot exceed 5% of their total composition. Click the link: https://www.usda.gov/topics/organic for more information about organic certification.
Biological fertilizers are more effective for biological slurries because they are easier to work with. They also do not exclude the benefits of biological fertilizers, such as biological compounds. There are also a variety of fertilizers that combine inorganic nutrients.
Marketability
Organic slurry treatments can add value to the production of livestock feed, fertilizer, and biodiesel. They are valuable commodities that can contribute to the sustainable use of resources and integrate into the circular economy.
In the meat industry, meat byproduct markets have a significant impact on profitability and losses. The high value of byproduct feed ingredients, such as blood meal, feather meal, and fish meal, has led to distinct markets for these waste materials.
Pig slurry can be treated to become soil fertilizer and reduce reliance on mineral fertilizers. Its nutritional composition is unique compared to other treatments. A solid fertilizer is rich in phosphorus, one of the most limited nutrients in nature.
A liquid fertilizer is rich in soluble organic matter and can be applied as a fertirrigated soil. The marketability of organic slurry treatment products will be determined by the degree of bioavailability of the products.
Transportability
Organic slurries have the advantage of being highly transportable. A slurry consists of a liquid carrier fluid, which is usually water, and a dispersed phase, represented by the polymer copolymer matrix (PCM). The latter is pumped with very low pressure drop and is useful for a variety of applications, including storage and heat transfer.
Slurry contains easily degradable C, which serves as a nutrient for microorganisms. The degradation process of biological material occurs continuously throughout the storage time, and the intensity of degradation depends on the quality of slurry-DM. As a result, the end products of the degradation process are CO2 and CH4.
Biological slurries are more easily transported when they contain low DM concentration. In addition to making the product easier to transport, it also increases crop availability of N. A 2:1 water-to-slurry ratio is required to produce a significant effect.
This is important for minimizing environmental impacts. It is important to note that reducing DM concentration does not necessarily improve transportability. Furthermore, reducing DM content will increase the volume of slurry, and will add to its storage capacity and transportation cost.
Slurry-phase biological treatment involves mixing excavated contaminated soil with water and amendments. The amount of water added depends on the concentration of contaminants, biodegradation rate, and the properties of the soil. Note that organic slurry treatment products are a mix of oxygen, nutrients, and other components of soil. This process will treat the soil, reducing pollution, and making the soil healthier. A bioreactor can be very useful for remediation, but its cost is expensive and requires specialized transport and storage.
Chemical stability
When processing biological slurries, levels of stability are critical. These concepts were initially defined for advanced fertilizers produced from OS containing HA. Eventually, OS-based bioenergy, fertilizer, and biofuel could be produced.
The chemical composition of digestates influences hydrothermal liquefaction and processing, as well as the properties of the end products. The following sections discuss different levels of stability and how they impact biological slurry treatment processes.
The chemical stabilization of biological slurries involves the slow-release sorption of nutrients, while solubilization promotes leaching. Both processes are desirable, as they increase the value of slurry for farmers.
Chemical stabilization improves a process known as mechanical solid-liquid separation. Biological additives, which are typically sold for around GBP five per tonne, allow the biological amendment to become fluid. This fluidization eases pumping, pit storage, and truck charging.
There are different levels of biological stabilization, which are commonly used in industry regulations and public specifications. Another indicator of biological stability is carbon use efficiency. This measures how much carbon is utilized by microbial growth versus how much is lost through microbial respiration, which includes carbon mineralization.
Depending on the source of biological slurry, treatment products can be used as fertilizers or as alternative to mineral fertilizers. Using fresh or composted pig slurry is beneficial for both horticultural crops and soil health.
Aside from improving soil quality, the chemical stability of biological slurry treatment products is an important consideration when considering a slurry treatment. These products are also environmentally friendly and can reduce costs.
Acid treatment of wood ash is one option that aims to produce an effect similar to anaerobic digestion and the nutrients in anaerobic digestate. However, the use of a commercial acid does not align with green chemistry principles, and may not be suitable for all applications.
Further research is needed to understand how biological manure treatment products can reduce costs and increase environmental performance.