Plant uptake of nitrogen adsorbed to biochars made from dairy manure

Abstract The conversion of dairy waste with high moisture contents to dry fertilizers may reduce environmental degradation while lowering crop production costs. We converted the solid portion of screw-pressed dairy manure into a sorbent for volatile ammonia (NH3) in the liquid fraction using pyrolys...

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Main Authors: Leilah Krounbi, Akio Enders, John Gaunt, Margaret Ball, Johannes Lehmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2021-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94337-8
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spelling doaj-ab7b905ef39c4f3a82aed14cee29f0072021-07-25T11:23:25ZengNature Publishing GroupScientific Reports2045-23222021-07-0111111210.1038/s41598-021-94337-8Plant uptake of nitrogen adsorbed to biochars made from dairy manureLeilah Krounbi0Akio Enders1John Gaunt2Margaret Ball3Johannes Lehmann4Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell UniversitySoil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell Universitybio365 LLCbio365 LLCSoil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell UniversityAbstract The conversion of dairy waste with high moisture contents to dry fertilizers may reduce environmental degradation while lowering crop production costs. We converted the solid portion of screw-pressed dairy manure into a sorbent for volatile ammonia (NH3) in the liquid fraction using pyrolysis and pre-treatment with carbon dioxide (CO2). The extractable N in manure biochar exposed to NH3 following CO2 pre-treatment reached 3.36 g N kg−1, 1260-fold greater extractable N than in untreated manure biochar. Ammonia exposure was 142-times more effective in increasing extractable N than immersing manure biochar in the liquid fraction containing dissolved ammonium. Radish and tomato grown in horticultural media with manure biochar treated with CO2 + NH3 promoted up to 35% greater plant growth (dry weight) and 36–83% greater N uptake compared to manure biochar alone. Uptake of N was similar between plants grown with wood biochar exposed to CO2 + NH3, compared to N-equivalent treatments. The available N in dairy waste in New York (NY) state, if pyrolyzed and treated with NH3 + CO2, is equivalent to 11,732–42,232 Mg N year−1, valued at 6–21.5 million USD year−1. Separated dairy manure treated with CO2 + NH3 can offset 23–82% of N fertilizer needs of NY State, while stabilizing both the solid and liquid fraction of manure for reduced environmental pollution.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94337-8
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Leilah Krounbi
Akio Enders
John Gaunt
Margaret Ball
Johannes Lehmann
spellingShingle Leilah Krounbi
Akio Enders
John Gaunt
Margaret Ball
Johannes Lehmann
Plant uptake of nitrogen adsorbed to biochars made from dairy manure
Scientific Reports
author_facet Leilah Krounbi
Akio Enders
John Gaunt
Margaret Ball
Johannes Lehmann
author_sort Leilah Krounbi
title Plant uptake of nitrogen adsorbed to biochars made from dairy manure
title_short Plant uptake of nitrogen adsorbed to biochars made from dairy manure
title_full Plant uptake of nitrogen adsorbed to biochars made from dairy manure
title_fullStr Plant uptake of nitrogen adsorbed to biochars made from dairy manure
title_full_unstemmed Plant uptake of nitrogen adsorbed to biochars made from dairy manure
title_sort plant uptake of nitrogen adsorbed to biochars made from dairy manure
publisher Nature Publishing Group
series Scientific Reports
issn 2045-2322
publishDate 2021-07-01
description Abstract The conversion of dairy waste with high moisture contents to dry fertilizers may reduce environmental degradation while lowering crop production costs. We converted the solid portion of screw-pressed dairy manure into a sorbent for volatile ammonia (NH3) in the liquid fraction using pyrolysis and pre-treatment with carbon dioxide (CO2). The extractable N in manure biochar exposed to NH3 following CO2 pre-treatment reached 3.36 g N kg−1, 1260-fold greater extractable N than in untreated manure biochar. Ammonia exposure was 142-times more effective in increasing extractable N than immersing manure biochar in the liquid fraction containing dissolved ammonium. Radish and tomato grown in horticultural media with manure biochar treated with CO2 + NH3 promoted up to 35% greater plant growth (dry weight) and 36–83% greater N uptake compared to manure biochar alone. Uptake of N was similar between plants grown with wood biochar exposed to CO2 + NH3, compared to N-equivalent treatments. The available N in dairy waste in New York (NY) state, if pyrolyzed and treated with NH3 + CO2, is equivalent to 11,732–42,232 Mg N year−1, valued at 6–21.5 million USD year−1. Separated dairy manure treated with CO2 + NH3 can offset 23–82% of N fertilizer needs of NY State, while stabilizing both the solid and liquid fraction of manure for reduced environmental pollution.
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94337-8
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