Understanding the impacts of anaerobic digestate on the ecosystem services provided by grassland soils
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Lancaster Environment Centre
Abstract
Producing biogas through on-farm anaerobic digestion of organic feedstocks, sourced from the agricultural sector, is of growing interest as a sustainable energy source. These feedstocks may include energy crops such as maize or sugar beet. However, environmentally sustainable biogas production requires the use of livestock manure/slurry as a feedstock, often co-digested with other inexpensive feedstocks including waste potatoes, whey and food waste. To maximize the economic and environmental benefits from anaerobic digestion, anaerobic digestate (AD) should be returned to land as a soil conditioner and, more desirably, as an alternative to inorganic fertilisers. In many livestock production systems, this will involve AD application to intensive grassland soils. However, despite initial research, for example under the DC-Agri project, the benefits and risks of applying AD to grassland soils are yet to be fully evaluated. Critical research questions that remain outstanding include how AD application affects: farm dependency on inorganic fertilisers; soil microbial communities and other soil biota; water resources; gas efflux to the atmosphere; and grass yield and quality.
Therefore, the overall aim of this project is to quantify the impact of AD application on grassland soil ecosystems. Working with our CASE partner Cockerham Green Energy Ltd, the following objectives will be addressed:
Quantify temporal changes in the physical and geochemical forms of phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in AD compared to feedstocks.
Assess the impact of AD application to intensive grasslands on the functional activity and composition of the soil microbial community and additional soil biota.
Determine changes in the forms and bioavailability of P, N and C within intensive grassland soils following AD application, alongside impacts on grass yield and quality.
Measure the impacts of AD application on N and P export to water and on greenhouse gas plus ammonia (GHG+A) emissions from intensive grassland soils.
Therefore, the overall aim of this project is to quantify the impact of AD application on grassland soil ecosystems. Working with our CASE partner Cockerham Green Energy Ltd, the following objectives will be addressed:
Quantify temporal changes in the physical and geochemical forms of phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in AD compared to feedstocks.
Assess the impact of AD application to intensive grasslands on the functional activity and composition of the soil microbial community and additional soil biota.
Determine changes in the forms and bioavailability of P, N and C within intensive grassland soils following AD application, alongside impacts on grass yield and quality.
Measure the impacts of AD application on N and P export to water and on greenhouse gas plus ammonia (GHG+A) emissions from intensive grassland soils.
People |
ORCID iD |
Benjamin William Surridge (Primary Supervisor) | |
Marta Cattin (Student) |
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
NE/R010218/1 | 30/09/2017 | 29/09/2023 | |||
1945842 | Studentship | NE/R010218/1 | 01/10/2017 | 29/09/2021 | Marta Cattin |
Description | I am studying principally how soil bacteria react after application of the three fractions of digestate, how they can assimilate the C added and the GHGs emitted through their respiration (and also through simple geochemical cycles in soil). the three factions behave differently based on the soil nutrients status (e.g. fertile vs non fertile soil) and the C:N ratio applied with digestate has a major role in that, leading to an increase or a decrease of the environmental impact after their application |
Exploitation Route | i think my outcomes are very important, especially if shared with farmers that are still over applying digestate. Understanding the environmental impact and how they should apply it will improve the agricultural situation and bring new knowledge to farmers |
Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Environment |
Description | I have a CASE partner and he is using my outcomes to improve his agricultural practices. Plus I am collaborating with the Lancaster city council in order to take real measurements to reduce the environmental impact around the area |
First Year Of Impact | 2020 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic,Policy & public services |
Description | Understanding the impacts of anaerobic digestate on the ecosystem services provided by grassland soils |
Amount | £14,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 1945842 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2017 |
End | 03/2021 |
Description | ststistical analysis, collaboration with the james hutton institute, my Case partner in Lancaster |
Organisation | James Hutton Institute |
Department | Environmental and Biochemical Sciences |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | with a statistician from the Stat department we wrote an article together my third supervisor is working at the Hutton in Aberdeen My case partner is providing me the material I need |
Collaborator Contribution | with a statistician from the Stat department we wrote an article together my third supervisor is working at the Hutton in Aberdeen My case partner is providing me the material I need |
Impact | article written, in submission new method learnt at the Hutton |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | ststistical analysis, collaboration with the james hutton institute, my Case partner in Lancaster |
Organisation | Lancaster University |
Department | Department of Mathematics and Statistics |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | with a statistician from the Stat department we wrote an article together my third supervisor is working at the Hutton in Aberdeen My case partner is providing me the material I need |
Collaborator Contribution | with a statistician from the Stat department we wrote an article together my third supervisor is working at the Hutton in Aberdeen My case partner is providing me the material I need |
Impact | article written, in submission new method learnt at the Hutton |
Start Year | 2018 |