Transcript vtc.edu

Module 8: Nutrient Management
8.1: Introduction to macro- & micronutrients
8.2: Nitrogen
8.3: Phosphorous
8.4: Potassium and other nutrients
8.5: Solid & liquid nutrients produced by AD
8.6: Environmental hazards & the case for nutrient separation
8.7: Phosphorous separation strategies
8.8: Nitrogen separation strategies
8.9: Salt removal & clean water technologies
8.10: Soil nutrients & soil health
8.11: Creation & implementation of cNMP
8.12: Data collection, reporting & compliance
This curriculum is adapted from: eXtension Course 3: AD, University of Wisconsin
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8.1: Macro- & micronutrients
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Nutrients
Nutrients are elements, ions or molecules found in soil that are vital for the
growth and development of plants.
• Plant nutrients are then vital to the growth and development of herbivores,
omnivores and, indirectly, carnivores.
Long ago, scientists like Justus von Leibig & Carl Sprengel understood that crop
yields are constrained by a number of factors, like nutrients. They developed the
Law of the Minimum:
“Every field contains a maximum of one or more and a minimum of
one or more nutrients. With this minimum, be it lime, potash,
phosphoric acid, megnesia, or any other nutrient, the yields stand
in direct relation. It is this factor that governs and controls… yields.”
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Nutrients in = nutrients out…
… since AD really removes only a significant amount of carbon.
However, AD does change the form of some nutrients.
• A mixture of nutrients is embodied (bound up) in the bacteria that drive the
anaerobic process & are present in effluent.
• Nitrogen in effluent is largely in the form of ammonia.
• Ammonia may be lost as a gas.
• The ratio of ammonia gas to ammonium ion (present in salts) is
pH dependent. As pH drops the proportion of gaseous ammonia
increases.
• Phosphorous takes the form of orthophosphate (P2O5) and is both:
• Soluble and present in liquid effluent; and
• Has a tendency to bind to small particles and partition into solids.
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AD produces macro- & micronutrients
Plant macronutrients are present in significant quantities in plant tissues:
0.2 – 4.0% of dry weight
• C (carbon from air), H (hydrogen) & O (oxygen) (from both air & water)
• Primary macronutrients: N (nitrogen), P (phosphorous), K (potassium)
• Secondary macronutrients: Ca (calcium), S (sulfur), Mg (magnesium)
Plant micronutrients (aka trace elements) are present at lower concentrations,
typically measured in parts per million (ppm), ranging from 5 – 200 ppm.
• Boron (B)
• Chlorine (Cl)
• Managanese (Mn)
• Iron (Fe)
• Zinc (Zn)
• Copper (Cu)
• Molybdenum (Mo)
• Nickel (Ni)
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H
60,000,000
6%
oxygen
O
30,000,000
45%
carbon
C
30,000,000
45%
nitrogen
N
1,000,000
1.5%
potassium
K
400,000
1%
phosphorous
P
30,000
0.2%
calcium
Ca
200,000
0.5%
magnesium
Mg
100,000
0.2%
sulfur
S
30,000
0.2%
chloride
Cl
3,000
100 ppm
iron
Fe
2,000
100 ppm
boron
B
2,000
20 ppm
manganese
Mn
1,000
50 ppm
zinc
Zn
300
20 ppm
copper
Cu
100
6 ppm
molybdendum
Mo
1
0.1 ppm
nickel
Ni
0.1
0.01 ppm
Havlin (2005)
micronutrients
hydrogen
macronutrients
AD produces macro- & micronutrients
8.2: Nitrogen
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Nitrogen
Nitrogen is the most frequently deficient nutrient in non-legume crops.
• N-fixing legumes can supply their own nitrogen.
While N2 gas makes up 78% of our atmosphere, N is not available to plants unless
it is converted into a bioavailable form of N by:
• Microbes living symbiotically on legume roots;
• Free-living (non-symbiotic) soil microbes;
• Atmospheric electrical discharges (lightning);
• Manufacture of synthetic N fertilizer.
Plants use nitrogen to make proteins required for growth & development, and to
make chlorophyll, the molecule plants use to convert sunlight into energy.
Plants with adequate nitrogen have vigorous vegetative growth and a dark green
color.
• Excess nitrogen can cause a lack of structure (succulence) and lodging.
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Havlin (2005)
Nitrogen deficiency
A lack of nitrogen in plants causes leaves to have a yellow appearance.
The yellow color (chlorosis) results from a lack of proteins in chloroplasts in older
leaves.
• Occurs first on lower (thererfore older) leaves.
• The effect starts at leaf tips and moves inward toward the stem.
• Affected leaves then turn brown & die.
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Havlin (2005)
Nitrogen cycle
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Darby (2009)
Nitrogen
Nitrogen makes up 50% of the dry matter of plant material and is a essential part of
all amino acids and proteins.
Forms of N:
• Plants cannot use the N2 gas that makes up 78% of our atmosphere.
• Most N is taken up from soil as soluble nitrate, NO3-1.
• In acidic environments, soluble ammonium (NH4+1) predominates.
• Creation of bioavailable N is a biological process called
nitrification/denitrification, driven by soil microbes.
Crops that require more N?
• N is often the limiting factor for growth of many agricultural crops.
• Corn requires high levels of N
Nitrogen deficiency slows and stunts plant growth and causes chlorosis.
• Stems and the underside of leaves & petioles appear purple because of
accumlated antrocyanin. N is required to form chlorophyll.
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Forms of N
Plants take up N in two water soluble forms:
1. Nitrate (NO3-1) – taken up at high rates
2. Ammonium (NH4+1) – taken up at neutral pH (uptake supressed by acid pH)
Nitrate is taken up by plant roots and converted to ammonium and then to amino
acids & proteins.
• Conversion requires energy and the reductive cofactor NADH.
Ammonium can be used directly (without conversion) and is the plant’s preferred
form of N.
• However, high levels of NH4+1 can retard growth and uptake of potassium.
• So, ammonium application levels are more critical.
Some crops prefer one form of bioavailable N over the other.
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Havlin (2005) Fig 4-1
Forms of soil N
Soil N is higher close to the top of soil. Average N concentrations are:
• < 0.02% in subsoil
• > 2.5% in organic soil
In the top 1 foot of US soil, N concentrations range from 0.03 – 0.40%
• 95% is organic N
• 5% is inorganic
Inorganic soil N includes ammonium (NH4+1), nitrite (NO2-1), nitrate (NO3-1), nitrous
oxide (N2O), nitric oxide (NO), and element N2. [= bioavailable]
• Only 2 – 5% of soil N
Organic soil N includes:
• proteins
• amino acids (20 – 40%)
• amino sugars (5 – 10%)
• other complex, N-containing biomolecules (< 1%)
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Havlin (2005)
Forms of N created by AD
AD converts most N into ammonia / ammonium. The ration of these two forms is
determined by the pH of the AD slurry or effluent.
• Note that below pH 8, ammonium predominates.
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Havlin (2005) Fig 4-36
Mineralization of soil N = bio-activation
In order to supply sufficient bioavailable soil N, organic N must be
mineralized: converted to ammonium through two reactions:
1. aminization
2. ammonification
NH2
NH2
|
|
H2O
R – C – COOH + R – NH2 + C = O + CO2 + energy
1 protein
bacteria
|
|
fungi
H
NH2
urea
amines
amino acids
2
R – NH2 + H2O
NH3 + R - OH + energy
NH4+1 + OH-1
Ammonium is then:
1. Converted to nitrite & nitrate via nitrification
2. Absorbed by plants
3. Used by microbes to decompose organics
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Havlin (2005)
4. Fixed to N2 & back to atmosphere
5. Converted to ammonia & volatilized
Immobilization of soil N = storage
Immobilization: the reverse of mineralization; conversion of inorganic N to organic
N for long-term storage
• Immobilization occurs when soil OM has low [N].
• Immobilized N is used to help the population of microbes grow.
Soil C:N ratios determine whether N is mineralized or immobilized.
• C:N > 20:1
N is initially immobilized
• C:N < 20:1
N is initially mineralized
N content of soil and soil amendments also predicts whether added N is
mineralized or immobilized.
• If N > 2% under aerobic conditions, mineralization occurs.
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Havlin (2005)
C:N ratios control flow of N
XXX
8:1
soil organic matter
10:1
sweet clover
12:1
rotted manure
20:1
green rye
36:1
corn / sorghum residue
60:1
grain straw
80:1
timothy
80:1
tar & asphalt
95:1
coal lipids / shale oil
125:1
wood
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200-1000:1
crude oil
400:1
sawdust
400:1
Havlin (2005)
immobilization
soil microbes
mineralization
C:N ratio
Sources of nitrogen
N can be supplied in either organic or inorganic forms.
Organic forms of N
Before 1850, all nitrogen was provided by animal manure or legume N.
Today, these sources account for only 35% of agricultural N use.
1. Manure
200 million tons (dry weight) of manure are produced in the US annually.
• 60% from grazing animals is not collected.
• 40% from confined animals is collected and used.
• 16 million acres of cropland (8%) is fertilized with manure.
• N content depends on 1) feed, 2) handling, 3) soil quality.
2. Legumes
2. Sewage Sludge
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Havlin (2005)
Manure nitrogen
Typical manure N:
• 1 – 6% total N
• 50 - 75% organic N
• 25 – 50% ammonium (NH4+1)
The organic N must be mineralized before it is bioavailable to plants.
ton/yr
per
1000 lb
urine
%
amino
acid
%
feces
%
urea
%
poultry
4.5
25
75
27
sheep
6.0
50
50
horse
8.0
60
beef
8.5
dairy
swine
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NH4+1
%
uric
acid
%
other
%
4
8
61
1
21
34
1.5
-
43
40
24
25
1
-
49
50
50
20
35
0.5
-
44
12
60
40
23
28
0.5
-
49
16
33
67
27
51
0.5
-
22
Havlin (2005)
Manure nitrogen
Most manure N is organic and must be mineralized before plants can use it.
• Unstable: urea & uric acid
• Readily mineralized to NH4+1
• There can be significant loss if ammonium is converted to ammonia (NH3)
• 15 – 40% of total manure N can be lost as ammonia is volatilized.
• Losses can be as high as 60 – 90% if manure is stored in a lagoon.
• Stable organic N is slowly mineralized after it is land-applied
• 50% in 1st year; 25% in 2nd year; 12.5% in 3rd year
Rates of mineralization
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Havlin (2005)
Nmin = N0 (1 – e-kt)
Inorganic nitrogen
Synthetic forms of N are now the most important sources of N for plants.
Over the last 30 years, global N consumption has increased from 22 to 85 metric
tonnes per year.
In the US, 70% of total N used is:
• Anhydrous NH3
• Urea
• N solutions
Anhydrous NH3 is created by the Haber-Bosch process, using enormous amounts
of fossil fuel. This ammonia is the basis of most synthetic N fertilizers.
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Havlin (2005)
Manure nitrogen
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Havlin (2005) Fig 4-40
8.3: Phosphorous
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Phosphorous
Phosphorous is an essential component of many biomolecules, including:
• phospholipids used in building cell membranes
• nucleic acids (DNA & RNA) used to encode & store genetic information; and
• ATP, biology’s energy carrier.
In soil, levels of P range from 0.005 – 0.15%.
• However, the bioavailability of soil P depends on its chemical form.
Forms of P:
• Phosphourous is bioavailable when in soluble forms & depending on pH:
• phosphate = H2PO4-1
• Orthophosphate = HPO4-2
• However, most phosphate is unavailable because it is locked up in inorganic
phosphate precipitates; solids like rock.
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Phosphorous for fruiting
Adequate P is associated with increased growth of roots and is required for plant
reproduction & production of seeds & fruits.
P increases the rate of maturation of crops.
Phosphorous deficiency causes:
• intense green coloration of leaves
• Turning to blue-green or silver-green in extreme cases;
• And a purple tinge in corn & other grasses; and
• Stunting.
Plants’ ability to mobilize and use P depends on temperature. So in unusually cool
weather, crops can show signs of deficiency even when soil concentrations of P are
adequate.
• Application of extra (starter) P can help.
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Phosphorous cycle
Plants use soluble or solution phosphorous and their ability to access P depends
on the concentration of that soluble P. Stores of soluble P are buffered by the
processes of mineralization and immobilization.
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Havlin (2005) Fig 5-1
Phosphorous pricing
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Cordell (2009)
Peak phosphorous?
Most of us have heard of peak oil, but we have already reached peak
phosphorous: within 50 – 130 years the world will not have sufficient mined
phosphorous to support the agricultural needs of the human population.
• As the human population surges, this timeline may shrink.
The geography of phosphorous mining also poses challenges. Ninety (90)
percent of global phosphorous reserves are found in five countries:
1. Morocco 2. China 3.South Africa 4. Jordan 5. US
Phosphorous prices will continue to rise as demand escalates in the face of a
finite supply of mined phosphorous.
However, if we stop wasting phosphorous and learn to capture and recycle
nutrients in food, agricultural and human waste, we can ease the impact of peak
phosphorous.
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Global Phosphorous Research Initiative;
Dery & Anderson, 2007
Phosphorous in manure
Inorganic P is bound to particulates that are formed from Ca-P and Mg-P.
• Ca is present at a high Ca:P molar ratio of 1.6 – 2.3 in dairy diets.
• Amounts of dissolved or soluble P are small:
• 12% in dairy manure
• 7% in AD effluent
• P-bearing particles are small (20 – 600 μM).
Solids separation uses screens
of 3,000 μM, so does not
catch most particulate P.
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Gerritse & Vriesema (1984); Zhang (2010); Ghapuis-Lardy (2004);
Gungor & Karthikeyan (2005a,b, 2008)
8.4: Potassium & other nutrients
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What about potassium?
Potassium (K) is important for plant growth, reproduction & winter survival of
perennial plants.
• K is a cofactor for plant enzyme system.
• K is easily lost from soils at a cost to farmers.
• Over-application of K adversely affects herd health.
A small portion of soil K is bioavailable to plants, and that ‘exchangeable’, or
solution, K is detected by soil testing. K bound to clay soils slowly enters the soil
solution pool as it exchanges off.
Potassium deficiencies cause lower leaves to appear burned, spotted & yellow.
• Soils with low cation exchange capacities aren’t able to retain potassium.
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Darby (2009)
Potassium cycle
K is soluble & thus leachable from soil with low CEC.
K is readily taken up by plants or…
…bound to soil or SOM, more as pH increases.
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Darby (2009)
Potassium use by crops
Potassium is taken up by all crops in large amounts and accumulates in the leaves
& stems. Highest levels are therefore required by forage crops like silage and hay.
Potassium deficiency causes lower leaves to look burned, spotted with areas of
yellow.
• Soils with low CEC are most susceptible as they can’t hold K reserves.
• Alfalfa requires large amounts of potassium to resist winter injury.
• Hay does as well, but has deeper root systems and can extract K more easily.
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Darby (2009)
Secondary macronutrients & micronutrients
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Darby (2009)
Sources & resources (1)
This curriculum is a modification of the wonderful:
• eXtension Course 3: AD, University of Wisconsin
http://fyi.uwex.edu/biotrainingcenter/online-modules/series-three-anaerobic-digestion/
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