ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4018-4196
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is an essential growth-limiting nutrient that cannot be synthetically produced. Mineral P fertilisers are typically applied to crops to sustain modern farming practice and food production. These fertilisers are generally derived from finite phosphate ore, for which there is much concern over long-term sustainability. To address these concerns, various technologies have been developed to recover P from municipal wastewater treatment plants. One product recovered from these processes is struvite, which is a precipitate formed of magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate. To analyse the fertilisation value of the recovered struvite, field trials were conducted on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) over three growing seasons, analysing the dry matter yield of recovered struvite fertiliser. The trial was based on a three-crop silage system designed to mimic typical Irish agricultural practice. This research highlights that recovered struvite as a fertiliser provides additional benefits including increasing the soil P levels. The struvite test case produced a statistically significantly increased soil P level from the baseline of Morgan’s extractable P content of 6.4 mg/L to the optimum Morgan’s soil P level of 11.13 mg/L. The findings of this research provide insight into the added benefits of recovered struvite fertiliser as a sustainable renewable P fertiliser.
Disciplines
Civil and Environmental Engineering
DOI
10.3390/agronomy12010008
Full Publication Date
22-12-2021
Publisher
MDPI
Funder Name 1
European Regional Development Fund
Resource Type
journal article
Resource Version
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
Access Rights
open access
Open Access Route
Gold Open Access
License Condition
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Alternative Identifier
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/1/8
Recommended Citation
O’Donnell, Ciarán; Barnett, Denise; Harrington, Joe; and Power, Niamh, "The Extended Effect of Top-Dressed Recovered Struvite Fertiliser on Residual Irish Grassland Soil Phosphorus Levels Compared to Commercial Phosphorus Fertiliser" (2021). Publications [online].
Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12010008
Publication Details
Agronomy