Effect of biogas digestate, animal manure and mineral fertilizer application on nitrogen flows in biogas feedstock production

• Published in: European journal of agronomy 2017-11, Vol.91, p.63-73
• Main Authors: Herrmann, Antje, Kage, Henning, Taube, Friedhelm, Sieling, Klaus
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ammonia volatilization; Biogas residues; Crop rotation; N balance; N leaching; N2O emission
• ISSN: 1161-0301; 1873-7331
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eja.2017.09.011

•Close-to-zero N balance for maize rotations amended with digestate or cattle slurry.•Positive N balance for cattle slurry- or digestate-fertilized perennial ryegrass ley.•Nitrogen footprint (kg N (1000m3 CH4)−1) not a reliable measure of eco-efficiency. The expansion of biogas feedstock cultivation may affect a number of ecosystem processes and ecosystem services, and temporal and spatial dimensions of its environmental impact are subject to a critical debate. However, there are hardly any comprehensive studies available on the impact of biogas feedstock production on the different components of nitrogen (N) balance. The objectives of the current study were (i) to investigate the short-term effects of crop substrate cultivation on the N flows in terms of a N balance and its components (N fertilization, N deposition, N leaching, NH3 emission, N2O emission, N recovery in harvested product) for different cropping systems, N fertilizer types and a wide range of N rate, and (ii) to quantify the N footprint of feedstock production in terms of potential N loss per unit of methane produced. In 2007/08 and 2008/09, two field experiments were conducted at two sites in Northern Germany differing in soil quality, where continuous maize (R1), maize–whole crop wheat followed by Italian ryegrass as a double crop (R2), and maize–grain wheat followed by mustard as a catch crop (R3) were grown on Site 1 (sandy loam), and R1 and a perennial ryegrass ley (R4) at Site 2 (sandy soil rich in organic matter). Crops were supplied with varying amounts of N (0–360kgNha−1, ryegrass: 0–480kgNha−1) supplied as biogas digestate, cattle slurry, pig slurry or calcium-ammonium nitrate (CAN). Mineral-N fertilization of maize-based rotations resulted in negative N balances at N input for maximum yield (Nopt), with R2 having slightly less negative balances than R1 and R3. In contrast, N balances were close to zero for cattle slurry or digestate treatments. Thus, trade-offs between substrate feedstock production and changes of soil organic matter stocks have to be taken into consideration when evaluating biogas production systems. Nitrogen losses were generally dominated by N leaching, whereas for the organically fertilized perennial ryegrass ley the ammonia emission accounted for the largest proportion. Nitrogen balance of the ryegrass ley at Nopt was close to zero (CAN) or highly positive (cattle slurry, digestate). Nitrogen footprint (NFP) was applied as an eco-efficiency measure of N-loss