Research - Circular nutrient management: Transforming phosphorus and nitrogen in farm slurry to stable commercial fertilisers

Circular nutrient management: Transforming phosphorus and nitrogen in farm slurry to stable commercial fertilisers

Abstract

This project aims to conduct collaborative research and development in addressing the critical challenge of nutrient management in soils, atmosphere and water associated with livestock production and resultant slurry.

Description

The project extends the work from a previous feasibility project which demonstrated that the recovered phosphorous from slurry was stable and highly bioavailable for crop uptake. It will focus on ways to improve process efficiency, both in terms of nutrient extraction and valorisation of extracted nutrients, to establish a route for nutrient use into sustainable fertiliser production. During previous crop trials, the recovered phosphorous fraction significantly outperformed the artificial fertiliser treatment for both crop, root mass, metabolisable energy and crude protein yields. Additionally crop trials to examine phosphorous and nitrogen use efficiency, nutrient stability, crop yields and nutritional quality and the wider implications on protein provision this could have for dairy farmers when producing home-grown proteins to reduce purchased, imported concentrations to feed.