Sangam: A Confluence of Knowledge Streams

Amenity grassland quality following anaerobic digestate application

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dc.creator Pawlett, Mark
dc.creator Owen, Andy
dc.creator Tibbett, Mark
dc.date 2018-06-27T09:18:06Z
dc.date 2018-06-27T09:18:06Z
dc.date 2018-06-19
dc.date.accessioned 2022-05-25T16:36:32Z
dc.date.available 2022-05-25T16:36:32Z
dc.identifier Pawlett M, Owen A, Tibbett M, Amenity grassland quality following anaerobic digestate application, Grassland Science, Volume 64, Issue 3, 2018, pp. 185-189
dc.identifier 1744-6961
dc.identifier http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/grs.12202
dc.identifier http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/13272
dc.identifier.uri http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/CUHPOERS/182131
dc.description Anaerobic digestate applied to land is a source of readily available nutrients, yet there is a paucity of knowledge regarding effects on grassland. To address this, we investigated the viability of using digestate as an alternative to mineral fertilizer for Lolium perenne L. grassland maintenance. We present findings of two independent field‐trials, where food‐waste digestate was applied over two growing seasons at two rates (100 and 200 kg N ha−1 year−1) and compared to mineral fertilizer (N:P:K‐12:4:6 at 100 kg N ha−1 year−1) and control (no additions) plots. L. perenne nutrition (N, P and K), chlorophyll and sward composition were assessed in the summer and autumn to observe treatment and seasonal effects. The sward benefited from digestate application in the summer with reduced occurrence of dead L. perenne. Both the digestate and mineral fertilizer shifted the sward composition similarly and in favor of Poa annua L. in summer and L. perenne in autumn, with reduced broad‐leaved weeds and bare soil coverage regardless of season. Quantities of foliar N and K uptake were similar between the digestate and mineral fertilizer; however, the highest rate of digestate application was required to supply similar quantities of P to the grass compared to the mineral fertilizer. Grass chlorophyll was not adversely affected by the high ammonium‐N in the digestate. These broadly positive results for digestate present opportunities for the development of digestate use as a fertilizer on amenity grassland such as outfields in sports facilities, parks, and road verges as well as showing potential for supplementing the fertility of pasture systems.
dc.language en
dc.publisher Wiley
dc.rights Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
dc.rights http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.subject Anaerobic digestate
dc.subject Lolium perenne
dc.subject Plant nutrients
dc.subject Sward composition
dc.title Amenity grassland quality following anaerobic digestate application
dc.type Article


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