Effect of Digestate Modified with Amendments on Soil Health and Plant Biomass under Varying Experimental Durations

Abstract

A digestate with amendments provides plants with available nutrients and improves the microbiological properties of treated soil. Modification of a digestate through the addition of a biochar and sulphur source is less well-known. This pot experiment aimed at comparing the short- and long-time fertilization effects of a digestate enriched with biochar, with elemental sulphur, or with a combination of both on soil health and plant biomass. The experiment was carried out with maize, cultivated twice (1st–12th week = pre-cultivation; re-sowing after shoot harvest, 13th–24th = main cultivation) in soil amended with prepared digestate. The digestate used in pre-cultivation was incubated untreated (D) and was then treated with biochar (D + B), with elemental sulphur at a low (LS) and high (HS) dose, or with a combination of both (D + B + LS and D + B + HS). An additional unamended digestate (D) was added to each soil variant before the main cultivation. The application of digestate with a high dose of elemental sulphur and biochar mediated the most significant differences in the soil. The increase (compared to the unamended soil) was of short-term type (+11% and +6% increased total nitrogen and carbon after 12 weeks), then of long-term type (+54% and +30% increased sulphur and arylsulfatase activity after 24 weeks), and later emerged in the 13th to the 24th week of the experiment (+57% and +32% non-inhibited urease, increased N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase and phosphatase). No significant differences in the effect of the applied amendments on dry aboveground plant biomass were observed.

A comparative analysis of perennial grass–legume mixtures for biomethane production

“… Characteristics Unit Quantity Assumptions Biogas plant capacity CH₄-m³/h 400 Capacity of biomethane production thousand m³/yr. 1000 1 year 2085 2 years and above Biomethane kWh 10 600 1 year 22 104 2 years and above Digestate 50 m³/ha Note: Biomethane conversion 1 m³ ≈ 10.6 kWh 1 [ 27 ]; digestate volume of 85 mL, equal to 50 m³/ha 2 [ 28 , 29 ]. …”

“… Note: Biomethane conversion 1 m³ ≈ 10.6 kWh 1 [ 27 ]; digestate volume of 85 mL, equal to 50 m³/ha 2 [ 28 , 29 ]. …”

Comparative Study of Fertilizers in Tomato-Grown Soils: Soil Quality, Sustainability, and Carbon/Water Footprints

“…In this regard, Tabak et al [16] discovered that incorporating waste sulfur with organic materials facilitated the simultaneous enrichment of soil with readily available sulfur and organic matter. Moreover, Holatko et al [17] conducted research showing that the utilization of elemental sulfur in conjunction with organic material, such as digestate, enhanced the availability of sulfur, resulting in increased yields and improved crop quality. Additionally, this combination was found to enhance the activity of soil microbes [18].…”