Effects of anaerobic digestion on soil carbon and nitrogen turnover, N emissions, and soil biological activity. A review

Möller, Kurt

doi:10.1007/s13593-015-0284-3

Cited by 215 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 128 publications

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“…On the one hand, C originating from the digestates is likely less available to soil microorganisms compared to undigested organic matter, i.e. more "recalcitrant", since the most labile C is generally consumed in the biogas reactor (Möller, 2015). On the other hand, even a single application of organic amendment can increase aggregate stability (Grandy et al, 2002).…”

Section: Soil Co 2 Effluxmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…476 S. R. Fiedler et al: Tillage-induced short-term soil organic matter turnover and respiration Biogas digestate is a relatively new type of soil amendment, and its long-term stability in soil is still under debate, as recently reviewed by Möller (2015). Consequently, it is not clear how long-term application of biogas digestates would alter the composition of SOM, and tillage effects on short-term SOM turnover in biogas digestate-amended soils are almost unstudied.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tillage-induced short-term soil organic matter turnover and respiration

Fiedler

Leinweber

Jurasinski

et al. 2016

SOIL

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Abstract. Tillage induces decomposition and mineralisation of soil organic matter (SOM) by the disruption of macroaggregates and may increase soil CO 2 efflux by respiration, but these processes are not well understood at the molecular level. We sampled three treatments (mineral fertiliser: MF; biogas digestate: BD; unfertilised control: CL) of a Stagnic Luvisol a few hours before and directly after tillage as well as 4 days later from a harvested maize field in northern Germany and investigated these samples by means of pyrolysis-field ionisation mass spectrometry (Py-FIMS) and hot-water extraction. Before tillage, the Py-FIMS mass spectra revealed differences in relative ion intensities of MF and CL compared to BD most likely attributable to the cattle manure used for the biogas feedstock and to relative enrichments during anaerobic fermentation. After tillage, the CO 2 effluxes were increased in all treatments, but this increase was less pronounced in BD. We explain this by restricted availability of readily biodegradable carbon compounds and possibly an inhibitory effect of sterols from digestates. Significant changes in SOM composition were observed following tillage. In particular, lignin decomposition and increased proportions of N-containing compounds were detected in BD. In MF, lipid proportions increased at the expense of ammonia, ammonium, carbohydrates and peptides, indicating enhanced microbial activity. SOM composition in CL was unaffected by tillage. Our analyses provide strong evidence for significant short-term SOM changes due to tillage in fertilised soils.

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Section: Soil Co 2 Effluxmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tillage-induced short-term soil organic matter turnover and respiration

Fiedler

Leinweber

Jurasinski

et al. 2016

SOIL

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“…Above all, nutrient management options arising from biomass fermentation and digestate fertilization are of great interest in N-limited OFS [34]. AD offers opportunities to improve nutrient cycles and may increase nitrogen accumulation especially if leguminous ley crops are used.…”

Section: Biogas Production In Organic Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Bioenergy and Food Production—A German Survey on Structure and Developments of Anaerobic Digestion in Organic Farming Systems

et al. 2015

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Rising global energy needs and limited fossil fuel reserves have led to increased use of renewable energies. In Germany, this has entailed massive exploitation of agricultural biomass for biogas generation, associated with unsustainable farming practices. Organic agriculture not only reduces negative environmental impacts, organic farmers were also prime movers in anaerobic digestion (AD) in Germany. This study's aim was to identify the structure, development, and characteristics of biogas production associated with organic farming systems in order to estimate further development, as well as energetic and associated agronomic potentials. Surveys were conducted among organic farms with AD technology. 144 biogas plants could be included in the analysis. Total installed electrical capacity was 30.8 MWel, accounting for only 0.8% of the total installed electrical capacity in the German biogas sector. Recently, larger plant types (>250 kWel) with increased use of (also purchased) energy crops have emerged. Farmers noticed increases in yields (22% on average) and quality of cash crops in arable farming through integrated biogas production. In conclusion, although the share of AD in organic farming is relatively small it can provide various complementary socio-ecological benefits such as the enhancement of food output through digestate fertilization without additional need for land, while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock manures and soils. However, to achieve this OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7 10710 eco-functional intensification, AD systems and their management have to be well adapted to farm size and production focus and based primarily on residue biomass.

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“…This was confirmed by the observation that, following a rapid increase at day-1, NH3 concentrations did not increase further. Recently Moller [57] has shown that the organic fraction remaining after anaerobic digestion is much more recalcitrant than the input manure leading to a stabilization of the organic matter. The present study also showed that NO2 − via bacterial thermophilic anaerobic deamination that also yields corresponding fatty acid [40,58].…”

Section: Plant Nutrients In Aerobic and Anaerobic Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerobic and Anaerobic Transformations in Estrogens and Nutrients in Swine Manure: Environmental Consequences

Singh

2015

Agriculture

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Pig manure is an excellent fertilizer and rich source of organic carbon and nitrogen compounds such organic nitrogen (O-N) (95% of total nitrogen) that is plant-unavailable-nitrogen (PUN) and mineralized nitrogen (about 1% of total nitrogen) such as ammonium (NH4 + ) and nitrate (NO3) that are plant-available-nitrogen (PAN). In addition, manure also contains two forms of estrogens: (i) poorly estrogenic thus essentially nontoxic conjugated estrogens (cEs) such as estrone (cE1), estradiol (cE2) and estriol (cE3); and (ii) highly estrogenic and toxic free estrogens (fEs) such as fE2, fE1 and fE3. This study showed that aerobic processing reduced concentrations of total carbon (TC), O-N, PAN and NH4 + /NH3 ratio, transiently hydrolyzed cEs (cE2 > cE1 > cE3) into corresponding fEs, transiently increased estrogenic activity and potential toxicity, and rapidly degraded fEs (fE2, fE1 > fE3), thus reducing the estrogenic activity in manure. Unlike aerobic processing, anaerobic processing stabilized and increased PAN and NH4 + /NH3 ratio, thus increasing the manure's fertilizer value. However, anaerobic processing, relative to aerobic processing, poorly hydrolyzed cEs (reducing transient toxicity and increasing reserve toxicity potential) and poorly degraded fEs (increasing toxicity) in manure. Thus, aerobic and anaerobic environments have distinct effects on manures' PAN and estrogenic activity, presenting an interesting dilemma: anaerobic incubation that increases manures' PAN does not effectively degrade estrogens, while aerobic incubation that effectively degrades estrogens (after transiently increasing their estrogenic activity) also decreases PAN, thus making manure less profitable. New techniques are need to fully use manure as organic fertilizer. OPEN ACCESSAgriculture 2015, 5 698

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Effects of anaerobic digestion on soil carbon and nitrogen turnover, N emissions, and soil biological activity. A review

Cited by 215 publications

References 128 publications

Tillage-induced short-term soil organic matter turnover and respiration

Tillage-induced short-term soil organic matter turnover and respiration

Integrated Bioenergy and Food Production—A German Survey on Structure and Developments of Anaerobic Digestion in Organic Farming Systems

Aerobic and Anaerobic Transformations in Estrogens and Nutrients in Swine Manure: Environmental Consequences

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