Hydrochar as A Vehicle for Phosphorus Cycling from Dairy Manure to Cropland

Abstract

Dairy manure contains high concentrations of unutilized phosphorus which is not only a waste of resources but also a burden to dairy farmers and a threat to our environment. Phosphorus cycling and reuse would have a great impact on the dairy industry and agricultural economy as whole. Hydrochar possesses better biological properties when used for soil improvement and carbon sequestration. When produced from dairy manure, hydrochar can attain more than 90% of the total phosphorus content in manure and thus serves as an efficient vehicle for recycling nutrients from waste streams back to the crop system. Research findings prove that hydrochar from dairy manure is scientifically feasible and technologically promising as a vehicle for phosphorus recycling from waste to cropland.