Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a three-year application of digestate from an agricultural biogas plant on the physicochemical properties of highly acidic pHKCl 4.4 ± 0.23, silty loam soils with low macronutrient content and on the yield and nutritional value of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) biomass harvested for green fodder. The experiment included the following treatments: (1) O (control)—no fertilisation, (2) NPK—mineral fertilisation with (in kg ha−1) 150 N, 53.0 P and 105 K, (3) biogas digestate at 30 m3 ha−1 and (4) biogas digestate at 60 m3 ha−1. The higher application rate of biogas digestate significantly reduced soil acidity to pHKCl 4.9 ± 0.18 and improved its sorption properties. It also increased the soil organic matter content from 5.6 ± 0.21 to 6.4 ± 0.22 g Corg kg−1 and of K and Zn. The higher level of biogas digestate significantly increased switchgrass yield to 5.15 ± 0.26 t ha−1. The lower application rate of biogas digestate resulted in forage yield of 4.30 ± 0.20 t ha−1 comparable to that obtained after mineral fertilisation (4.33 ± 0.22 t ha−1). Following application of mineral fertilisers and the higher level of biogas digestate, the number of panicles per plant (150 ± 2.49–157 ± 0.6.17), panicle height (107 ± 1.98–114 ± 2.08), crude ash content (61.2 ± 0.43–65.5 ± 0.38) and protein content (106 ± 0.59–92 ± 1.11) in the switchgrass biomass from the first cut were higher than in the case of unfertilised soil (110 ± 3.81, 93 ± 1.32, 55.5 ± 0.40, 80.3 ± 0.37). The use of mineral fertilisers and biogas digestate increased the content of protein, P and Mg in biomass from the second cut. The results suggest that the use of digestate improved the physicochemical properties of highly acidic soil and increased the yield of switchgrass forage without diminishing its nutritional value.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
The higher digestate rate reduced soil acidity.
- Taxon
- Switchgrass
Panicum virgatumt0 - Treatment
- higher application rate of biogas digestatee0
- Outcome
- soil aciditye0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- pHKCl 4.9 ± 0.18e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The higher application rate of biogas digestate significantly reduced soil acidity to pHKCl 4.9 ± 0.18”
t0“Switchgrass Forage”
Claim · model-written summary
The higher digestate rate improved soil sorption properties.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatumt0
- Treatment
- higher application rate of biogas digestatee0
- Outcome
- sorption propertiese0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The higher application rate of biogas digestate significantly reduced soil acidity to pHKCl 4.9 ± 0.18 and improved its sorption properties”
t0“Switchgrass Forage”
Claim · model-written summary
The higher digestate rate increased soil organic matter content from 5.6 to 6.4 g Corg kg−1.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatumt0
- Treatment
- higher application rate of biogas digestatee1
- Outcome
- soil organic matter contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 6.4 ± 0.22 g Corg kg−1e0
- Qualifier
- 5.6 ± 0.21e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“It also increased the soil organic matter content from 5.6 ± 0.21 to 6.4 ± 0.22 g Corg kg−1”
t0“Switchgrass Forage”
e1“higher application rate of biogas digestate”
Claim · model-written summary
The higher digestate rate increased soil K and Zn.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatumt0
- Treatment
- higher application rate of biogas digestatee1
- Outcome
- K and Zne0
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“and of K and Zn”
e1“The higher application rate of biogas digestate”
t0“Switchgrass Forage”
Claim · model-written summary
The higher digestate rate significantly increased switchgrass yield to 5.15 ± 0.26 t ha−1.
- Taxon
- switchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- higher level of biogas digestatee0
- Outcome
- switchgrass yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 5.15 ± 0.26 t ha−1e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The higher level of biogas digestate significantly increased switchgrass yield to 5.15 ± 0.26 t ha−1”
Claim · model-written summary
The lower digestate rate yielded forage comparable to mineral fertilizer.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatumt0
- Treatment
- lower application rate of biogas digestatee0
- Outcome
- forage yielde0
- Direction
- comparablee0
- Value
- 4.30 ± 0.20 t ha−1e0
- Qualifier
- 4.33 ± 0.22 t ha−1e0
- Comparator
- mineral fertilisatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The lower application rate of biogas digestate resulted in forage yield of 4.30 ± 0.20 t ha−1 comparable to that obtained after mineral fertilisation (4.33 ± 0.22 t ha−1)”
t0“Switchgrass Forage”
Claim · model-written summary
Mineral fertilizer and the higher digestate rate raised switchgrass panicle number over unfertilized soil.
- Taxon
- switchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Organ / stage
- first cute0
- Treatment
- mineral fertilisers and the higher level of biogas digestatee0
- Outcome
- number of panicles per plante0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 150 ± 2.49–157 ± 0.6.17e0
- Comparator
- unfertilised soile0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Following application of mineral fertilisers and the higher level of biogas digestate, the number of panicles per plant (150 ± 2.49–157 ± 0.6.17), panicle height (107 ± 1.98–114 ± 2.08), crude ash content (61.2 ± 0.43–65.5 ± 0.38) and protein content (106 ± 0.59–92 ± 1.11) in the switchgrass biomass from the first cut were higher than in the case of unfertilised soil (110 ± 3.81, 93 ± 1.32, 55.5 ± 0.40, 80.3 ± 0.37)”
Claim · model-written summary
Mineral fertilizer and the higher digestate rate raised switchgrass panicle height over unfertilized soil.
- Taxon
- switchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- mineral fertilisers and the higher level of biogas digestatee1
- Outcome
- panicle heighte0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 107 ± 1.98–114 ± 2.08e0
- Comparator
- unfertilised soile0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“panicle height (107 ± 1.98–114 ± 2.08), crude ash content (61.2 ± 0.43–65.5 ± 0.38) and protein content (106 ± 0.59–92 ± 1.11) in the switchgrass biomass from the first cut were higher than in the case of unfertilised soil”
e1“Following application of mineral fertilisers and the higher level of biogas digestate”
Claim · model-written summary
Mineral fertilizer and the higher digestate rate raised switchgrass first-cut crude ash.
- Taxon
- switchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- mineral fertilisers and the higher level of biogas digestatee1
- Outcome
- crude ash contente0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 61.2 ± 0.43–65.5 ± 0.38e0
- Comparator
- unfertilised soile0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“crude ash content (61.2 ± 0.43–65.5 ± 0.38) and protein content (106 ± 0.59–92 ± 1.11) in the switchgrass biomass from the first cut were higher than in the case of unfertilised soil”
e1“Following application of mineral fertilisers and the higher level of biogas digestate”
Claim · model-written summary
Mineral fertilizer and the higher digestate rate raised switchgrass first-cut protein.
- Taxon
- switchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- mineral fertilisers and the higher level of biogas digestatee1
- Outcome
- protein contente0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 106 ± 0.59–92 ± 1.11e0
- Comparator
- unfertilised soile0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“protein content (106 ± 0.59–92 ± 1.11) in the switchgrass biomass from the first cut were higher than in the case of unfertilised soil”
e1“Following application of mineral fertilisers and the higher level of biogas digestate”
Claim · model-written summary
Mineral fertilizer and digestate increased second-cut biomass protein, P and Mg content.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatumt0
- Organ / stage
- second cute0
- Treatment
- mineral fertilisers and biogas digestatee0
- Outcome
- content of protein, P and Mge0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The use of mineral fertilisers and biogas digestate increased the content of protein, P and Mg in biomass from the second cut”
t0“Switchgrass Forage”
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