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Agronomy
Special Issues
Recycling of Organic Wastes in Agriculture: Serving for Sustainable Agriculture
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Recycling of Organic Wastes in Agriculture: Serving for Sustainable Agriculture

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Biosystem and Biological Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 4355

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Halyna Kominko

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Technology and Environmental Analytics, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska Street 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
Interests: fertilizers; alternative raw materials; nutrient recycling; soil chemistry; waste valorization, waste treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Grzegorz Izydorczyk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Advanced Material Technologies, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Interests: fertilizers; biostimulators; agricultural chemistry; agricultural biotechnology; allelopathy; waste valorization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the face of pressure on natural resources and environmental degradation, it is necessary to optimize the use of resources and energy. In agriculture, this is possible using organic waste, which is rich in organic matter and nutrients. This approach decreases the need for mineral fertilizers, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and partially solves the problem of waste storage. However, it is worth assessing the risks associated with introducing pollutants with organic waste. According to this, this aim of the Special Issue is to showcase recent advances in the utilization of organic waste in agriculture to achieve maximum environmental benefits. We welcome the submission of original research and review articles on topics related to use of organic waste in agricultural purposes, including an integrated approach to the valorization of organic waste, the evaluation of fertilizer potential, impact on soil properties, crop productivity and quality, potential contaminants and methods to reduce their occurrence, and socio-economic analyses in terms of organic waste use.   

Dr. Halyna Kominko
Dr. Grzegorz Izydorczyk
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • organic matter recycling
  • sustainable agriculture
  • manure
  • sewage sludge
  • food waste
  • composting
  • waste valorization
  • fertilizers
  • potentially toxic elements
  • soil

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2935 KiB  
Article
Valorisation of Deinking Paper Sludge for Fertiliser Purposes: New Perspective in Sustainable Agriculture
by Halyna Kominko, Katarzyna Gorazda, Katarzyna Łoś and Zbigniew Wzorek
Agronomy 2024, 14(12), 2788; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14122788 - 24 Nov 2024
Viewed by 378
Abstract
The growth of the global population, coupled with concomitant economic development, has resulted in the generation of a substantial quantity of waste. The transition of the European Union’s economy towards a closed-loop model is prompting a comprehensive search for waste management concepts across [...] Read more.
The growth of the global population, coupled with concomitant economic development, has resulted in the generation of a substantial quantity of waste. The transition of the European Union’s economy towards a closed-loop model is prompting a comprehensive search for waste management concepts across a range of industrial sectors. The objective of this study is to valorise deinking paper sludge, which has a high potential for soil formation due to its high organic matter content. To produce organic–mineral fertiliser, the deinking sludge was subjected to acid hydrolysis, then neutralised with KOH solution and enriched with poultry litter ash. The final products were characterised in terms of their nutrient and heavy metal content. The bioavailability of phosphorus, along with the forms in which it occurs in fertilisers, was determined through the implementation of a five-step fractionation procedure. Furthermore, an eight-week incubation period was conducted to assess the fertilisers’ performance in soil. Soil samples were tested on a weekly basis for pH, water-soluble and bioavailable phosphorus content using the spectroscopic method after previous extraction in water and Bray’s solution, and catalase activity using the titrimetric method. The resulting fertilisers were found to meet the requirements for organo-mineral fertilisers and were categorised as PK-type fertilisers with a total nutrient content of 24.6–39.3%. Fractionation studies demonstrated that the fertilisers contained 20–30% of the total potentially bioavailable phosphorus. Furthermore, the long-term release of phosphorus from the fertilisers was confirmed through incubation studies. Additionally, the fertilisers were observed to contribute to an increase in catalase activity in the soil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling of Organic Wastes in Agriculture: Serving for Sustainable Agriculture)
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19 pages, 3835 KiB  
Article
Valorizing Combustible and Compostable Fractions of Municipal Solid Waste to Biochar and Compost as an Alternative to Chemical Fertilizer for Improving Soil Health and Sunflower Yield
by Samreen Aslam and Aisha Nazir
Agronomy 2024, 14(7), 1449; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14071449 - 3 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1265
Abstract
Reduced reliance on synthetic chemical fertilizers necessarily requires using renewable biomaterial-derived soil organic amendments (SOAs) in agriculture for sustained retention of nutrients through improvement in the soil organic matter (SOM). SOM replenishment through SOAs derived from wasted materials could help in its valorization [...] Read more.
Reduced reliance on synthetic chemical fertilizers necessarily requires using renewable biomaterial-derived soil organic amendments (SOAs) in agriculture for sustained retention of nutrients through improvement in the soil organic matter (SOM). SOM replenishment through SOAs derived from wasted materials could help in its valorization by furthering the sustainability prospects of agronomic crop production systems. In the current study, compost (CP) and biochar (BC) were derived as SOAs from combustible and compostable fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW) for their potential valorization by adding SOAs as potential sustainable sources of nutrients as a replacement of chemical fertilizers (CF) for sunflower crops cultivated in potted soils. The experimental design included quadruplicated soil application of MSW-derived BC and CP in discrete and combined forms, each in three doses (% w:w), viz., low (L), medium (M), and high (H), i.e., BC-L, BC-M, BC-H; CP-L, CP-M, CP-H; and BC + CP-L, BC + CP-M, BC-CP-H. The results showed that, compared to the control (soil only), the sunflower growth and harvestable yield were significantly greater in BC + CF with a medium dose and were comparable to the growth and yield obtained in soils with CF. Sunflower growth in the discrete SOAs remained less than in the combined SOAs (BC + CP) and was attributed to the comprehensive soil health improvement rendered by the applied SOAs. The soil health improvement factors included SOM, CEC, and concentrations of total and available NPK. The dose-effect comparison of the SOAs showed highly variable trends, i.e., the sunflower growth did not correspond with the increase in dose of the SOAs. It is concluded that the combined application of BC + CP derived from MSW components at a medium dose could act as a potential alternative to CF. The developed approach resulted in MSW valorization, which improved soil health and yielded a better sunflower crop. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling of Organic Wastes in Agriculture: Serving for Sustainable Agriculture)
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14 pages, 3062 KiB  
Article
Short-Term Effects of Poultry Litter and Cattle Manure on Soil’s Chemical Properties and Bacterial Community
by Gustavo Souza Lima Sant’Anna, Lucas Amoroso Lopes de Carvalho, Maura Santos Reis de Andrade da Silva, João Vitor da Silva Gonçalves, Daniel Guariz Pinheiro, Everaldo Zonta and Irene da Silva Coelho
Agronomy 2024, 14(7), 1382; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14071382 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1248
Abstract
The expansion of animal husbandry for food production has necessitated effective management of livestock waste, including cattle manure and poultry litter. Using these byproducts as organic fertilizers in agriculture represents a sustainable approach to their disposal. While these residues offer known benefits for [...] Read more.
The expansion of animal husbandry for food production has necessitated effective management of livestock waste, including cattle manure and poultry litter. Using these byproducts as organic fertilizers in agriculture represents a sustainable approach to their disposal. While these residues offer known benefits for soil health and crop productivity, further studies are needed to explore the effect of different manure microbiota on soil composition. The objective of this study was to address this gap and contribute to the advancement of this area. A randomized block design experiment was set up in the field with three replications per treatment, including the application of cattle manure, poultry litter, and a control treatment without fertilizer. After a 60 day period, the chemical characteristics and bacterial population composition of the soil were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Organic carbon, phosphorus (P), aluminum (Al), and the pH level played pivotal roles in changing the structure of the soil’s bacterial community. Notably, the incorporation of poultry litter induced more pronounced changes in both the chemical properties and bacterial community composition compared with cattle manure. Bacterial groups were enriched in the soils treated with poultry litter, which may indicate enhanced soil fertility. This association may stem from both the chemical alterations resulting from poultry litter application and the direct transfer of microorganisms from this organic fertilizer to the soil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling of Organic Wastes in Agriculture: Serving for Sustainable Agriculture)
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15 pages, 3456 KiB  
Article
Biochar Combined with Garbage Enzyme Enhances Nitrogen Conservation during Sewage Sludge Composting: Evidence from Microbial Community and Enzyme Activities Related to Ammoniation
by Jishao Jiang, Huilin Cui, Parag Bhople, Caspar C. C. Chater, Fuqiang Yu and Dong Liu
Agronomy 2024, 14(6), 1162; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14061162 - 29 May 2024
Viewed by 821
Abstract
Nitrogen loss is an unavoidable problem during composting processes, and the ammonia oxidation process significantly affects nitrogen transformation. The objective of this study was to evaluate nitrogen transformation when garbage enzyme (GE), biochar (BC), pelelith (PL) and combinations thereof were added during sewage [...] Read more.
Nitrogen loss is an unavoidable problem during composting processes, and the ammonia oxidation process significantly affects nitrogen transformation. The objective of this study was to evaluate nitrogen transformation when garbage enzyme (GE), biochar (BC), pelelith (PL) and combinations thereof were added during sewage sludge composting. Meanwhile, the succession of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) were also explored via quantitative polymerase chain reaction and high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that GE + BC and GE + PL treatments decreased ammonia (NH3) formation by 23.8% and 8.3%, and that of nitrous oxide (N2O) by 25.7% and 26.3% relative to the control, respectively. Simultaneously, the GE, GE + BC, and GE + PL treatments boosted the succession of AOA and AOB, and increased the activities of ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) and hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO) activities and the gene copies of AOA and AOB. The AMO activities, NH4-N, NO3-N, and C/N, significantly affect AOA and AOB community structures. The network analysis predicted that the AMO and HAO were secreted mainly by the unclassified_Archaea and norank_Crenarchaeota, whereas it also showed that the GE + BC improved microbial associations with AOA, enzymatic activity, and environmental factors. Thus, the addition of garbage enzyme and biochar appears to be a promising mitigation strategy to reduce nitrogen losses during the composting process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling of Organic Wastes in Agriculture: Serving for Sustainable Agriculture)
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