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Agronomy
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New Advances on Nutrients Recovery from Agro-Industrial and Livestock Wastes...
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New Advances on Nutrients Recovery from Agro-Industrial and Livestock Wastes for Sustainable Farming

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 August 2021) | Viewed by 21757

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mirko Cucina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences - Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: organic waste treatment; biopolymers; emerging contaminants; anaerobic digestion; composting; sewage sludge; bioplastics degradation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Luca Regni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 06121 Perugia, Italy
Interests: in vitro culture; micropropagation; tree crops; agricultural byproduct valorization; sustainable agriculture; C sequestration; salt stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fertilizers are critical to increasing the yield of crops and central to modern agriculture. Today, mineral fertilizers derived from non-renewable sources are the most widely used fertilizers in agriculture, even if they can represent a threat for the environment and a high cost for farmers. Agro-industrial and livestock wastes may be a sustainable source for the production of biobased fertilizers, which can represent low cost and environmentally friendly products. Different technologies are available to recover nutrients from organic wastes, but they are still not widespread on a large scale. The main limitations to nutrient recovery from agro-industrial and livestock wastes are related to negative characteristics of the waste streams (i.e., presence of emerging contaminants), technical issues in nutrient recovery, and limited knowledge on biobased fertilizer quality and effectiveness.

The aim of this Special Issue is to advance knowledge on (i) analysis of agro-industrial and livestock waste streams and potential for nutrient recovery and supply, (ii) technologies for nutrients recovery, (iii) quality of biobased fertilizers, (iv) laboratory and field assessment of biobased fertilizers, and (v) future challenges in nutrient recovery. Original research articles and concepts for review articles to address major issues are welcome.

Dr. Mirko Cucina
Dr. Luca Regni
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

  • recycle
  • organic waste
  • manure
  • nutrient recovery
  • technologies for nutrient recovery
  • anaerobic digestion
  • digestate
  • compost
  • biobased fertilizer assessment
  • environmental threats from biobased fertilizers

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 186 KiB  
Editorial
New Advances on Nutrients Recovery from Agro-Industrial and Livestock Wastes for Sustainable Farming
by Mirko Cucina and Luca Regni
Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2308; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112308 - 15 Nov 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1818
Abstract
The world’s population continues to rise, with a medium-variant forecast predicting that by 2050, the global population will have surpassed 10 billion people [1] [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances on Nutrients Recovery from Agro-Industrial and Livestock Wastes for Sustainable Farming)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

16 pages, 526 KiB  
Article
The Use of New Parameters to Optimize the Composting Process of Different Organic Wastes
by Daniela Pezzolla, Mirko Cucina, Primo Proietti, Roberto Calisti, Luca Regni and Giovanni Gigliotti
Agronomy 2021, 11(10), 2090; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11102090 - 19 Oct 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3872
Abstract
The correct development of the composting process is essential to obtain a product of high value from organic wastes. Nowadays, some composting mixture parameters (i.e., air-filled porosity, moisture and the C/N ratio) are used to optimize the composting process, but their suitability is [...] Read more.
The correct development of the composting process is essential to obtain a product of high value from organic wastes. Nowadays, some composting mixture parameters (i.e., air-filled porosity, moisture and the C/N ratio) are used to optimize the composting process, but their suitability is still debated because the literature reports contrasting results. This paper aimed to find other parameters that control the correct development of composting. The relationship between these and the compost quality was then verified. Twelve different composting mixtures were prepared using different organic wastes and bulking agents and were aerobically treated in a 300 L composter. The physico-chemical and chemical parameters of initial mixtures were analyzed, with particular regard to the total and water-extractable forms of organic C and N and their ratios and correlated with the temperature measured during composting. A positive correlation between temperature parameters during the active phase and soluble forms of N in the initial mixtures was found. A high total organic C to soluble N ratio in the composting mixtures was correlated with the low quality of the compost produced. Based on the results, a minimum content of WEN (water-extractable N) (0.4% w/w) or a TOC/WEN (total organic C/WEN) ratio in the range of 40–80 was recommended to ensure the correct development of the process and to produce compost of high quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances on Nutrients Recovery from Agro-Industrial and Livestock Wastes for Sustainable Farming)
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20 pages, 1443 KiB  
Article
Influence of Recycled Waste Compost on Soil Food Webs, Nutrient Cycling and Tree Growth in a Young Almond Orchard
by Amanda K. Hodson, Jordan M. Sayre, Maria C. C. P. Lyra and Jorge L. Mazza Rodrigues
Agronomy 2021, 11(9), 1745; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11091745 - 30 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2846
Abstract
Composting is an effective strategy to process agricultural and urban waste into forms that may be beneficial to crops. The objectives of this orchard field study were to characterize how a dairy manure compost and a food waste compost influenced: (1) soil nitrogen [...] Read more.
Composting is an effective strategy to process agricultural and urban waste into forms that may be beneficial to crops. The objectives of this orchard field study were to characterize how a dairy manure compost and a food waste compost influenced: (1) soil nitrogen and carbon pools, (2) bacterial and nematode soil food webs and (3) tree growth and leaf N. The effects of composts were compared with fertilized and unfertilized control plots over two years in a newly planted almond orchard. Both dairy manure compost and food waste compost increased soil organic matter pools, as well as soil nitrate and ammonium at certain time points. Both composts also distinctly altered bacterial communities after application, specifically those groups with carbon degrading potential, and increased populations of bacterial feeding nematodes, although in different timeframes. Unique correlations were observed between nematode and bacterial groups within compost treatments that were not present in controls. Food waste compost increased trunk diameters compared to controls and had greater relative abundance of herbivorous root tip feeding nematodes. Results suggest that recycled waste composts contribute to biologically based nitrogen cycling and can increase tree growth, mainly within the first year after application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances on Nutrients Recovery from Agro-Industrial and Livestock Wastes for Sustainable Farming)
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17 pages, 2418 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Two Different Management Practices under Organic Farming System
by Jiří Antošovský, Martin Prudil, Milan Gruber and Pavel Ryant
Agronomy 2021, 11(8), 1466; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11081466 - 23 Jul 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2265
Abstract
Organic farmers usually do not have the opportunity to address the actual symptoms of deficiency through the foliar application of synthetic fertilization, therefore, the main treatment is realized by green manure crop cultivation and application of organic fertilizers. The aim of this long-term [...] Read more.
Organic farmers usually do not have the opportunity to address the actual symptoms of deficiency through the foliar application of synthetic fertilization, therefore, the main treatment is realized by green manure crop cultivation and application of organic fertilizers. The aim of this long-term experiment was to compare two different production systems with and without livestock in terms of organic farming, and a control variant with no fertilization was also included (treatment 1). The production system without animal husbandry was based on solely the application of renewable external resources (compost or digestate) (treatment 2) and the same fertilization with the addition of auxiliary substances (AS) (treatment 3). The production system with animal husbandry included utilization of fertilizers produced on the farm (fermented urine or manure) using solely farm fertilizers (treatment 4) and in addition with AS (treatment 5). Each treatment had three replications. This work describes the average yields from four experimental years and five experimental localities. Winter wheat, potatoes, winter wheat spelt and legume-cereal mix with corn were used and examined as model crops during the first four years of this long-term research. The highest average yield of winter wheat grain and potato tubers during the first two years of the experiment were obtained after the treatments 2 (7.1 t/ha grain, 33.9 t/ha tubers) and 3 (7.0 t/ha grain, 34.1 t/ha tubers). The several times higher nitrogen content in applied digestate and compost in comparison with fermented urine and manure was probably the reason for such results. On the contrary, the results obtained from the third (spelt) and fourth (LCM and corn) experimental years favored treatment 4 (5.5 t/ha grain, 4.6 cereal unit/ha) and 5 (5.4 t/ha grain, 4.7 cereal unit/ha) from the long-term point of view. After four experimental years, the presented results supported the application of farm fertilizers as a preferable option. The treatments with additional application of AS did not provide a higher yield, therefore, such an application seems unnecessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances on Nutrients Recovery from Agro-Industrial and Livestock Wastes for Sustainable Farming)
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14 pages, 1284 KiB  
Article
An Improved Vermicomposting System Provides More Efficient Wastewater Use of Dairy Farms Using Eisenia fetida
by Xue Liu, Bing Geng, Changxiong Zhu, Lianfang Li and Frédéric Francis
Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 833; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11050833 - 23 Apr 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3070
Abstract
Dairy cattle farming produces large amounts of wastewater and it causes environmental pollution and eutrophication of rivers, but the nutrients in the waste could be recycled. Here, an improved vermicomposting system was applied to dairy farm wastewater, and wastewater with a nitrogen content [...] Read more.
Dairy cattle farming produces large amounts of wastewater and it causes environmental pollution and eutrophication of rivers, but the nutrients in the waste could be recycled. Here, an improved vermicomposting system was applied to dairy farm wastewater, and wastewater with a nitrogen content of 100 mg/L and 200mg/L tested with different combinations of organic substrates such as cow manure and rice straw in rural solid waste. Results showed that earthworms could continuously grow, wastewater (N 100mg/L) mixed with rice straw corresponding to the most significant gained weight for Eisenia fetida earthworms (2.38 to 9.12-fold), and the earthworms’ weight was positively correlated with the C/N ratio, organic matter content, and pH. Compared to the initial state, the system significantly changed physicochemical parameters in nutrients, such as the percentages of total nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, which were found to increase in vermicomposting while organic matter content, C/N ratio, and cellulose declined as a function of the vermicomposting period, and the final vermicompost was better for the absorption of plants. These results suggest that continuous wastewater addition improved the effective transformation of organic waste to allow valorizing a broad range of organic residues, and avoid the risk of environmental pollution in dairy cattle farming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances on Nutrients Recovery from Agro-Industrial and Livestock Wastes for Sustainable Farming)
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12 pages, 2141 KiB  
Article
Compost Tea Induces Growth and Resistance against Rhizoctonia solani and Phytophthora capsici in Pepper
by Ana Isabel González-Hernández, M. Belén Suárez-Fernández, Rodrigo Pérez-Sánchez, María Ángeles Gómez-Sánchez and María Remedios Morales-Corts
Agronomy 2021, 11(4), 781; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11040781 - 16 Apr 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 6500
Abstract
Compost teas (CTs) are organic solutions that constitute an interesting option for sustainable agriculture. Those that come from garden waste have been applied in vitro and in vivo on pepper plants to determine its suppressive effect against both Phytophthora capsici and Rhizoctonia solani [...] Read more.
Compost teas (CTs) are organic solutions that constitute an interesting option for sustainable agriculture. Those that come from garden waste have been applied in vitro and in vivo on pepper plants to determine its suppressive effect against both Phytophthora capsici and Rhizoctonia solani. The studied CT showed relevant content in NO3−, K2O, humic acids, and microorganisms such as aerobic bacteria, N-fixing bacteria, and actinobacteria, which play a role in plant growth and resistance. This rich abundance of microbiota in the CT induced a reduction in the relative growth rate of both P. capsici and R. solani (31.7% and 38.0%, respectively) in in vitro assays compared to control. In addition, CT-irrigated plants displayed increased growth parameters and showed the first open flower one week before those treatments without CTs, which suggests that its application advanced the crop cycle. Concerning pathogen infection, damage caused by both pathogens became more apparent with a one-week inoculation compared to a four-week inoculation, which may indicate that a microbiological and chemical balance had been reached to cope with biotic stresses. Based on these results, we conclude that CT application induces plant growth and defense in pepper plants against P. capsici and R. solani because of its relevant soluble nutrient content and microbiota richness, which provides a novel point for plant nutrition and protection in horticultural crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances on Nutrients Recovery from Agro-Industrial and Livestock Wastes for Sustainable Farming)
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