Theme 3 Production of biofertilizer,

feedstocks and methods from Denmark

Anne-Belinda Bjerre, senior scientist, Ph.D.

Biomass SP April 2012

14 essential plant nutrients in a complete

biofertilizer

Macro-elements: N, P, K, Mg, Ca, S

Micro-elements: Cu, Zn, Mo, Mn, B, Fe, Ni, Cl

All are essential for life cycle of plants,

for biomass production (mainly macro-elements),

vitamins and enzyme production (mainly-micro elements)

Role of macro nutrients N,P,K

Nitrogen (N)

The role of Nitrogen in plants cannot be emphasized enough; Nitrogen encourages development of plants, it is responsible for healthy green leaf growth which is the result of the formation of chlorophyll, which is the main unit for the production of carbohydrates, proteins and oxygen. Therefore, plants that exhibit a Nitrogen deficiency will show symptoms like stunted growth and pale green and yellow leaves. There are also claims that Nitrogen controls, the efficient utilization of phosphorous and Potassium. The plant's dependency on Nitrogen can also lead to retarded root growth and resulting in the foliage turning yellow and pale green and increasing the plant’s susceptibility to disease.

Phosphorous (P)

Phosphorous is responsible for cell development and the promotion of good root growth, particularly in fibrous roots, the vigor of the plant. Plants that suffer from a phosphorous deficiency will have poor root development and show symptoms like stunted growth, though it is not as easily recognizable at those symptoms of Nitrogen deficiency. Phosphorous deficiency is also manifested in the leaves that turn purplish in color when it is not the natural foliage or leaf color of that plant, mainly due to the abnormal increase in the sugar content and the formation of anthocyanin.

Potassium (K)

Potassium is responsible for chlorophyll formation which plays an important part in the strength of cells and encourages flower and fruit formation. Thus Potassium can enhance the ability of the plant to resist plant diseases, insect attacks and cold conditions as Potassium performs a vital role in the formation of starch as well the production and translocation of sugars in the plant. Plants that exhibit symptoms of Potassium deficiency will have like weak stems. Other symptoms of Potassium deficiency include older leaves that are floppy with yellow tips and brown margins. A note of caution though; an excess of Potassium may tend to delay maturity, though, not to be the same extent as nitrogen.

From: http://www.landscape-and-garden.com/garden-soil/basic-nutrients.aspx

Types of fertilizers

Organic fertilizer

bat guano

compost

peat moss

wood ash

bone meal

manure

Biofertilizer (organic fertilizer with added microorganisms)

Inorganic

Most common is NPK

Examples of European Biowaste –starch, crops and forrest

residues, manure waste, household waste, MSW

All feedstocks for biofertilizer

Feedstocks Recycle time

Algae 1 month

Agricultural crops 3 month – 1 year

Grasses 1 year

Shrubs 1 -5 years

Trees 5 -80 years

Oil, Gas and Coal 200 million years

Sustainability -

Recycle (or renewable) times for biomass feedstocks

From : The enginnering of chemical reactions. 2nd ed. Pp532 Oxford, 2005

EU27 biowaste generation

Biowaste and crop fertilizer potential

N P K Dry

matter

Other amounts

Straw - - 0,8-3 % 90% Lignin 5,4 mio tons

Manure 0.4% 0.09 % 0,32% 4,5 % 27 mio tons

Algae 0.5% 0.04% 0.02% 15 % Presently low in Denmark

Clover 0.72% 0.006

%

0.023% 17,5 % Lignin 0,68

%

high

Alfalfa 23

kg/ha*

0.4-

0,8 %

Relativel

y high

25 % 436 million tons in 2006

Worldwide (not much in DK)

Compost 0.6-1

%

0.4-

0.8 %

0.8-

1.2%

ideally 70

%

Guano 11-16

%

3 % 1-3 % %

*plouged in as

green crop

Other important plant constituents

Protein (nitrogen resources) examples:

Legumes (peas, beans, soya, cassava leaves)

Algae (micro and macro algae)

Grasses (clover, other species)

Special crops and herbes (lucerne, lupines)

Clover grass is a nitrogen

fixating plant and lives in

symbioses with

mycoriza

Nutrient elements in plants

Straw stems and leaves contain plant nutrient

elements of

Macro-elements: K, Na, Ca, Si,

Micro-elements: Zn, Cu, Mo,

wood biomass wheat straw, corn stover, rape seed straw Rice straw

low level medium level high level

Straw yields and utilization in Denmark

Potassium (K) products

Produkt Kvælstof (N),

pct. Kalium (K),

pct.

Svovl (S),

pct.

Fosfor (P),

pct.

Magnesium

(Mg), pct.

Flydende

vinasse 0,8 21,0 7,0 - -

Protamylass

e 1,8 0,8 0,5 0,4

Tørret

vinasse <0,4 21,0 16,0 - -

Produkt Kvælstof (N),

pct. Kalium (K),

pct.

Svovl (S),

pct.

Fosfor (P),

pct.

Magnesium

(Mg), pct.

Flydende

vinasse 0,8 21,0 7,0 - -

Protamylass

e 1,8 0,8 0,5 0,4

Tørret

vinasse <0,4 21,0 16,0 - -

Produkt Kvælstof (N),

pct. Kalium (K),

pct.

Svovl (S),

pct.

Fosfor (P),

pct.

Magnesium

(Mg), pct.

Flydende

vinasse 0,8 21,0 7,0 - -

Protamylass

e 1,8 0,8 0,5 0,4

Tørret

vinasse <0,4 21,0 16,0 - -

Plant cell walls contain mainly sugar polymers and lignin

Cellulose

C6 sugars

Hemicellulose

C5 sugars

Sugars are substrate in a biogas reactor

and in a compost process

Lignin the basic structure of humic acid in

soil

• Lignin has large ion

exchange capacity

• Lignin is similar to humic

acid

• Humic acid/lignin is

responsible for fertility in

soil

• Lignin/humic acid is

responsible for retainment

of inorganic plant nutrients

in soil

• Lignin is hardly

biodegradable

• Lignin is inert in a biogas

and bioethanol process

Manure and compost are recognized fertilizers

and soil improvers in all EU countries

Content of nutrients in manure

[Ecochem, 2012]

Methods for construction of an organic fertilizer in

Denmark

Combining a biogas and compost facility

Production of biogas – a renewable energy carrier

Recycling of biowaste resources

Utilization of energy crops from the fields

Production of a mature biological fertilizer

Pasterised - free of pathogens

Free of unwanted seeds

Lignocellulose biorefinery: Phase I

Clark & Deswarte 2008

Energy

and

Fertilizer

Process diagram

Biogas Separation Composting

Pelletizing Bagging

FEEDSTOCKS

(NUTRIENT BASED,

SUGAR BASED)

Bio

gas f

acili

ty

Biogas

Separa

tion u

nit

Fiber

Co

mp

ostin

g f

acili

ty

Fertilizer

MANURE

CLOVER

GRASS

Biogas process

Optimizing the substrate composition

Manure (nutrient elements, 6% organic matter, 94%

water, phosphorous, all other elements)

Plant and plant residues (nutrient elements (K,N), 50-90%

organic matter mainly sugars, 50-10% water)

Biogas (CH4 + CO2)

Nutrient enriched fiber fraction (P,

microelements)

Water with soluble nutrients (NH3, K,..)

Bio-fertilizer production via composting

Organic matter is used as a substrate and decomposed by aerobic

microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes). Optimization of

compost quality is directly linked to the composition and succession of

microbial communities in the composting process

The process occurs normally for 9 to 12 weeks and it is maintained

under aerobic condition as shown in the reaction scheme below.

Composting process is controlled by many factors such as

carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio, physical structure of raw material

ventilation rate, moisture content, pH level, temperature, and the

provision of essential nutrients.

Fresh organic waste + O2 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑚

stabilized organic mat. (compost) + CO2 + H2O + heat

Compost proces

Optimizing degassed biofibres from biogas plant to a

fertilizer by composting:

Addition of straw facilitates air challens and add more

nutrient elements (especially K and Si)

Addition of other feedstoock and biogas liquid to ajust and

optimise the fertilizer with nutrients

Addition of a biocatalyst converts NH3 to NH4 by pH

reduction and removes odour (Patent Thomsen & Goul,

2006)

Semi-drying the final product

Pastaurising the final product (no pathogens and seeds

left)

Process continued

Pe

llete

tizin

g

Fertilizer in pellets

Baggin

g

Final product

Addition of nitrogen fixating bacteria

Marketing

Proces development

Fertilizer standard product to penetrade the market

Special designed fertilizer to be used at diffrent climate and soil conditions

Design og sale of equipment and plants in EU and Worldwide