Author(s):
Sailesh Sigdel, Heather D. Karsten, Curtis J. Dell, Ronald J. Hoover
Abstract:
Anaerobic digestion and digestate solid-liquid separation are manure treatment strategies used on commercial dairy farms. These treatment strategies typically result in increased total ammoniacal nitrogen concentration (TAN) and pH, and reduced dry matter content, which tend to increase ammonia (NH3) emissions following field application. We hypothesized that shallow disk injection of liquid-separated, anaerobically digested dairy manures, compared to surface application without incorporation on no-till farmland, would reduce NH3-N emissions and conserve manure-N for crop production. Six corn (Zea mays L.) silage studies were established on commercial dairy farms across Pennsylvania in 2021-2023 with side-by-side field-scale treatment comparison strips replicated five times per farm. We quantified the impact of liquid-separated, anaerobically digested manure application methods on: i) NH3 emissions for 24 hours after application, ii) in-season soil nitrate-N, iii) cornstalk nitrate at harvest, iv) corn silage production, and iv) returns on investment.
Funder:
USDA NIFA
Award Title:
Consortium for Cultivating Human And Naturally reGenerative Enterprises: Grass2Gas
Award Number:
2020-68012-31824
Keywords:
ammonia volatilization, anaerobic digestate, anaerobic digestion, corn silage, nitrogen, shallow-disk injection, surface broadcast
Project (Abbreviated name):
G2G_Karsten_liquid_digestate_management
Team:
Grass2Gas
Geographic Location:
Pennsylvania
Families:
Bovidae, Poaceae
Species:
Bos taurus, Zea mays
Data Mirror:
Data Table Column Names and Descriptions
| Table name | Column name | Data type | Units | Column description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| data.dataset_ammonia_loss | Environment | string | NA | Six site-year (letter-number) locations on commercial dairy farms with anaerobic digester in Pennsylvania, USA from 2021 to 2023. These farms were distributed across central and southeastern Pennsylvania. |
| data.dataset_ammonia_loss | Replication | float | dimensionless | There were five replicates (i.e., plots) per site-year. The application methods were arranged in side-by-side treatment comparison strips at each farm, with widths ranging from 6.1 to 9.1 m and lengths extending from 187 to 387 m. |
| data.dataset_ammonia_loss | Total NH4 N Kg per ha | float | kilogramPerHectare | Ammonia emissions totaled over 24 hours, measured with semi-open chambers designed by da Silva Araújo et al. (2009), constructed from 2-L plastic soda bottles with a 0.1 m diameter and area of 0.005027 m² and converted to kg per ha and summarized by replicate. |
| data.dataset_ammonia_loss | Treatment | string | NA | The study design included two liquid digestate application methods: surface broadcasting (the typical farm practice) and shallow-disk injection. Digestate was applied before corn planting at each farmer's standard application rate (51,447-93,539 L/ha) between early April to late May. |
| data.dataset_ammonia_loss | Year | dateTime | YYYY | The year the data was collected. |
| data.dataset_ammonia_loss | dataset ammonia loss pkey | integer | dimensionless | A unique primary key for this table. |
| data.dataset_corn_silage_yield | Environment | string | NA | Six site-year (letter-number) locations on commercial dairy farms with anaerobic digester in Pennsylvania, USA from 2021 to 2023. These farms were distributed across central and southeastern Pennsylvania. |
| data.dataset_corn_silage_yield | Replication | float | dimensionless | There were five replicates (i.e., plots) per site-year. The application methods were arranged in side-by-side treatment comparison strips at each farm, with widths ranging from 6.1 to 9.1 m and lengths extending from 187 to 387 m. |
| data.dataset_corn_silage_yield | Treatment | string | NA | The study design included two liquid digestate application methods: surface broadcasting (the typical farm practice) and shallow-disk injection. Digestate was applied before corn planting at each farmer's standard application rate (51,447-93,539 L/ha) between early April to late May. |
| data.dataset_corn_silage_yield | Year | dateTime | YYYY | The year the data was collected. |
| data.dataset_corn_silage_yield | Yield Mg per ha DW | float | NA | Silage yield (megagrams/hectare) on a dry weight basis. Corn silage was harvested using forage choppers provided by the cooperating farms. The yield harvest areas ranged from 6.1 to 9.1-m width and 187 to 387-m length across the farms. A subsample of approximately 3000 g was collected and dried to a constant dry weight at 65°C to determine moisture content. The weight and moisture content of the chopped corn (hereafter referred to as corn silage) were measured for each plot, and the values were adjusted to determine the yield per unit area on a dry weight basis. |
| data.dataset_corn_silage_yield | Yield t per ha at 65 percent moisture content | float | NA | Silage yield (tons/ha) at 65% moisture content. Corn silage was harvested using forage choppers provided by the cooperating farms. The yield harvest areas ranged from 6.1 to 9.1-m width and 187 to 387-m length across the farms. A subsample of approximately 3000 g was collected and dried to a constant dry weight at 65°C to determine moisture content. The weight and moisture content of the chopped corn (hereafter referred to as corn silage) were measured for each plot, and the values were adjusted to determine the yield per unit area on a dry weight basis. |
| data.dataset_corn_silage_yield | Yield tons per acre at 65 percent moisture content | float | NA | Silage yield (tons/acre) at 65% moisture content. Corn silage was harvested using forage choppers provided by the cooperating farms. The yield harvest areas ranged from 6.1 to 9.1-m width and 187 to 387-m length across the farms. A subsample of approximately 3000 g was collected and dried to a constant dry weight at 65°C to determine moisture content. The weight and moisture content of the chopped corn (hereafter referred to as corn silage) were measured for each plot, and the values were adjusted to determine the yield per unit area on a dry weight basis. |
| data.dataset_corn_silage_yield | dataset corn silage yield pkey | integer | dimensionless | A unique primary key for this table. |
| data.dataset_corn_stalk_nitrate_test | CSNT mg NO3 N per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Result of the corn stalk nitrate test reported in mg ammonia nitrogen per kilogram. The measurement method involved randomly selecting ten corn plants from each plot, from which a 20 cm long section of stalk was cut 15 cm above the ground to collect the stalk sample; these sections were then cut into 2.5 cm segments for further processing. The composited stalk samples were dried and sent to Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services for NO2 analysis using an ion-selective electrode. |
| data.dataset_corn_stalk_nitrate_test | Environment | string | NA | Six site-year (letter-number) locations on commercial dairy farms with anaerobic digester in Pennsylvania, USA from 2021 to 2023. These farms were distributed across central and southeastern Pennsylvania. |
| data.dataset_corn_stalk_nitrate_test | Replication | float | dimensionless | There were five replicates (i.e., plots) per site-year. The application methods were arranged in side-by-side treatment comparison strips at each farm, with widths ranging from 6.1 to 9.1 m and lengths extending from 187 to 387 m. |
| data.dataset_corn_stalk_nitrate_test | Treatment | string | NA | The study design included two liquid digestate application methods: surface broadcasting (the typical farm practice) and shallow-disk injection. Digestate was applied before corn planting at each farmer's standard application rate (51,447-93,539 L/ha) between early April to late May. |
| data.dataset_corn_stalk_nitrate_test | Year | dateTime | YYYY | The year the data was collected. |
| data.dataset_corn_stalk_nitrate_test | dataset corn stalk nitrate test pkey | integer | dimensionless | A unique primary key for this table. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Ammonium N mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Ammonium N was determined through diffusion-conductivity as outlined in Hicks, K., Brimmer, R., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Nitrogen, ammonium by distillation, spectrophotometry, and diffusion-conductivity. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 47-53). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Environment | string | NA | Six site-year (letter-number) locations on commercial dairy farms with anaerobic digester in Pennsylvania, USA from 2021 to 2023. These farms were distributed across central and southeastern Pennsylvania. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Organic N mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Calculated by subtracting ammonium N from total N, reported in milligrams per kilogram. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total Aluminium mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Determined by open vessel acid digestion followed by ICP-OES as outlined in Spargo, J.T., & Miller, R.O. (2022). Digestion and dissolution for elemental analysis. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 61-69). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing; and Hicks, K., Miller, R.O., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Phosphorus, potassium, and metals by inductively couple plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 71-78). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total Calcium mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Determined by open vessel acid digestion followed by ICP-OES as outlined in Spargo, J.T., & Miller, R.O. (2022). Digestion and dissolution for elemental analysis. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 61-69). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing; and Hicks, K., Miller, R.O., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Phosphorus, potassium, and metals by inductively couple plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 71-78). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total Copper mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Determined by open vessel acid digestion followed by ICP-OES as outlined in Spargo, J.T., & Miller, R.O. (2022). Digestion and dissolution for elemental analysis. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 61-69). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing; and Hicks, K., Miller, R.O., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Phosphorus, potassium, and metals by inductively couple plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 71-78). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total Iron mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Determined by open vessel acid digestion followed by ICP-OES as outlined in Spargo, J.T., & Miller, R.O. (2022). Digestion and dissolution for elemental analysis. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 61-69). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing; and Hicks, K., Miller, R.O., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Phosphorus, potassium, and metals by inductively couple plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 71-78). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total Magnesium mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Determined by open vessel acid digestion followed by ICP-OES as outlined in Spargo, J.T., & Miller, R.O. (2022). Digestion and dissolution for elemental analysis. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 61-69). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing; and Hicks, K., Miller, R.O., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Phosphorus, potassium, and metals by inductively couple plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 71-78). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total Manganese mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Determined by open vessel acid digestion followed by ICP-OES as outlined in Spargo, J.T., & Miller, R.O. (2022). Digestion and dissolution for elemental analysis. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 61-69). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing; and Hicks, K., Miller, R.O., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Phosphorus, potassium, and metals by inductively couple plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 71-78). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total N mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Total N was determined by combustion following procedures in Hicks, K., Brimmer, R., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Nitrogen, total by combustion. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 27-30). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total Phosphate mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Determined by open vessel acid digestion followed by ICP-OES as outlined in Spargo, J.T., & Miller, R.O. (2022). Digestion and dissolution for elemental analysis. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 61-69). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing; and Hicks, K., Miller, R.O., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Phosphorus, potassium, and metals by inductively couple plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 71-78). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total Potash mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Water extractable P was determined with 1:100 solids:water extraction as outlined in Hicks, K., Brimmer, R., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Water extractable phosphorus, 1:100 solids to solution ratio. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 83-85). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total Sodium mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Determined by open vessel acid digestion followed by ICP-OES as outlined in Spargo, J.T., & Miller, R.O. (2022). Digestion and dissolution for elemental analysis. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 61-69). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing; and Hicks, K., Miller, R.O., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Phosphorus, potassium, and metals by inductively couple plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 71-78). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total Sulphur mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Determined by open vessel acid digestion followed by ICP-OES as outlined in Spargo, J.T., & Miller, R.O. (2022). Digestion and dissolution for elemental analysis. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 61-69). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing; and Hicks, K., Miller, R.O., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Phosphorus, potassium, and metals by inductively couple plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 71-78). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total Zinc mg per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Determined by open vessel acid digestion followed by ICP-OES as outlined in Spargo, J.T., & Miller, R.O. (2022). Digestion and dissolution for elemental analysis. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 61-69). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing; and Hicks, K., Miller, R.O., & Spargo, J.T. (2022). Phosphorus, potassium, and metals by inductively couple plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 71-78). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | Total solids Percent | float | percent | Total solids were determined by drying at 105 C following procedures in Spargo, J.T., Brimmer, R., Hicks, K., & Lessl, J. (2022). Total and volatile solids. In M.L. Wilson and S. Cortus (Eds.), Recommended methods of manure analysis (2nd ed., pp. 19-22). Univ. of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | dataset digestate composition pkey | integer | dimensionless | A unique primary key for this table. |
| data.dataset_digestate_composition | pH | float | NA | The digestate pH averaged 7.94, ranging from 7.70 to 8.08. Anaerobic digestate from raw manure slurry has been shown to have an alkaline pH due to the formation of ammonium carbonate ((NH4)2CO3) and the removal of CO2 as a result of transformation of CO32− and 2H+ to CO2 and H2O during the AD process (Moller & Muller, 2012). |
| data.dataset_pre_sidedress_nitrate_test | Block | float | dimensionless | There were five replicates (i.e., plots) per site-year. The application methods were arranged in side-by-side treatment comparison strips at each farm, with widths ranging from 6.1 to 9.1 m and lengths extending from 187 to 387 m. |
| data.dataset_pre_sidedress_nitrate_test | Environment | string | NA | Six site-year (letter-number) locations on commercial dairy farms with anaerobic digester in Pennsylvania, USA from 2021 to 2023. These farms were distributed across central and southeastern Pennsylvania. |
| data.dataset_pre_sidedress_nitrate_test | Soil Nitrate N mg NO3 N per kg | float | milligramPerKilogram | Soil nitrate N determined using the cadmium reduction method as outlined in Griffin, G., W. Jokela, D. Ross, D. Pettrinelli, T. Morris, and A. Wolf. 2011. Recommended Soil Nitrate-N Tests. p. 27-38. In J.T. Sims and A. Wolf (eds.) Recommended Soil Testing Procedures for the Northeastern United States. Northeast Regional Bulletin #493. 3rd edition. Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Delaware, Newark, DE. |
| data.dataset_pre_sidedress_nitrate_test | Treatment | string | NA | The study design included two liquid digestate application methods: surface broadcasting (the typical farm practice) and shallow-disk injection. Digestate was applied before corn planting at each farmer's standard application rate (51,447-93,539 L/ha) between early April to late May. |
| data.dataset_pre_sidedress_nitrate_test | Year | dateTime | YYYY | The year the data was collected. |
| data.dataset_pre_sidedress_nitrate_test | dataset pre sidedress nitrate test pkey | integer | dimensionless | A unique primary key for this table. |