Granulation of poultry manure and biochar for production of organic fertilizers
2021
Jotautiene, E., Vytautas Magnus Univ., Kaunas (Lithuania) | Mieldazys, R., Vytautas Magnus Univ., Kaunas (Lithuania) | Gaudutis, A., Vytautas Magnus Univ., Kaunas (Lithuania) | Aboltins, A., Latvia Univ. of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava (Latvia)
Intensive agriculture and chemical farming deplete the soils. The growing demand for organic agricultural products encourages the use of nature-friendly, natural materials used for soil fertilization. Many farmers are already using granular organic fertilizers made from manure, meat-and-bone meal and others. Granular organic fertilizers are easier to handle, transport, store and spread in soils. Biochar is also intensively researched as a substance for improving soil quality, plant growth and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from soil. The benefits of biochar are known for the physical properties of the soil, which manifests in changes in the soil density and water holding capacity. However, the preparation of manure and biochar for granulation has significant differences compared to other organic materials, due to the moisture, density, fractional composition and other parameters of the granulated material. This requires the determination of the physical and mechanical properties of both the raw material and the final product. The article deals with the physical and mechanical properties of granular fertilizers from poultry manure and biochar. Moisture of different raw organic materials was determined, which is important for the granulation process. The density, bulk density, fractional composition, moisture and compressive strength properties of manure with biochar, raw material and granules made from it, produced in different technological regimes, were experimentally investigated. The obtained results showed that it is expedient to enrich manure granules with biochar.
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