A new research project designed to benefit the new crop of farmers entering the agricultural sector across Great Britain has been launched by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), Defra, Zero Waste Scotland and WRAP Cymru.
The three-year project, which is now underway with guidance from industry, aims to benefit farmers of today and will also equip farmers of the future, by generating knowledge on how to use products such as quality compost and, for the first time, anaerobic digestate (biofertiliser).
Working with a number of agricultural colleges, the ’Digestate & Compost in Agriculture’ project will see a total of 14 field sites across Great Britain become the proving ground for quality digestate and compost, assessing how best to realise the value of the materials by examining variations in performance across crop types, soil types and climates. The results from this research will be made accessible to all farmers, including the next generation of farmers many of whom are currently taking courses at agricultural colleges across England, Scotland and Wales.
As Marcus Gover, Director of Market Development at WRAP explains "We want to help farmers get the most out of recycled organic products - now and in the future. This project will provide them with the detailed information they need to include digestate and compost in their crop nutrient plans and get the best results."
Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said: "Farmers know they have to become more innovative by producing both energy and potentially reducing fertiliser costs, so this research is critical. Young people especially understand the need for sustainability, so by working with colleges this will be an exciting project."
By investigating a range of variables in crop, soil and climate types, it is hoped that new opportunities for applications may be unearthed over the lifetime of the three-year project, broadening the traditional end-uses. For example, digestate can be thought of as a liquid fertiliser and applications to grassland may offer significant savings on traditional fertilisers, which will be tested in the studies. At the same time, impacts on soil quality and emissions of greenhouse gases, ammonia and nitrate will be monitored to provide a best practice framework, ensuring that materials can be used responsibly.
The project will show the environmental potential of alternatives to increasingly expensive traditional inorganic fertilisers, but will also highlight other potentially significant financial benefits such as increased crop quality and yield, leading the way in sustainable intensification. These combined ’wins’ make a positive business case for those in the sector considering the use of organic products not only today but for generations to come. Results are expected in Spring 2014.
