Digestate Application on Grassland: Effects of Application Method and Rate on GHG Emissions and Forage Performance
The application of digestate as a fertilizer offers a promising alternative to synthetic inputs on permanent grasslands, with benefits for productivity and environmental performance. This four-year study evaluated the impact of two digestate application methods—disc injection (I) and band spreading...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/5/1243 |
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| author | Petr Šařec Václav Novák Oldřich Látal Martin Dědina Jaroslav Korba |
| author_facet | Petr Šařec Václav Novák Oldřich Látal Martin Dědina Jaroslav Korba |
| author_sort | Petr Šařec |
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| description | The application of digestate as a fertilizer offers a promising alternative to synthetic inputs on permanent grasslands, with benefits for productivity and environmental performance. This four-year study evaluated the impact of two digestate application methods—disc injection (I) and band spreading (S)—combined with four dose variants (0, 20, 40, and 80 m<sup>3</sup>·ha<sup>−1</sup>), including split-dose strategies. Emissions of ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>), carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), and methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) were measured using wind tunnel systems immediately after application. Vegetation status was assessed via Sentinel-2-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Water Index, and Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index, and agronomic performance through dry matter yield (DMY), net energy for lactation (NEL), and relative feed value (RFV). NH<sub>3</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions increased proportionally with digestate dose, while CH<sub>4</sub> responses suggested a threshold effect, but considering solely the disc injection, CH<sub>4</sub> flux did not increase markedly with higher application rates. Disc injection resulted in significantly lower emissions of the monitored fluxes than band spreading. The split-dose I_40+40 variant achieved the highest DMY (3.57 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>) and improved forage quality, as indicated by higher NEL values. The control variant (C, no fertilization) had the lowest yield and NEL. These results confirm that subsurface digestate incorporation in split doses can reduce emissions while supporting yield and forage quality. Based on the findings, disc injection at 40+40 m<sup>3</sup>·ha<sup>−1</sup> is recommended as an effective option for reducing emissions and maintaining productivity in managed grasslands. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-8a7f06063d8a48b6b3d4393820c9ab7d2025-08-20T03:47:49ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952025-05-01155124310.3390/agronomy15051243Digestate Application on Grassland: Effects of Application Method and Rate on GHG Emissions and Forage PerformancePetr Šařec0Václav Novák1Oldřich Látal2Martin Dědina3Jaroslav Korba4Department of Machinery Utilization, Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech RepublicDepartment of Machinery Utilization, Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech RepublicAgrovyzkum Rapotin Ltd., Zemedelska 2520/16, 787 01 Sumperk, Czech RepublicCzech Agrifood Research Center, Drnovska 507/73, 161 06 Prague, Czech RepublicDepartment of Machinery Utilization, Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech RepublicThe application of digestate as a fertilizer offers a promising alternative to synthetic inputs on permanent grasslands, with benefits for productivity and environmental performance. This four-year study evaluated the impact of two digestate application methods—disc injection (I) and band spreading (S)—combined with four dose variants (0, 20, 40, and 80 m<sup>3</sup>·ha<sup>−1</sup>), including split-dose strategies. Emissions of ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>), carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), and methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) were measured using wind tunnel systems immediately after application. Vegetation status was assessed via Sentinel-2-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Water Index, and Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index, and agronomic performance through dry matter yield (DMY), net energy for lactation (NEL), and relative feed value (RFV). NH<sub>3</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions increased proportionally with digestate dose, while CH<sub>4</sub> responses suggested a threshold effect, but considering solely the disc injection, CH<sub>4</sub> flux did not increase markedly with higher application rates. Disc injection resulted in significantly lower emissions of the monitored fluxes than band spreading. The split-dose I_40+40 variant achieved the highest DMY (3.57 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>) and improved forage quality, as indicated by higher NEL values. The control variant (C, no fertilization) had the lowest yield and NEL. These results confirm that subsurface digestate incorporation in split doses can reduce emissions while supporting yield and forage quality. Based on the findings, disc injection at 40+40 m<sup>3</sup>·ha<sup>−1</sup> is recommended as an effective option for reducing emissions and maintaining productivity in managed grasslands.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/5/1243ammoniadisc injectionband spreadingfluxremote sensing |
| spellingShingle | Petr Šařec Václav Novák Oldřich Látal Martin Dědina Jaroslav Korba Digestate Application on Grassland: Effects of Application Method and Rate on GHG Emissions and Forage Performance Agronomy ammonia disc injection band spreading flux remote sensing |
| title | Digestate Application on Grassland: Effects of Application Method and Rate on GHG Emissions and Forage Performance |
| title_full | Digestate Application on Grassland: Effects of Application Method and Rate on GHG Emissions and Forage Performance |
| title_fullStr | Digestate Application on Grassland: Effects of Application Method and Rate on GHG Emissions and Forage Performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Digestate Application on Grassland: Effects of Application Method and Rate on GHG Emissions and Forage Performance |
| title_short | Digestate Application on Grassland: Effects of Application Method and Rate on GHG Emissions and Forage Performance |
| title_sort | digestate application on grassland effects of application method and rate on ghg emissions and forage performance |
| topic | ammonia disc injection band spreading flux remote sensing |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/5/1243 |
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