Ammonia Volatilization Reduced by Combined Application of Biogas Slurry and Chemical Fertilizer in Maize–Wheat Rotation System in North China Plain

Abstract

Digestate and biogas slurry (BS) are the byproduct of biogas engineering that could be used for elevating plant growth. However, the consequent emissions of ammonia from BS are considered a severe threat to the atmosphere. Herein, we conducted two consecutive field experiments with wheat–maize rotations to find out the optimum ratio of BS to combine with chemical fertilizer (CF) to reduce ammonia volatilization (AV) while keeping the stable crop yield. In maize season, 226.5 kg N/ha of CF was applied. In wheat season, 226.5 kg N/ha was applied at different ratios (100%, 80%, and 50%) between BS and CF. Our results found that the maximum yield of 6250 kg/ha was produced by CF, and this yield could be obtained through a combined application of 38% BS mixed with CF. Highest AV produced of 16.08 kg/ha by CF. BS treatments significantly reduced the emission from 18% to 32% in comparison to CF. The combined application of BS-CF produced the highest yield due to essential nutrients coming from both BS-CF. Subsequently, it reduced the AV depending on fertilizer type and fertilizer rate. An optimal ratio of 38% BS was recommended to produce the highest yield and lowest ammonia emissions. The application of BS together with different ratios of CF could be an alternative agricultural strategy to obtain desired crop yield and reduce AV in North China Plain (NCP).