Nitrogen losses to the environment following food-based digestate and compost applications to agricultural land

Summary

This field study, conducted by researchers at ADAS and partner institutions, examined the environmental fate of nitrogen following application of food-waste-derived digestate and compost to agricultural soils. The work quantifies gaseous and aqueous nitrogen losses under UK field conditions, as suggested by the journal scope and author affiliations, contributing evidence on the trade-offs between nutrient recycling benefits and environmental pollution risks when deploying these organic amendments. The findings are relevant to assessing the sustainability of food waste valorisation pathways in UK farming.

UK applicability

Directly applicable to UK agricultural practice and policy. The study was conducted in the United Kingdom using digestate and compost products typical of UK food waste processing systems, and findings inform best-management practices for organic amendment application under British climate and soil conditions.

Key measures

Ammonia volatilisation, nitrous oxide emissions, nitrate leaching, soil mineral nitrogen, amendment nitrogen content and availability

Outcomes reported

The study quantified nitrogen losses (as ammonia, nitrous oxide, and nitrate leaching) following field application of food-based digestate and compost to agricultural land. It compared environmental nitrogen fate across different organic amendment types and soil conditions.

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