A new video has been launched which will help more farmers use anaerobic digestate as a renewable fertiliser. The video has been produced by WRAP and is free to use.
‘Using digestate as a renewable fertiliser’ provides practical advice for farmers and agronomists on how to maximise the supply of nutrients to crops, and how this can be balanced with standard fertilisers.
The video sets out how including digestate in nutrient management plans can increase the potential to grow healthy crops, provides advice on cost management and tips on application timings and techniques. The video includes a tour of an anaerobic digestion plant showing the technology used to convert organic materials, including food waste, into a reliable renewable fertiliser. It outlines the benefits of using digestate which is rich in readily available nitrogen, as well as containing phosphate, potash, sulphur, magnesium and trace elements.
Ian Wardle, Head of Organics Programme WRAP said, “The potential benefits of using anaerobic digestate as a renewable fertiliser are significant. WRAP field experiments found that crop yields were greater when grown using a combination of anaerobic digestate and fertiliser, than for crops grown using standard fertilisers alone. Combined with the fertiliser savings, the increased yields could deliver an additional £300 per hectare. This video is a great way to find out more about using digestate, and shows how easy it is to use.”
The video can be viewed a www.wrap.org.uk/digestatevideo
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