Characterization and Use of Absorbent Materials as Slow-Release Fertilizers for Growing Strawberry: Preliminary Results

Giulia Costamagna, Valentina Chiabrando, Enrica Fassone, Ilaria Mania, Roberta Gorra, Marco Ginepro and Giovanna Giacalone
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Giulia Costamagna: Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria, 5, 10125 Torino, Italy
Valentina Chiabrando: Department of Field, Forest and Food, University of Turin, Largo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
Enrica Fassone: Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria, 5, 10125 Torino, Italy
Ilaria Mania: Department of Field, Forest and Food, University of Turin, Largo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
Roberta Gorra: Department of Field, Forest and Food, University of Turin, Largo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
Marco Ginepro: Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria, 5, 10125 Torino, Italy
Giovanna Giacalone: Department of Field, Forest and Food, University of Turin, Largo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 17, 1-16

Abstract: Anaerobic digestion is one of the most important and advantageous processes in livestock manure treatment. Digestate, one of its byproducts, contains particularly high nitrogen levels that determine storage and disposal costs. Excess nitrogen can be managed through sequestration processes. This study assesses the potential of natural zeolite to adsorb ammonium ions from a simulated ammonium-rich digestate, and to verify its absorbency and efficiency to release fertilizer slowly to strawberry plants. The assessment considered the effects on the plant, fruit quality, prokaryotic abundances and relative abundance of bacterial and archaeal functional genes related to nitrification. Our results confirm that ammonium-enriched zeolites possess positive implications for strawberry plants and favorably influence bacterial nitrification. Natural zeolites demonstrated high sorption properties and were shown to be an efficient carrier of N to plants.

Keywords: microflora; nutrients; quality; strawberries; zeolite (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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