Use of Amino Acids and Organic Waste Extracts to Improve the Quality of Liquid Nitrogen–Calcium–Magnesium Fertilizers

Eglė Didžiulytė () and Rasa Šlinkšienė
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Eglė Didžiulytė: Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilenu St. 19, LT-50270 Kaunas, Lithuania
Rasa Šlinkšienė: Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilenu St. 19, LT-50270 Kaunas, Lithuania

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-20

Abstract: Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of the global economy, but it increasingly faces sustainability challenges in meeting rising food demands. The intensive use of mineral fertilizers not only improves yields, but also causes negative environmental impacts such as increasing greenhouse gas emissions, water eutrophication, and soil degradation. To develop more sustainable solutions, the focus is on organic fertilizers, which are produced using waste and biostimulants such as amino acids. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize liquid nitrogen–calcium–magnesium fertilizers produced by decomposing dolomite with nitric acid followed by further processing and to enrich them with a powdered amino acid concentrate Naturamin-WSP and liquid extracts from digestate, a by-product of biogas production. Nutrient-rich extracts were obtained using water and potassium hydroxide solutions, with the latter proving more effective by yielding a higher organic carbon content (4495 ± 0.52 mg/L) and humic substances, which can improve soil structure. The produced fertilizers demonstrated favourable physical properties, including appropriate viscosity and density, as well as low crystallization temperatures (eutectic points from –3 to –34 °C), which are essential for storage and application in cold climates. These properties were achieved by adjusting the content of nitrogenous compounds and bioactive extracts. The results of the study show that liquid fertilizers enriched with organic matter can be an effective and more environmentally friendly alternative to mineral fertilizers, contributing to the development of the circular economy and sustainable agriculture.

Keywords: liquid organic extracts; fertilizer; amino acids; digestate; crystallization temperature; polytherm (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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