| dc.description.abstract | Nutrient management is vital for food, feed, fiber, and fuel production. However, excessive application and loss (volatilization, leaching, run-off, etc.) of inorganic and organic sources of nutrients have significant, detrimental environmental impacts. Increasing prices for petroleum-based and mined fertilizers further limit opportunities for their utilization in developing nations. Torrefied and pyrolized biomass amendments can be used as alternative nutrient sources as well as carbon sequestration resources in cropping systems. The overall objective of this study was to convert high-biomass feedstocks into thermally modified, renewable soil amendments. Napiergrass, Pennisetum purpureum Schumach., (cv. Merkeron) and Pearl Millet x Napiergrass [Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br. x Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. (PMN)] were converted under atmospheric pressure with minimal oxygen at 250° C and 400° C, ground to 1 mm and 2 mm particle sizes, and compared to inorganic fertilizer for yield response in maize and PMN in a full-season field trial and short-season nursery trial. The thermally modified, pretreatment processes resulted in nutrient retention across feedstocks. When compared to the inorganic fertilizer in the full-season field trial, the renewable soil amendments had similar field responses in maize and PMN with a lower application rate. The short-season nursery trail produced on par yield responses from the inorganic fertilizer and renewable soil amendment in maize and PMN with the exception being nitrogen and yield. Finally, maize and PMN had higher phosphorus uptake with the thermally modified, renewable soil amendment in both trials. | en |
