FEASIBILITY OF SPENT COFFEE GROUNDS FOR USE IN TURFGRASS SYSTEMS
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Date
2020-04-20
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Abstract
The growing popularity of coffee, and recent rise in popularity of bottled cold-brewed coffee, has resulted in increase in the amount of coffee production. In 2018, the world production was more than 57 Gg of green coffee. After coffee is roasted, ground, and brewed, the spent coffee grounds (SCG) remain, leaving a byproduct that offers many favorable agronomic properties, but also contains caffeine, tannins and phenolic compounds. There is a limited body of research examining effects of SCG on plants, and little to none of this pertains to use in turfgrass systems. Spent coffee grounds have developed a favorable reputation for use on plants and soils. In addition to offering some beneficial properties, research also suggests that SCG may also have toxic effects on some plants species. Therefore, the objectives of this project were to evaluate the feasibility of using SCG as a topdressing source of nutrients or sand root zone amendment in bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) turfgrass systems. Our results demonstrate that although SCG possess a favorable C:N ratio, SCG alone do not produce responses typical of a fertilizer when applied as a topdressing. However, when combined with poultry litter, the SCG organic fertilizer GeoJava, improved turf quality relative to other organic and synthetic commercial fertilizers, including Milorganite, ammonium sulfate, and URI-PEL S.R. In sand root zone amendment evaluations, SCG incorporation promoted a number of favorable responses. Although a small amount of transient bermudagrass chlorosis was noted in the initial weeks following incorporation, these effects soon disappeared. Spent coffee grounds incorporation generally improved both water and nutrient retention properties when compared to peat moss as well as sand alone. The SCG showed comparable to improved levels of extractable soil water during dry-down, and higher levels of tissue N, suggesting effects on enhanced retention of N in the root zone. Considering the observed responses over these two-year field and greenhouse studies, SCG offers potential as a component in organic fertilizers, or directly as an alternative amendment for peat moss in sand-based rootzones.
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Spent Coffee Grounds, Sustainability, Soil Amendment