Your search found 9 records
1 Woldetsadik, D.; Drechsel, Pay; Marschner, B.; Itanna, F.; Gebrekidan, H. 2017. Effect of biochar derived from faecal matter on yield and nutrient content of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in two contrasting soils. Environmental Systems Research, 6(1):1-12. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40068-017-0082-9]
Waste management ; Faecal sludge ; Nutrients ; Septic tanks ; Nitrogen fertilizers ; Lettuces ; Soil amendments ; Soil fertility ; Biochar ; Composting ; Residues ; Yields
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047945)
http://environmentalsystemsresearch.springeropen.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s40068-017-0082-9?site=environmentalsystemsresearch.springeropen.com
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047945.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047945.pdf
(1.05 MB)
Background: Faecal matter biochar offers an interesting value proposition where the pyrolysis process guaranties a 100% pathogen elimination, as well as significant reduction in transport and storage weight and volume. Therefore, to evaluate the effect of (1) biochar produced from dried faecal matter from household based septic tanks, and (2) N fertilizer, as well as their interaction on yield and nutrient status of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), lettuce was grown over two growing cycles under glasshouse on two contrasting soils amended once at the start with factorial combination of faecal matter biochar at four rates (0, 10, 20 and 30 t ha-1) with 0, 25 and 50 kg N ha-1 in randomized complete block design. Results: For both soils, maximum fresh yields were recorded with biochar and combined application of biochar with N treatments. However, the greatest biochar addition effects (with or without N) with regard to relative yield were seen in less fertile sandy loam soil. We have also observed that faecal matter biochar application resulted in noticeable positive residual effects on lettuce yield and tissue nutrient concentrations in the 2nd growing cycle. For both soils, most nutrients analyzed (N, P, K, Mg, Cu and Zn) were within or marginally above optimum ranges for lettuce under biochar amendment. Conclusions: The application of faecal matter biochar enhances yield and tissue nutrient concentrations of lettuce in two contrasting soils, suggesting that faecal matter biochar could be used as an effective fertilizer for lettuce production at least for two growing cycles. Moreover, the conversion of the faecal matter feedstock into charred product may offer additional waste management benefit as it offers an additional (microbiologically safe) product compared to the more common co-composting.
2 Nartey, Eric Gbenatey; Amoah, Philip; Ofosu-Budu, G. K.; Muspratt, A.; Pradhan, Surendra Kumar. 2017. Effects of co-composting of faecal sludge and agricultural wastes on tomato transplant and growth. International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture, 6(1):23-36. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40093-016-0149-z]
Faecal sludge ; Agricultural wastes ; Vegetables ; Tomatoes ; Transplanting ; Seedling production ; Composting ; Cocoa husks ; Solid wastes ; Organic wastes ; Greenhouse crops ; Inorganic fertilizers ; Temperature ; Nutrients ; Biochar ; Nitrogen ; Soil amendments ; Waste management
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047992)
http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs40093-016-0149-z.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047992.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047992.pdf
(585 KB)
Purpose: Faecal sludge (FS) has been co-composted with many organic solid wastes globally. Agricultural wastes, such as oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) and cocoa pod husks (CPH), have received very little research attention as far as combining with FS is concerned. This study aimed at co-composting these wastes at different ratios to produce safe compost for use as soilless medium for raising tomato transplants. Methods: Dewatered FS (DFS) was mixed with shredded EFB and CPH at five different ratios: 1DFS:1EFB, 1DFS:1CPH, and DFS:EFB:CPH in ratios of 1:1:1, 2:1:1, and 2:2:1 and composted for 3 months. Select physicochemical parameters and pathogens were monitored every fortnightly and 3 weeks, respectively. Results: Maximum temperatures obtained ranged 46.8–54.5 °C. Though these temperatures were lower than sanitizing temperatures prescribed by USEPA, no E. coli was found in any of the piles at the end of composting. The ratio 2DFS:2EFB:1CPH was found to be the safest formulation and hence was used to grow tomato under greenhouse conditions. Tomato seeds were sown in three different growing media: 100% FS-based compost, 100% rice husk biochar, and 50% FS-based compost–50% rice husk biochar mix. Conclusion: Results showed that FS-based compost was a suitable growing medium for tomato. Further studies into the optimal rate and frequency of application of compost teas on tomato are recommended.
3 Njenga, M.; Mendum, R. (Eds.) 2018. Recovering bioenergy in Sub-Saharan Africa: gender dimensions, lessons and challenges. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 96p. (Resource Recovery and Reuse: Special Issue) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2018.226]
Resource recovery ; Resource management ; Bioenergy ; Gender ; Role of women ; Equity ; Poverty ; Energy generation ; Energy demand ; Energy resources ; Renewable energy ; Cooking ; Heating ; Waste management ; Human wastes ; Excreta ; Fuels ; Briquettes ; Business enterprises ; Marketing ; Sanitation ; Urban areas ; Households ; Refugees ; Supply chain ; Production factors ; Health hazards ; Economic impact ; Biogas ; Biochar ; Biomass ; Investment ; Empowerment ; Living standards ; Farmers organizations ; Biodigesters ; Gasifiers ; Community involvement ; Research and development ; Case studies / Africa South of Sahara / Uganda / Ghana / Kenya
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048999)
(3 MB)
There is a strong link between gender and energy in view of food preparation and the acquisition of fuel, especially in rural areas. This is demonstrated in a range of case studies from East and West Africa, where biochar, human waste and other waste resources have been used to produce briquettes or biogas as additional high-quality fuel sources. The synthesis of the cases concludes that resource recovery and reuse for energy offers an alternative to conventional centralized grid projects which, while attractive to investors and large-scale enterprises, do not necessarily provide job opportunities for marginalized communities. Reusing locally available waste materials for energy production and as soil ameliorant (in the case of biochar) in small enterprises allows women and youth who lack business capital to begin modest, locally viable businesses. The case studies offer concrete examples of small-scale solutions to energy poverty that can make a significant difference to the lives of women and their communities.
4 Gitau, J. K.; Mendum, R.; Njenga, M. 2018. Gender and improvement of cooking systems with biochar-producing gasifier stoves. In Njenga, M.; Mendum, R. (Eds.). Recovering bioenergy in Sub-Saharan Africa: gender dimensions, lessons and challenges. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). pp.49-57. (Resource Recovery and Reuse: Special Issue)
Energy generation ; Gender ; Cooking ; Biochar ; Gasifiers ; Stoves ; Biomass ; Charcoal ; Fuelwood ; Household consumption ; Role of women ; Learning ; Byproducts
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049006)
(544 KB)
5 Karg, H.; Schlesinger, J. 2018. Open space farming. In Karg, H.; Drechsel, Pay (Eds.). Atlas of West African urban food systems: examples from Ghana and Burkina Faso. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). pp.15-29.
Farming systems ; Open spaces ; Urban agriculture ; Irrigated farming ; Wastewater irrigation ; Shifting cultivation ; Dry season ; Wet season ; Cultivated land ; Crop production ; Leaf vegetables ; Soil management ; Wastewater treatment ; Biochar ; Pesticide application ; Health hazards ; Farmers / Ghana / Burkina Faso / Tamale / Ouagadougou / Boulmiougou / Gumbehene / Kossodo
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049017)
(2.19 MB)
6 Akoto-Danso, E. K.; Manka'abusi, D.; Steiner, C.; Werner, S.; Haering, V.; Lompo, D. J.-P.; Nyarko, G.; Marschner, B.; Drechsel, Pay; Buerkert, A. 2019. Nutrient flows and balances in intensively managed vegetable production of two West African cities. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 182(2):229-243. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201800339]
Wastewater irrigation ; Vegetable growing ; Nutrient balance ; Nutrient use efficiency ; Biochar ; Horticulture ; Leaching ; Volatilization ; Nitrogen fertilizers ; Phosphorus ; Potassium ; Soil fertility ; Irrigation water ; Emission ; Crop production / West Africa / Ghana / Burkina Faso / Tamale / Ouagadougou
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049077)
This study reports and analyzes nutrient balances in experimental vegetable production systems of the two West African cities of Tamale (Ghana) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) over a twoyear period comprising thirteen and eleven crops, respectively. Nutrient-use efficiency was also calculated. In Tamale and Ouagadougou, up to 2% (8 and 80 kg N ha–1) of annually applied fertilizer nitrogen were leached. While biochar application or wastewater irrigation on fertilized plots did not influence N leaching in both cities, P and K leaching, as determined with ion-absorbing resin cartridges, were reduced on biochar-amended plots in Tamale. Annual nutrient balances amounted to +362 kg N ha–1, +217 kg P ha–1, and –125 kg K ha–1 in Tamale, while Ouagadougou had balances of up to +692 kg N ha–1, +166 kg P ha–1, and –175 kg K ha–1 y–1. Under farmers’ practice of fertilization, agronomic nutrient-use efficiencies were generally higher in Tamale than in Ouagadougou, but declined in both cities during the last season. This was the result of the higher nutrient inputs in Ouagadougou compared to Tamale and relatively lower outputs. The high N and P surpluses and K deficits call for adjustments in local fertilization practices to enhance nutrient-use efficiency and prevent risks of eutrophication.
7 Asirifi, I.; Kaetzl, K.; Werner, S.; Saba, C. K. S.; Abagale, F. K.; Amoah, Philip; Marschner, B. 2021. Pathogen and heavy metal contamination in urban agroecosystems of northern Ghana: influence of biochar application and wastewater irrigation. Journal of Environmental Quality, 50(5):1097-1109. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20260]
Pathogens ; Heavy metals ; Contamination ; Urban agriculture ; Agroecosystems ; Wastewater irrigation ; Helminth eggs ; Faecal coliforms ; Escherichia coli ; Vegetables ; Biochar / Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050674)
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jeq2.20260
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050674.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050674.pdf
(0.97 MB) (993 KB)
The benefit of biochar as a soil fertility enhancer is well known and has been broadly investigated. Equally, many tropical and subtropical countries use wastewater for irrigation in urban agriculture. To assess the related health risks, we determined pathogen and heavy metal fate associated with biochar application and wastewater irrigation in the urban agriculture of northern Ghana. Rice (Oryza L.) husk biochar (20 t ha-1), N–P–K 15–15–15 fertilizer (212.5 kg ha-1), and their combinations were evaluated in a field-based experiment. Untreated wastewater and tap water served as irrigation water. Red amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.) was used as a test crop and was grown in wet (WS) and dry (DS) cropping seasons. Irrigation water, soil, and vegetables were analyzed for heavy metals, Escherichia coli, fecal coliform, helminth eggs, and Salmonella spp. Unlike the pathogens, analyzed heavy metals from irrigation water and soil were below the FAO/WHO permissible standard for agricultural activities. Wastewater irrigation caused E. coli concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 0.6 (WS) and from 0.7 to 0.8 (DS) log10 colony forming units per gram fresh weight (CFU gFW-1) on vegetables and from 1.7 to 2.1 (WS) and from 0.6 to 1.0 (DS) log10CFU per gram dry weight (gDW-1) in soil. Average log10CFU gFW-1 rates of 6.19 and 3.44 fecal coliform were found on vegetables, whereas in soil, 4.26 and 4.58 log10CFU gDW-1 were observed in WS and DS, respectively. Helminth egg populations were high in wastewater and were transferred to the crops and soil. Biochar did not affect bacteria contamination. Pathogen contamination on vegetables and in soil were directly linked to the irrigation water, with minimal or no difference observed from biochar application.
8 Singh, R.; Kumari, T.; Verma, P.; Singh, B. P.; Raghubanshi, A. S. 2022. Compatible package-based agriculture systems: an urgent need for agro-ecological balance and climate change adaptation. Soil Ecology Letters, 4(3):187-212. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42832-021-0087-1]
Farming systems ; Agroecology ; Climate change adaptation ; Agricultural policies ; Conservation agriculture ; Sustainable agriculture ; Agronomic practices ; Organic agriculture ; Cropping systems ; Rice ; Intensification ; Crop yield ; Soil properties ; Soil fertility ; Greenhouse gas emissions ; Biochar ; Bibliometric analysis
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051074)
(1.85 MB)
Besides contributing majorly in the growth of a country, agriculture is one of the severely affected sectors at present. Several modifications and adaptations are being made in agricultural practices to cope-up with the declining soil fertility and changing climate scenarios across the world. However, the development and adoption of a single agricultural practice may not help in the holistic mitigation of the impacts of climate change and may result in economic vulnerability to farmers. Therefore, it is high time to develop and recommend a group of agricultural practices i.e., package-based agriculture system having some compatibility for one another in the long term. In this article, a viewpoint has been given on some emergent agronomic practices adopted in the tropical agro-ecosystems which have potential to be developed as compatible agricultural package in combination. Moreover, we also emphasized on exploring some key indicators/environmental factors to assess the compatibility of different agronomic practices. For identifying the research transition from single to combined agricultural practices, a bibliometric analysis was performed by using conservation agriculture (CA), the system of rice intensification (SRI), organic agriculture and soil (biochar) amendment as the major agronomic practices being used for improving agro-ecological services such as improving nutrient cycling, soil fertility and crop productivity as well as climate change mitigation. The results revealed that scientific communities are now paying attention to exploring the role of combined agricultural practices for agro-ecological balance and climate change adaptation. Moreover, the limitations of the adoption of agronomic packages under different agro-climatic zones have also been highlighted. The recommendations of the study would further help the environmental decision-makers to develop potential measures for climate change mitigation without compromising the agro-ecological balance.
9 Taron, Avinandan; Singh, S.; Drechsel, Pay; Ravishankar, C.; Ulrich, Andreas. 2023. Sewage sludge: a review of business models for resource recovery and reuse. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 98p. (Resource Recovery and Reuse Series 23) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2023.211]
Resource recovery ; Resource management ; Reuse ; Sewage sludge ; Business models ; Circular economy ; Nutrients ; Energy recovery ; Organic fertilizers ; Biosolids ; Phosphorus ; Wastewater treatment plants ; Waste management ; Landfills ; Sewage treatment ; Technology ; Sludge dewatering ; Anaerobic digestion ; Incineration ; Gasification ; Pyrolysis ; Biochar ; Solid wastes ; Sludge disposal ; Composting ; Pellets ; Biogas ; Electricity generation ; Public-private partnerships ; Municipal authorities ; Policies ; Regulations ; Frameworks ; Market demand ; Costs ; Profitability ; Value chains ; Public health ; Environmental health ; Soil composition ; Case studies / Europe / USA / UK / Italy / Netherlands / Germany / Belgium / Switzerland / Spain / Denmark / Australia / Japan / China / India / Sri Lanka / Tunisia / Oman / Chile
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H052417)
(3.45 MB)
In many low- and middle-income countries, sewage sludge generated from wastewater treatment systems has potential environmental and health hazards. To tackle this challenge, there is a need for innovative options given the increasing concerns and policies restricting sewage sludge dumping in landfills and elsewhere, and a growing awareness about the resource value of sludge within a circular economy. In developed countries, water utilities, municipalities and the private sector are increasingly engaged in utilizing and innovating modern resource recovery technologies to capture biosolids, nutrients or energy from sewage sludge and reducing disposal. This study reviews existing approaches and business models for resource recovery and moves the discussion beyond technical feasibility. Case studies were analyzed in support of four main sets of business models depending on the targeted resource: (i) organic fertilizers, (ii) crop nutrients, (iii) energy, and (iv) organic fertilizers and nutrients along with energy. The extraction of organic fertilizers through dewatering, thickening, stabilization or long-term storage drives the first set of models followed by technological advances in phosphorus recovery. The business models on energy similarly start from conventional energy recovery processes (anaerobic digestion) and move toward incineration. The discussion covers recent advances in gasification and pyrolysis. Transforming sewage sludge into biochar, for example, can support soil fertility and carbon sequestration. The final set covers integrative approaches supporting soil fertility and energy needs. The critical step for emerging economies is to develop a wastewater management strategy and link it to a circular economy framework without having a negative impact on environmental and human health. While technologies and business models generally have a favorable policy environment, there is a lack of a regulatory framework that allows the marketing, use and export of recovered (waste-derived) resources for certain applications. For example, there needs to be an increase in industry acceptance of phosphorus recovered from sewage sludge to penetrate agricultural markets despite the currently still cheaper phosphate rock, which is a finite resource.
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