New recycling fertilizer experiments & growing season 2021 sample analyses ongoing

 We are happy to announce that our new recycling fertilizer experiments focusing on granular fertilisers based on oil-shale ash and lime enriched with essential soil nutrients is past the laboratory testing phase. In this project we work in synergy with Estonian NGO Soil Innovation Cluster and Estonian University of Life Sciences, University of Tartu  and Ekosovellus and the aim of our work package is to test most suitable fertilizer recipes for their liming and fertilisation efficiency first in lab tests and then in lab incubation. 

Lab and greenhouse tests of new granular organic fertilisers in Helsinki.

 

The recipes include mainly oil shale ash, dolomite, limestone, meat bone meal and vinasses in different proportions and currently we are finalizing report on the lab tests. Some of the fertilisers were comparable to limestone in regards of liming efficacy and also were quite promising with their fertilising properties. Now in winter we are continuing with the next step, greenhouse experiment with most promising fertilisers with barley as the crop. Next summer 2022 we will continue to field experiments, stay tuned for the results and check also other interesting results from the Cluster website https://soilprotection.earth!

Naturally, our field experiments have all been also harvested by now and plant and soil samples being currently analysed in labs. The grass yield of long-term biochar experiments was harvested in September, and under the professional coordination of Mari Unnbom, also the yields of HYKERRYS recycling fertiliser experiment were harvested, even the faba beans where we had most challenges this year. The active experimentation and monitoring in HYKERRYS experiments ends this autumn, closing five-year crop rotation 2016-2021 and thus MSc students Heikki Sikanen and Nea Similä study carefully also the longer-term effects on soil aggregate stability and water retention capacity composts and other fertilisers had. 

Harvesting, sampling and analyses of nutrient uptake and soil aggregate stability from our field experiments 2021.

Further, this autumn our research group is strengthened with four amazing trainees from UniLaSalle, France: Kevin Van Assche, Diane Maujoin,  Jeanne Bideault and Lena Jacquot. They have been busy with field sampling, yield analyses as well as what you see in the photo, analyses of nutrient uptake of plants from different fertilisers. A dream team indeed!