The quantity and composition of leachate from hop plant biomass during composting process

Čeh, Barbara (author), Luskar, Lucija (author), Hladnik, Aleš (author), Trošt, Žan (author), Polanšek, Julija (author), Naglič, Boštjan (author)

Technology that would result in a high-quality product with minimal environmental impact throughout the on-site composting process of hop biomass after harvest has not yet been developed. It is crucial to introduce composting practices that do not result in a detrimental leachate impact. Three different composting procedures that vary in terms of initial biomass particle size, additives, and pile covering were investigated. Each pile was built from 15 t of fresh hop biomass after harvest (leaves and stems), leachate was collected during the composting season (September to the end of April), and biomass was sampled and analyzed to identify good practices as well as gaps that need to be filled. Leachate quantity differed significantly in terms of the composting procedure and time stamps. There was a strong linear correlation between the amount of precipitation and leachate quantity (0.86), NH$_4$ leached amount (0.87), and total N leached amount (0.92), but not the total P amount. The composting procedure had a significant impact on the quantity of the NH$_4$ leached amount. The majority of the NH$_4$ was lost in the second month of composting. The maturation phase was the most critical for NO$_3$ loss since it had the highest amount of leached NO$_3$ and the greatest variances among the composting protocols. Considering leachate it is recommended that a membrane is used at all times during the maturation phase as well as during any heavy precipitation expected in the thermophilic phase. Whether the cover is also needed for the entire duration of the thermophilic phase (due to emission) is a matter of further research.

• Language: English
• Keywords: compost, composting, hop biomass, harvest, waste, Humulus lupulus L., leachate, runoff water, nutrient loss, hop biomass after harvest, hop waste
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 16 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 12, iss. 5, art. 2375
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-137256
• UDC: 633.791
• ISSN on article: 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app12052375
• COBISS.SI-ID: 99477507
• Publication date in RUL: 08.06.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Applied sciences
• Shortened title: Appl. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2076-3417
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522979353

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.03.2022

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: kompost, kompostiranje, hmelj, biomasa, spravilo pridelka, odpadki, Humulus lupulus L., izcedne vode, odtočne vode, izguba hranil