ZeoLIFE project (LIFE+10 ENV/IT/000321) has been conceived to test an innovative integrated zeolitite cycle aiming at reducing the NH4 content in livestock effluents and correcting agricultural soils, with improvement of the yield and economization of irrigation water and fertilizers, ultimately leading to a reduction of fresh and groundwater pollution and excessive exploitation of the water resource. An open-field experimentation of the integrated zeolitite cycle, for a 2 year cultivation, is currently being carried out. Natural zeolitites are rocks containing more than 50% of zeolites, a kind of minerals with peculiar physical and chemical properties, like high and selective cation exchange capacity (CEC), molecular adsorption and reversible dehydration. Zeolitites are capable to uptake NH4+ from solutions and to release it gradually to the roots of the plants. Natural K-zeolitite (chabasite) was mechanically mixed with swine manure in a prototype tank. In a time span of 12-18 hours, natural K-zeolitite attained cationic equilibrium by subtracting a considerable amount of NH4+ from the swine manure by selective cationic exchange. NH4-charged zeolitite was thus ready to be spread on the experimental field. During the first year of cultivation, the experimental field was divided into 6 parcels, on average 1 hectare wide. One parcel was amended with 7 kg/m2 of NH4-charged zeolitite; 2 parcels were amended with 5 and 15 Kg/m2 of natural zeolitite respectively, and the 3 remaining parcels were used as controls, i.e. cultivated in a traditional way. In the parcel amended with NH4-charged zeolitite, synthetic fertilizers were reduced by 50%, whereas in the 2 parcels amended with natural zeolitite, synthetic fertilizers were reduced by 30%. All parcels were sown with sorghum. The first agronomic measures carried out in July 2013 indicated that in the parcel amended with 7 kg/m2 of NH4-charged zeolitite, plants had a higher number of flowers (panniculi) and a more homogeneous distribution of plant highs with respect to the control parcels. In September 2013, just before harvest, 3 plants per parcel were sampled, and dimensional and weight analyses were carried out on both whole plants and their parts (leaves, stems, flowers). Plants of the control parcels were heavier than those cultivated in the amended parcels. Despite this fact, the most relevant outcome is that in the 2 parcels amended with natural zeolitite and in the parcel amended with NH4-charged zeolitite, the yield was respectively 4.9% and 15.1% higher than in the control parcels. Critical issues to be taken into account when assessing the feasibility of the ZeoLIFE project are: 1) the payback period for field amendment with zeolitite (either natural or NH4-charged), which varies between 5 and 10 years; 2) operational difficulties related to zeolitite spreading in the field; 3) the time needed for NH4-charged zeolitite production in the prototype.

European LIFE+2010 project "Zeolife - water pollution reduction and water saving using a natural zeolitite cycle". Results after the first year of experimental cultivation

FACCINI, Barbara;DI GIUSEPPE, Dario;COLTORTI, Massimo;
2014

Abstract

ZeoLIFE project (LIFE+10 ENV/IT/000321) has been conceived to test an innovative integrated zeolitite cycle aiming at reducing the NH4 content in livestock effluents and correcting agricultural soils, with improvement of the yield and economization of irrigation water and fertilizers, ultimately leading to a reduction of fresh and groundwater pollution and excessive exploitation of the water resource. An open-field experimentation of the integrated zeolitite cycle, for a 2 year cultivation, is currently being carried out. Natural zeolitites are rocks containing more than 50% of zeolites, a kind of minerals with peculiar physical and chemical properties, like high and selective cation exchange capacity (CEC), molecular adsorption and reversible dehydration. Zeolitites are capable to uptake NH4+ from solutions and to release it gradually to the roots of the plants. Natural K-zeolitite (chabasite) was mechanically mixed with swine manure in a prototype tank. In a time span of 12-18 hours, natural K-zeolitite attained cationic equilibrium by subtracting a considerable amount of NH4+ from the swine manure by selective cationic exchange. NH4-charged zeolitite was thus ready to be spread on the experimental field. During the first year of cultivation, the experimental field was divided into 6 parcels, on average 1 hectare wide. One parcel was amended with 7 kg/m2 of NH4-charged zeolitite; 2 parcels were amended with 5 and 15 Kg/m2 of natural zeolitite respectively, and the 3 remaining parcels were used as controls, i.e. cultivated in a traditional way. In the parcel amended with NH4-charged zeolitite, synthetic fertilizers were reduced by 50%, whereas in the 2 parcels amended with natural zeolitite, synthetic fertilizers were reduced by 30%. All parcels were sown with sorghum. The first agronomic measures carried out in July 2013 indicated that in the parcel amended with 7 kg/m2 of NH4-charged zeolitite, plants had a higher number of flowers (panniculi) and a more homogeneous distribution of plant highs with respect to the control parcels. In September 2013, just before harvest, 3 plants per parcel were sampled, and dimensional and weight analyses were carried out on both whole plants and their parts (leaves, stems, flowers). Plants of the control parcels were heavier than those cultivated in the amended parcels. Despite this fact, the most relevant outcome is that in the 2 parcels amended with natural zeolitite and in the parcel amended with NH4-charged zeolitite, the yield was respectively 4.9% and 15.1% higher than in the control parcels. Critical issues to be taken into account when assessing the feasibility of the ZeoLIFE project are: 1) the payback period for field amendment with zeolitite (either natural or NH4-charged), which varies between 5 and 10 years; 2) operational difficulties related to zeolitite spreading in the field; 3) the time needed for NH4-charged zeolitite production in the prototype.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11392/2238812
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