Land application of thin stillage from a grain sorghum feedstock

• Published in: Biomass Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 245 - 267
• Main Authors: Jenkins, Joseph W., Sweeten, John M., Reddell, Donald L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 1987; Applied Science Publishers
• Subjects: Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; alcohol; Biological and medical sciences; energy; Ethanol; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Irrigation. Drainage; land application; nitrogen mineralization; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; sorghum; stillage; Use of agricultural and forest wastes. Biomass use, bioconversion; wastewater; alcohol; wastewater; sorghum; nitrogen mineralization; Ethanol; land application; stillage; energy; Distillery by product; Monocotyledones; Organic matter; Fertilizing irrigation; Alcohol; Organic fertilization; Inorganic element; Cereal crop; Waste water; Cynodon dactylon; Sorghum bicolor; Gramineae; Mineralization; Angiospermae; Sandy loam soil; Organic nitrogen; Nitrogen; Soils; Waste reuse; Nutrient; Spermatophyta; Yield; Fodder crop; Inceptisols; Triticum aestivum; Organic amendment
• ISSN: 0144-4565; 1878-2523
• DOI: 10.1016/0144-4565(87)90055-2

Thin stillage, the wastewater from ethyl alcohol production after separation of wet solids, has high concentrations of organic solids, nitrogen and potassium and may be utilized in a land application system. Thin stillage from a grain sorghum feedstock was applied weekly using sprinkler irrigation to common bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon L.) on a sandy loam soil and was surface irrigated on grain sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L.) followed by winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) on fine-silty, mixed, thermic Fluventic Ustochrept in one growing season. Stillage application rates on soil varied from 15 to 60 mm year −1 which added 334–1040 kg N ha −1 year −1. The rate of mineralization of stillage organic N was investigated in a non-leaching, 16-week incubation test. Excessive nutrient accumulations in common bermudagrass forage were not observed with stillage applications as high as 60 mm year −1. Stillage additions increased nutrient levels in the soils, particularly N, P, and K, but toxic levels were not reached. However, the potential for nitrate and salt build-up in the long term was indicated. Approximately 27% of the stillage-applied organic N was potentially mineralizable. Thin stillage produced grain sorghum and wheat yields equal to or higher than yields obtained from ammonium fertilizer. Land application of thin stillage from grain sorghum may be a viable treatment alternative.