A potential slow-release fertilizer based on biogas residue biochar: Nutrient release patterns and synergistic mechanism for improving soil fertility

The large yield of anaerobic digestates and the suboptimal efficacy of nutrient slow-release severely limit its practical application. To address these issues, a new biochar based fertilizer (MAP@BRC) was developed using biogas residue biochar (BRC) to recover nitrogen and phosphorus from biogas slurry. The nutrient release patterns of MAP@BRC and mechanisms for enhancing soil fertility were studied, and it demonstrated excellent performance, with 59% total nitrogen and 50% total phosphorus nutrient release rates within 28 days. This was attributed to the coupling of the mechanism involving the dissolution of struvite skeletons and the release of biochar pores. Pot experiments showed that crop yield and water productivity were doubled in the MAP@BRC group compared with unfertilized planting. The application of MAP@BRC also improved soil nutrient levels, reduced soil acidification, increased microbial populations, and decreased soil heavy metal pollution risk. The key factors that contributed to the improvement in soil fertility by MAP@BRC were an increase in available nitrogen and the optimization of pH levels in the soil. Overall, MAP@BRC is a safe, slow-release fertilizer that exhibits biochar-fertilizer interactions and synergistic effects. This slow-release fertilizer was prepared by treating a phosphorus-rich biogas slurry with a nitrogen-rich biogas slurry, and it simultaneously addresses problems associated with livestock waste treatment and provides a promising strategy to promote zero-waste agriculture.