The plant local to us has been renting slurry storage off dairy farmers who've stopped dairying. They've got to get rid of it somewhere so don't have any choice but to do it foc.
AD Plants Digestate
- Thread starter steveR
- Start date
The plant local to us has been renting slurry storage off dairy farmers who've stopped dairying. They've got to get rid of it somewhere so don't have any choice but to do it foc.
d williams
Member
To on ha or ac at that rate ??
Digester Man
Member
To the acre. We're in a 4 cut silage system. Usually 3000g in March plus half a bag of Urea, that's it for the first cut. Then mid summer after the second cut we will go on again with 2000g and that's it til the following year, obviously the second and fourth cut get chemical Fert (straight CAN) only. The rest of our digestate either gets ploughed down for winter crops or else top dressed in the spring onto growing crops.
ollie989898
Member
Why CAN, aren't you using AN + Sulphur?
Sheep
Member
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Why is the digestate growing docks? Is this coming from bought/brought in slurry then the seeds surviving the digestion process?
Sheep
Member
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland, cant buy AN.
ollie989898
Member
Ah, I got you.
I am wondering that too. Just not enough heat generated to kill the fertility. OK in an arable seedbed though?
Digester Man
Member
We take in a small amount of slurry from elsewhere but can only assume the dock seeds are coming in with it. The process is 50 degrees for about 120 days and doesn't kill them
- Location
- Cumbria
The AD process (as a general statement) should kill dock seeds. However SOME plants maybe don't, however the problem is the plant process (retention time and operating temp).
As for ' picking out plastic ' from spread Digestate. PAS110 sets a maximum level for inert material, in addition was you're supplier accredited by the Biofertilizer Certification Scheme ?
As for ' picking out plastic ' from spread Digestate. PAS110 sets a maximum level for inert material, in addition was you're supplier accredited by the Biofertilizer Certification Scheme ?
Digester Man
Member
As above, CAN or CAN+S only. We take leaf samples and use bagged S only when required, there is a reasonable amount in the digestate already. I don't know if grass stores excess sulphur or not, but it's not something you want in the digester (H2S is toxic for the process) so we just apply in line with RB209 and no more
Ian01
Member
- Location
- In the East
How many stage is your process?
Digester Man
Member
Primary (49c), secondary (49c) and then storage tank (unheated/mixed)
- Location
- Cumbria
Why do you have two heated tanks ?
Digester Man
Member
Almost any 500kw crop fed digester irrespective of technology provider tends to have a primary and secondary both heated, I just went with it as it’s pretty standard and what the tech provider recommended.
I work in a AD plant. Our feed stock is 100% food waste. Everything that is fed into our AD tanks is all pasteurised. The digestate that is produced goes through a vibrating screen which removes the plactics. We pay hauliers to draw it off site to the farmers tanks. We are pas110 accredited. We send samples off for testing every month I think to make sure that all is OK. Anyway all the farmers who use it love the stuff. As for the weeds etc, farmers have been putting it on land full of weeds etc and it's killed them all off and 3 weeks later the fields are growing nothing but lush green grass, which is ready for cutting silage
Dukes Fit
Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
How many applications per year?
Yes they are accredited but seem to have a lot of plastic trouble people who lagoon store or keep complaining about the amount of plastic settling on the bank walls when they empty the lagoon ... I think I had 900 ton over 60 acres 3 times last year and spent £650 on spraying weeds out so probably worked out cheaper still but I’d rather not be throwing chemicals around willy nilly if the problem can be avoided too start with.... bag fert for me this year
What’s your max N over everything?
What’s your max N over everything?