title: Replacement of mineral fertilizers with anaerobically digested pig slurry in paddy fields: assessment of plant growth and grain quality.
abstract: Rice cultivation requires large quantities of irrigation water and mineral fertilizers. This provides an opportunity for the recycling of the plant nutrients in anaerobically digested pig slurry, large amounts of which are generated in Chinese pig farms. Hence, to promote the sustainable development of livestock and poultry breeding and rice production, a micro-plot field experiment was carried out to assess whether or not slurry can replace mineral fertilizers in rice paddy production in terms of plant tillering, grain quality, and yields. The results indicate that the total N content of the slurry can serve as an alternative source of N when compared to the control (450 kg ha-1commercial compound fertilizer (N/P2O5/K2O = 15:15:15) as basal fertilizer, 300 kg ha-1urea (N% = 46), and 150 kg ha-1commercial compound fertilizer as top-dressed fertilizer). No negative effects on plant growth or grain yield were observed, although there may be a potential risk due to an increase in grain Cu concentration. The amylose content and gel consistency of the rice grains were enhanced significantly by the use of slurry as a basal fertilizer, but the grain protein and total amino acid contents decreased. The results suggest that anaerobically digested pig slurry can replace mineral fertilizers in rice production when applied as a basal dressing together with urea and commercial compound fertilizer as top-dressed fertilizers.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, 88 North Huancheng Road in Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Jiyang College, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, 77 Puyang Road, Zhuji, 311800, China. minyanwang@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Minyan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, 88 North Huancheng Road in Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
authors.forename: Yucheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, 88 North Huancheng Road in Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, 88 North Huancheng Road in Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China. shengchunwu@126.com.
authors.forename: Shengchun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, 224 Waterloo Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
authors.forename: Anna Oi Wah
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, 88 North Huancheng Road in Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Christie
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry*; D005308:Fertilizers; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D012275:Oryza; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D008903:Minerals; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Anaerobically digested slurry; Food safety; Heavy metals; Replacement fertilization; Rice quality; Sustainable agriculture