Recycling fishery waste into biobased fertilizers: Agronomic performance and soil health impacts
Zhang, J.; Edesi, L.; Talve, T.; Akyol, C.; Koll, B.; Roman, I.; Toom, M.; Aranguren, M.; Mentxaka, S.V.; Kuu, A.; De Neve, S.; Meers, E. (2025). Recycling fishery waste into biobased fertilizers: Agronomic performance and soil health impacts. Soil & Tillage Research 253: 106686. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2025.106686
In: Soil & Tillage Research. ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV: Amsterdam. ISSN 0167-1987; e-ISSN 1879-3444, more
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| Author keywords |
Broccoli yield;Field trial;Fishery waste;Nitrogen use efficiency;Soil mineral nitrogen;Soil quality;microbial biomass;organic fertilizer;broccoli cultivars;extraction method;nitrogen release;community;mineralization;carbon;management;responses |
| Authors | | Top |
- Zhang, J.
- Edesi, L.
- Talve, T.
- Akyol, C., more
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- Koll, B.
- Roman, I.
- Toom, M.
- Aranguren, M.
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- Mentxaka, S.V.
- Kuu, A.
- De Neve, S.
- Meers, E., more
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| Abstract |
This study evaluated the agronomic performance and soil impact of biobased fertilizers derived from fishery waste and by-products as circular alternatives to synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizers in short-term field experiments with broccoli. Four biobased fertilizers - bokashi pellet (BP), nutrient solution with amino acids (NPKA), fish sludge pellet (FSP), and protein fraction (PF) - were obtained from pilot installations across Europe. The evaluation focused on soil mineral N (SMN) dynamics, N use efficiency (NUE), crop yield, and soil biological responses. One week after transplanting and fertilization, SMN levels in the topsoil (0-10 cm) were the highest in the NPKA (253 f 94 kg ha-1) and PF (181 f 45 kg ha-1) treatments, comparble to the mineral fertilizer (MF; 237 f 5 kg ha-1). In contrast, FSP (68 f 17 kg ha-1) and BP (30 f 11 kg ha-1) did not significantly differ from the unfertilized soil (40 f 5 kg ha-1). Early SMN availability showed a strong positive correlation with broccoli yield and N uptake. Crop yields ranged from 8594 to 14,842 kg ha-1 among the organic treatments, with NPKA and PF performing comparably to MF (14,726 kg ha-1) and substantially better than FSP and BP. The control treatment (CON) yielded 9252 kg ha-1 . NPKA and PF also demonstrated the highest NUE values (108 % and 84.8 %, respectively), with estimated mineral fertilizer equivalents of 79.5 % and 62.7 %. Soil biological activity showed treatment-specific responses. Dehydrogenase activity, microbial biomass carbon, and phospholipid fatty acid profiles in the 0-10 cm soil layer were significantly affected by fertilizer treatments, though most microbial indicators returned to baseline levels post-harvest. Soil fauna responses were variable: Springtail abundance declined under MF, whereas mite populations were more sensitive to organic treatments. Overall, the findings suggest that certain biobased fertilizers, particularly NPKA and PF, can effectively replace mineral N fertilizers, maintaining crop productivity while enhancing soil health indicators. These results support the integration of fish waste-based biobased fertilizers into sustainable agricultural practices. |
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