Assessment of Struvite as an Alternative Sources of Fertilizer-Phosphorus for Flood-Irrigated Rice

Authors

Kristofor R. Brye, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Niyi Sunday Omidire, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Leah Ashley English, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Ranjan Parajuli, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Laszlo Kekedy-Nagy, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Ruhi Sultana, Pennsylvania State University
Jennie Popp, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Greg Thoma, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Trenton L. Roberts, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Lauren F. Greenlee, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-2022

Keywords

chemically precipitated struvite; electrochemically precipitated struvite; Arkansas; life cycle analysis; economic analysis; rice production; plant nutrients

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) recovery from wastewaters as struvite (MgNH4PO4 center dot 6H(2)O) may be a viable alternative fertilizer-P source for agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic and environmental implications of struvite as a fertilizer-P source for flood-irrigated rice (Oryza sativa) relative to other commonly used commercially available fertilizer-P sources. A field study was conducted in 2019 and 2020 to evaluate the effects of wastewater-recovered struvite (chemically precipitated struvite (CPST) and electrochemically precipitated struvite (ECST)) on rice yield response in a P-deficient, silt-loam soil in eastern Arkansas relative to triple superphosphate, monoammonium and diammonium phosphate, and rock phosphate. A life cycle assessment methodology was used to estimate the global warming potentials associated with rice produced with the various fertilizer-P sources. Life cycle inventory data were based on the field trials conducted with and without struvite application for both years. A partial budget analysis showed that, across both years, net revenues for ECST and CPST were 1.4 to 26.8% lower than those associated with the other fertilizer-P sources. The estimated greenhouse gas emissions varied between 0.58 and 0.70 kg CO2 eq kg rice(-1) from CPST and between 0.56 and 0.81 kg CO2 eq kg rice(-1) from ECST in 2019 and 2020, respectively, which were numerically similar to those for the other fertilizer-P sources in 2019 and 2020. The similar rice responses compared to commercially available fertilizer-P sources suggest that wastewater-recovered struvite materials might be an alternative fertilizer-P-source option for flood-irrigated rice production if struvite can become price-competitive to other fertilizer-P sources.

Citation

Brye, K. R., Omidire, N. S., English, L. A., Parajuli, R., Kekedy-Nagy, L., Sultana, R., Popp, J., Thoma, G., Roberts, T. L., & Greenlee, L. F. (2022). Assessment of Struvite as an Alternative Sources of Fertilizer-Phosphorus for Flood-Irrigated Rice. Sustainability, 14 (15), 9621. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159621

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.