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| Poster (After Call) | FZJ-2026-02635 |
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2026
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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.34734/FZJ-2026-02635
Abstract: In a circular bioeconomy, the sustainable production and supply of plant biomass is of crucial importance. A particular challenge here is the upgrading of low-yield, nutrient-poor, and non-agricultural land for the cultivation of selected plants for material and/or energy use.To address this challenge, the "Marginal Field Lab" was established in the Rhenish opencast mining area on the edge of the Hambach opencast mine. It aims to investigate the effects of targeted fertilization measures on the growth of selected plants in extremely nutrient-poor, sandy marginal soils. The presentation of the large-scale research project "Marginal Field Lab" and initial results from the plant trials conducted there were introduced at EUBCE 2025 , . Following the field seasons 2024 and 2025, we present here the evaluation of the fertilizing effects of digestates in comparison to mineral NPK fertilizers in marginal, nutrient-poor sandy substrate at different nutrient application rates. The application rates investigated corresponded to an equivalent 100 and 200 kg nitrogen (N) per hectare (ha) in the form of digestate or mineral NPK fertilizer. Digestate is a residual product from biogas production (feedstock maize silage), and its use as an organic fertilizer is in line with the principles of a bio-based circular economy. The fertilizers were applied to the marginal soil using the strip-till method as underfoot fertilization, at a depth of approx. 20 cm below the planting rows. The effect of the fertilizer on the perennial plants Miscanthus x giganteus, Sida hermaphrodita, and Silphium perfoliatum was investigated in terms of biomass yield.The results show a significant increase in biomass yield in the tested plants Miscanthus x giganteus, Sida hermaphrodita, and Silphium perfoliatum when digestates were used compared to mineral fertilizer treatments. For all three plant species, this increase accounted for 135 to 189% (100 and 200 kg N/ha) compared to the mineral fertilizer treatments. We attribute this to an interplay between a slow nutrient release and improved water and nutrient retention capacity when digestates were applied. Leachate samples collected near to the trials also showed a significant increase in N in the mineral fertilizer treatments compared to the digestate treatments. This result suggests that the mineral fertilizer is washed out of the sandy marginal substrate faster than it can be absorbed by the plants.Our results thus demonstrate the clear advantage of organic fertilization using digestates in the cultivation of the perennial plants Miscanthus x giganteus, Sida hermaphrodita, and Silphium perfoliatum in sandy marginal substrates.With this contribution to EUBCE 2026, we aim to disseminate findings from the Marginal Field Lab as part of the AgronInnoLab funding initiative. We further aim to foster dialogue around biomass production on marginal lands, with the goal of sparking new collaborative efforts in sustainable land use and bioeconomy research.
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