Alternative Fertilizer for Local Corn Farmers; The Use of Spent Biomass on an Emory Silt Loam.

Fertilizers are a significant expense for American farmers and their prices are directly tied to the cost of energy. As the price of fertilizers increase, viable alternatives are sought. Spent microbial biomass (SMB) is a by-product of corn fermentation used to produce 1,3-propanediol (PDO) at DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, LLC. Currently, the SMB is transported and disposed of in a landfill after the fermentation process but could be recycled through land application. This nitrogen-rich material could be land applied as a low-cost replacement of chemical fertilizers, reducing cost for both the industrial PDO process and farmers using SMB. The objective of this particular study was to test SMB as a potential nitrogen fertilizer for corn on an Emory silt loam in Lenoir City, TN. SMB was applied at rates of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 tons/acre, which were compared to the current farmer practice. In order to measure the quality of the SMB as a fertilizer, population density, crop height, and yield were compared across all treatments. In addition, crop nutrient uptake was monitored using a Minolta SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter and a Trimble Handheld GreenseekerTM. This research provides insight into the economic viability of SMB use on corn and fescue in local agriculture as well as the potential to decrease the volume of material in Tennessee landfills.