Vinasse as a fertilizer and soil amendment

Cesar A. Guerrero, EngMount Gay Dist. -

Consultant

BSTA Annual Conference MeetingFeb. 6, 2015Barbados

!Thinking out of the box!

Think about it: An scenario of sugarcane production on small

and medium farms and their importance for the country

Basic review of low cost of cane production and the sustainability of the industry

Rum distillation and Vinasse - Problem or solution? Positive and negative aspects of vinasse

Less use of synthetic fertilizers Improving cane yield and soil condition

Origen of Molasses?

The cane is harvested, transported and crushed

The juice is boiled to concentrate it, promoting sugar crystallization

Cane syrup or first syrup has the highest sugar content

Molasses is created with the second boiling and sugar extraction.

Use to be a pollutant till uses were found (alcohol distilleries, ruminant feed, etc.)

Origen of Vinasse?

Vinasse is a product of distillation of the beer (fermented Molasses-cane juice) for alcohol production.

Is an aqueous effluent with suspended solids

It is largely composed of water, organic matter and minerals elements.

Vinasse can be a valuable organic fertilizer (mostly replacing potassium), as well as an important source of water replacement on the soil.

Accordingly, it has been used by the sugarcane industry for fertirrigation, giving back to the soil nutrients that sugarcane extracts from it as it grows and matures.

If not properly handled; could be an environmental pollutant

In leading alcohol (ethanol) producing countries: vinasse is considered a nutrient source not a waste or residue, but a valuable source of nutrients.

Types of distilleries by products: vinasses, dunder, stillage, slops,

biol… All kind of feedstuff for alcohol distillation generate vinasses:

From cane juice and from molasses

From corn

From sweet sorghum

From sugar beet

Rice

From other species of Saccharum

Liquid of bio-digesters

Vinasse: alternatives for use

It’s been used as:A source for animal feed (cattle,

chickens, swine) Organic fertilizer (along with filter cake)Power generation (uses of bio-digesters

or anaerobic digester. Result: methane and organic fertilizer )

Conventional fertilizer (addition of synthetic fertilizers)

Brasil:Vinasse Typical Analysis

Mexico: typical analysis

Distillery generate 210,000 cubic mt/year. Use of 150 and 250 cubit meter/Ha. Chiapas, Mexico, 2008.

Dominican

Republic: typical vinasse

analysis from molasses

Analysis unit Results

pH 4.32

TSS (Total Suspended solids)

mg/L 40,000

TS (Total Solids) mg/L 55,300

Density Kg/L .99

Organic matter mg/L 52,100

P2O5 mg/L 2,000

K2O mg/L 6,120

Total Nitrogen mg/L 12,100

Calcium (Ca) mg/L 1,860

Magnesium (Mg) mg/L 680

Iron (Fe) mg/L 34.7

Zinc (Zn) mg/L 11.355.7

COD (Chemical Oxigen Demand)

mg/L 41,021

BOD (Biological Oxigen Demand)

mg/L 1,493

Barbados: typical analysis

Vinasse: Benefit as Fertilizer

Rich in potassium, sulfur, nitrogen and organic matter ---improves soil chemical and physical quality

Improves CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) and as a result soil fertility.

Profitable, since it reduces the demand for inorganic fertilizers

Improves biological properties (accelerate biological decomposition or residues in the field)

Replaces most of the nutrient the crop removes from the soil.

In 1986: no soil contamination of nitrates where found up to 1 mt deep in soils that had received vinasse.(Brazil)

Studies in 1996 show no influence of NO3, NH4 and other N compound in soil profile when vinasse was applied. (Brazil)

Sugarcane nutrient removal (lb/Ac)

Yield Nitrogen

Phosphorus (P2O5)

Potassium (K2O)

Sulfur (S)

100 ton 160 90 335 54

Bagasse 200 66 265 32

Total 360 156 610 86

Source: International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI)

Vinasse application and nutritional levels Vinasse Rate and Nutrient Contribution to Soil

Barbados's Proposal Scenario A 2.471 A/Ha

Vinasse rate 20,000 lt/Ha 8,094.000 lt/Ac 5,284.02

gal/HaAnalysis Range % rate ammount (Kg) Rate Kg/Ac

Solids 8.5% 1,700 688

Organic solids 0.035 0.07 700 1,400 283

567

Nitrogen 0.08% 0.1% 16 20 6

8

Phosphorous 0.01% 0.03% 3 5 1

2

Potasium 0.50% 0.75% 100 150 40

61

Calcium 0.15% 0.20% 30 40 12

16

Magnesium 0.15% 0.18% 30 36 12

15

Considerations before any application

program Information about the soil, water bodies, vinasse

and the environment is necessary:- Complete evaluation of soil (Organic Matter, N, P2O5,

K2O, Sulphur, Ca, Mg, Micros, pH, ICC, etc.)- Slopes % - Water analysis (more or less as soils analysis)- Location and distance of water bodies or wells- Climatic characteristics - Deep of water level or aquifer in the confined area

Vinasse lagoons with geo-membranes

Dominican Rep. Experience: sprinkler irrigation with gun

Reel applying vinasse to sugarcane fields

Traveler apply average of 5 Ha (12.4 Acre)/ 5-6 h/day

Estimated Volume of application 150 cubic mt/ Ha (150,000 lt/Ha)

Nitrogen injected as liquid Urea at 40 kg /Ha (86 kg/Ha Urea) or 35 kg/Ac Urea

Barbados :Equipment and Program - Proposal

Tank Capacity 4,500 gal (17,000 lt)Requirements: -150-175 tractor with hydraulic PTO (power take-off) shaft-Must be articulatedAdvantages:-more control over vinasse rate application-application will located vinasse app on sugarcane rows -avoid sprinkler application-variable rates -application range varies from 0-45 days after harvest Yield:-variable volume:10-50 gal/min x nozzle(111-570 lt/ min)-0.9 Ha/ hour (2.2 Ac/hour)

Conclusions

Fact: All man kind activity and industrial process generate by products.

The value of by products and its disposal depends on the impact to the environment and its concentrations of valuable and reusable material.

Vinasse: the result of the process to obtain alcohol from sugarcane (juice and molasses) has proven to be a valuable product.

Europe, USA, Central America, Caribbean and South America are currently using vinasse to replace nutrients required by the crop.

The application of vinasse and filter mud has increase yield and improving the sustainability of the sugarcane industry in many countries.

Reduction on the use of mineral fertilizers has positively impacted the cost of production.

Organic certification of vinasse application is promoting organic sugarcane in various countries.

Various methods of application could be implemented to deliver vinasse to sugarcane fields.

!Thanks for your kind attention!!!

Questions?