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Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering

ISSN 2095-7505

ISSN 2095-977X(Online)

CN 10-1204/S

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Front. Agr. Sci. Eng.    2019, Vol. 6 Issue (4) : 388-402    https://doi.org/10.15302/J-FASE-2019286
REVIEW
Phosphorus status, use and recycling in a Chinese peri-urban region with intensive animal husbandry and cropping systems Results from case study in a Sino-German applied research collaboration project
Marco ROELCKE1,2(), Lisa HEIMANN1, Yong HOU3, Jianbin GUO4, Qiaoyun XUE5, Wei JIA6, Anne OSTERMANN7, Roxana Mendoza HUAITALLA8, Moritz ENGBERS9, Clemens OLBRICH10, Roland W. SCHOLZ11, Joachim CLEMENS12, Frank SCHUCHARDT13, Rolf NIEDER1, Xuejun LIU3, Fusuo ZHANG3
1. Institute of Geoecology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
2. Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
3. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
4. College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
5. Editorial Committee & Editorial Office of PEDOSPHERE, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
6. China Agricultural Science and Technology Press, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
7. Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)-Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
8. Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
9. Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
10. Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
11. Department for Knowledge and Communication Management, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
12. SF-Soepenberg GmbH, 46569 Hünxe, Germany
13. Institute of Agricultural Technology, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute (TI)-Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
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Abstract

The Sino-German research collaboration project, “Recycling of organic residues from agricultural and municipal origin in China” (2008–2012), comprising different interdisciplinary research groups, and also German small and medium-sized enterprises, aimed at developing integrated strategies and solutions for the recycling of organic residues in China. In an intensive crop-livestock agricultural region in the Shunyi District of Beijing, five typical cropping systems were investigated. The research was conducted in the form of analyses of phosphorus (P) in soil, plants, animal feed, animal products, manures, mineral and organic fertilizers and the derivation of the corresponding nutrient balances and P flows. The mean annual P balance surplus was 492 kg·ha1·yr1 P for the vegetable production system, significantly higher (P<0.05) than that for orchards (130 kg·ha1·yr1P) and cereal crops (83 kg·ha1·yr1 P). Plant-available P (Olsen-P) concentrations of topsoils (0–20 cm) had good correlations with the amounts of P applied (from mineral and organic sources). Compared to results from the Second Chinese National Soil Survey of 1981, mean concentrations of available P in soils of 19 plots investigated in Shunyi District increased 10-fold (from 7.3 to 60 mg·kg1) from 1981 to 2009. On average, the critical limit for Olsen-P concentrations (>30 mg·kg1) that can lead to increased risk of P loss was exceeded in all five cropping systems. With feed additives, the “natural background value” (Chinese Environmental Quality Standard for Soils) of copper and zinc in topsoils was exceeded at several sites. Screening for several substances in the veterinary antibiotic classes of sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones revealed widespread topsoil contamination. Calculated livestock densities were 10.6 livestock units per ha arable land in 2007. Animal husbandry is increasingly conducted in large operations, making traditional ways of reuse difficult to apply. Comparing three management systems for treatment of organic residues from a pig farm via aerobic (composting) or anaerobic (biogas) treatment in a life cycle assessment, the resulting cropland demand for a sustainable land application of biogas effluent varied between 139 and 288 ha·yr1, well above the cropland area owned by the farm (10 ha). The mismatch problems in the above context between business-as-usual and improving performance are framed and discussed as (1) the mismatch between centralized animal husbandry and smallholder farming, (2) the mismatch between livestock density and cropland, (3) nutrient (including P) recycling and increasing organic matter content versus energy production, (4) subsidies for compost production and biogas, as well as (5) advances in the regulatory framework in China.

Keywords cropping systems      life cycle assessment      North China Plain      balances and nutrient flows      transdisciplinary approach     
Corresponding Author(s): Marco ROELCKE   
Online First Date: 11 November 2019    Issue Date: 29 November 2019
 Cite this article:   
Marco ROELCKE,Lisa HEIMANN,Yong HOU, et al. Phosphorus status, use and recycling in a Chinese peri-urban region with intensive animal husbandry and cropping systems Results from case study in a Sino-German applied research collaboration project[J]. Front. Agr. Sci. Eng. , 2019, 6(4): 388-402.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/10.15302/J-FASE-2019286
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/Y2019/V6/I4/388
Fig.1  The five main cropping systems in Shunyi District of Beijing (© Lisa Heimann, 2009–2011). (a, b) Winter wheat-summer maize double-crop rotation; (c, d) Chinese cabbage-glutinous maize double-crop rotation; (e) orchards; (f) field vegetables; (g) poplar plantations.
P Winter wheat-summer maize (n = 9) Chinese cabbage-spring maize (n = 6) Field vegetables (n = 4) Orchards (n = 4) Poplars (n = 3)
P inputs/(kg·ha-1·yr-1)
Mineral 64±73 0±0 4±8 0±0 0±0
Organic* 18±32 525±822 510±445 389±411 96±167
Total 82±64 525±822 514±444 389±411 96±167
Olsen-P/(mg·kg-1) 42±32 106±51 130±68 67±43 30±0
Tab.1  Annual mineral and organic P fertilizer application rates (mean±SD) (in pure nutrients) for the five main cropping systems (2008–2009 season) and plant-available P (Olsen-P) concentrations (mean±SD) in topsoils (0–20 cm) sampled in Shunyi and Huairou Districts of Beijing in March 2009[6,14]
P balance items Cropping systems
Cereals (n = 21) Orchards (n = 23) Vegetables (n = 21)
Inputs
Mineral fertilizer 111.3 (28.5–271.1) 89.8 (0–350.4) 59.6 (0–98.2)
Farmyard manure 3.9 (0–35.6) 59.1 (0–304.5) 617.7 (177.1–1298.6)
Incorporated residues 13.1 2.6 0
Atmospheric P deposition 0.25 0.25 0.25
Total 128.6 (44.0–286.9) 151.8 (2.8–479.8) 677.6 (226.4–1362.7)
Outputs
Crop product 45.9 (29.1–59.4) 22.3 (7.4–39.6) 185.7 (66.0–351.9)
P balance
Inputs minus outputs 82.7 (–1.4–294.0) 129.5 (–10.7–464.8) 491.8 (111.3–1198.8)
Scaled to Shunyi District
Sown area in 2009 /ha 21262 1221 4847
Total P surplus /(t·yr-1) 1758 158 2383
Tab.2  Soil surface P balance calculation for three main cropping systems based on a survey in Shunyi District (2008–2009)
District Manure (fresh weight)/kt P (dry weight)/t
Cattle Pig Sheep and goat Poultry Total Cattle Pig Sheep and goat Poultry Total
Shunyi 574 983 141 194 1892 808 2567 215 743 4333
Daxing 601 569 182 362 1714 827 1485 277 1302 3891
Fangshan 236 396 79 288 999 327 1034 120 1071 2552
Pinggu 93 361 96 171 721 135 943 146 783 2007
Miyun 405 218 68 271 962 556 569 104 1130 2359
Tongzhou 424 304 89 188 1005 586 793 136 664 2179
Yanqing 406 104 17 202 729 558 272 26 911 1767
Huairou 203 98 16 111 428 278 255 24 418 975
Changping 193 103 19 55 370 264 269 30 263 826
Mentougou 6 7 7 22 42 9 18 11 85 123
Haidian 46 27 1 5 79 63 69 2 21 155
Chaoyang 53 0 0 0 53 72 0 0 0 72
Fengtai 17 11 1 6 35 24 29 2 29 84
Shijingshan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 3257 3181 716 1875 9029 4507 8303 1093 7420 21323
Tab.3  Animal manure generation and manure P generation distributed in the different districts of Beijing in 2011 (adapted from Jia et al.[?9], with permission from Elsevier)
Fig.2  Aerial view of the pilot pig farm with centralized pig houses (top right), biogas plant (center right) and composting facility (bottom left) (the “ecological feeding gardens” are not shown) (GeoEye1 2019 DigitalGlobe Inc., a Maxar Company, reproduced with permission from the Maxar Company).
Fig.3  “gan qing fen” stable system for pig production in China as used on the pilot pig farm[27] (with permission from Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology A & B)
Fig.4  Flow diagram for manure use on the pilot pig farm (dashed lines for liquids and solid lines for solids).
Content in feed samples Pregnant sow (gestation) Lactating sow (farrowing) Suckling piglet (farrowing) Weaning piglet Fattening pig
Crude protein/% 15.64±0.87 18.51±1.39 20.70 19.61±0.94 17.35±2.38
Total P/% 0.73±0.03 0.68±0.04 0.60 0.65±0.07 0.52±0.08
Tab.4  Crude protein contents (%) and P contents (%) per kg feed (90% dry matter) of feed sampled on the pilot pig farm for sows and pigs at different growth stages (mean±SD; n = 76) (adapted from Mendoza Huaitalla et al.[11])
Nutrient (g·kg-1 dry matter) Gestation Farrowing Weaning Fattening Mean
Total N 27.08±2.61 29.87±8.47 41.33±10.89 41.48±3.60 35.06
NH4+-N 5.38±1.84 4.68±2.44 7.95±1.97 7.88±2.57 16.71
Total P 29.60±4.78 30.53±7.92 19.51±1.89 15.32±1.59 23.74
Total K 11.05±1.19 11.40±2.76 17.33±4.14 12.45±1.50 13.06
Tab.5  Main nutrient concentrations in different pig manures (dry matter basis, about 28% dry matter; pig feces collected from the concrete floor of pig barns) sampled on the pilot pig farm (mean±SD; n = 140) (data from Mendoza Huaitalla et al.[12])
Total P (fresh matter) Gestation Farrowing (sow) Weaning Fattening Mean
Solid (pig manure)/(g·kg-1) 8.59±1.10 9.27±2.74 5.36±0.73 3.89±0.30
Liquid (wastewater)/(g·L-1) 0.15 0.02 0.07 0.11 0.13 (n = 76)
Tab.6  P concentrations (fresh matter basis or as sampled) in different pig manures (pig feces collected from the concrete floor of pig barns) (mean±SD; n = 20), and piggery wastewater (collected from the gutter channels and external collective ditch) sampled on the pilot pig farm (n = 76) (data from Mendoza Huaitalla et al.[12])
Fig.5  P flow in the centralized pig houses of the pilot pig farm in 2009 (kg·ha-1·yr-1 P) (translated from Hou[25]).
Fig.6  P flow in the “ecological feeding gardens” of the pilot pig farm in 2009 (kg·ha-1·yr-1 P) (translated from Hou[25]).
Pig houses Biogas plant Composting facility
Input Output Input Output Input Output
Option 1 (existing manure management system)
Feed: 23.64 t Pigs to market: 1956 LU Pig feces: 9.89 t Liquid effluent: 13.32 t Pig feces: 3.30 t Compost: 3.99 t
Dead pigs: 49 LU Poultry manure: 1.16 t Biogas sludge: 0.68 t Biogas sludge: 0.68 t
Pig feces: 13.19 t Wastewater: 2.95 t Sawdust: 0.02 t
Wastewater: 2.95 t
Sum: 23.64 t 14.0 t 14.0 t 4.00 t 3.99 t
Option 2
Feed: 23.64 t Pigs to market: 1956 LU Pig feces: 0 t Liquid effluent: 2.95 t Pig feces: 13.19 t Compost: 19.57 t
Dead pigs: 49 LU Poultry manure: 0 t Biogas sludge: 0 t Corn stalks: 0.61 t
Pig feces: 13.19 t Wastewater: 2.95 t T-Superphosphate: 5.76 t
Wastewater: 2.95 t
Sum: 23.64 t 2.95 t 2.95 t 19.56 t 19.57 t
Option 3
Feed: 23.64 t Pigs to market: 1956 LU Pig feces: 13.19 t Liquid effluent: 16.14 t Pig feces: 0 t Compost: 0 t
Dead pigs: 49 LU Poultry manure: 0 t Biogas sludge: 0 t Biogas sludge: 0 t
Pig feces: 13.19 t Wastewater: 2.95 t Sawdust: 0 t
Wastewater: 2.95 t
Sum: 23.64 t 16.14 t 16.14 t 0.0 t 0.0 t
Tab.7  Annual P input and output (in LU and t P) of the centralized pig houses, biogas plant and composting facility of the pilot pig farm (life cycle inventory, 2011) under the existing manure management system, as well as for two alternative options (data from Heck[14])
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