Utilizing Distillery Waste as Organic Foliar Fertilizer

Commodities

Practices

OMRI approved fertility inputs are increasing in price, and is increasingly more difficult to acquire in central Illinois.  In addition, these typically come from non-organic sources. We are hoping that the spent mash wash from a local, organic distillery can supplement fertility for our organic crop.

Solution:  Over a two-year period we will develop four replicated block treatments across three organic corn fields and four replicated block treatments across three soybeans fields. These will be in alternating blocks of treated and untreated. The treatment will include the liquid portion of the spent distiller’s mash. This will need to be separated from the grain portion using a continuous screen. Then it will be buffered to a neutral pH using a calcium carbonate source before being applied to the crops at roughly the V-5 stage for corn and V-7 stage for soybeans. These trials will be conducted for two growing seasons and three different farms and yields will be calculated from the treated to the untreated using either a yield monitor or weigh wagon depending on the equipment available for each farmer.  A nutrient analysis and PFAS test will also be conducted on the distiller’s mash to determine the quantity and quality of the solution.

Objectives:  First objective is assess the feasibility of using the liquid from the spent mash for use as a foliar fertilizer.  Fist step is to separate the grain from the liquid of the spent mash using a continuous screen, then we will buffer the pH to neutral using a calcium carbonate product. After that we will submit the solution for fertilizer analysis.  We will evaluate the solution for use as a foliar fertilizer before applying to the test blocks. Finally, the yields will be evaluated of the treated and untreated blocks. A SAP analysis will be used to observe nutrient content in the crops.