Abstract
In this paper, methane fermentation plants that produce less than 3,000m3 of digested slurry in a year are defined as small plants. Transportation and application of digested slurry to paddy fields from a small plant were planned using a model developed by the authors. A pouring method was employed for application of the digested slurry in this plant.
Pre-calculation results indicate that α (the ratio of slurry application area as basal fertilization to total slurry application area) between 0.12 and 0.62 would yield the minimum slurry storage tank volume. Although the values for α that minimize tank volume depend on the specific application conditions, these results show that the optimal values of α have a range of values rather than a single optimal ratio.
Comparisons of the pouring method to applications with a spreader for basal fertilization showed that quantities of labors and vehicles for the pouring method were lower than for application with spreaders.
