Nitrogen cycle in utilizing biomass as resources at rural areas

Abstract

"Biomass Nippon Strategy" was decided at the Cabinet meeting, government of Japan on December 27, 2002. Local regions have a large amount of biomass . When biomass are used, the regions are expected to have big effectiveness . But biomass at local regions is not utilized sufficiently today. There are two reasons. One is the uncertainty of its quantity . The other is left on farmland for collection cost and labor reasons . For biomass utilization at local communities, this is the key to collect /transport and convert them efficiently in their communities. However, there is little research on utilizing biomass as a resource for local regions. This is the case study to examine the effective use of biomass resources at Samegawa-Village, Higashi shirakawa-County, Fukushima Prefecture . In this region, Livestock production has increased since 1970's. Consequently, 503.0t of nitrogen/year(N/y) was imported as feed; concentrated feed, pasture, and three isonitrogenous total mixed rations (TMR). 406.8t-N/y was generated as livestock manure by two livestock production systems; one was small-scale livestock production system and the other was large-scale industrial livestock production system. Individual small-scale farmers utilize all of their livestock manure containing 141.2t-N/y to compost containing 84.8t-N/y, and applied to 769ha of farmland. On the other hand, industrial swine manure has not utilized, it has accounted for 265.6t-N/y. If this industrial swine manure composted and applied to 769ha of cultivated farmland; 436.2kg/ha of nitrogen should be applied, environmental pollution may occur. But, If these livestock manure are utilized as compost and applied to extended both 316 ha of non-cultivated farmland and 395 of non-fertilized grassland, nitrogen application rate was estimated 226.6kg/ha. Moreover, if feed crops are cultivated in those areas, 28, 440t of grass could be harvested. Recently, inflation of feed crop price, public and livestock animal health problems need feeding more grass, hay and silage. It will be a good solution that considering land-livestock balances from an environmental point of view and applying livestock manure compost to extended grassland on-site.