Quantification of the introducing potential on local biomass resources as fertilizer based on the chemical properties of soil and water in Wa Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

Continuous cereal-based systems require fertility preservation with continuous and sufficient nutrient inputs to agricultural land. Biomass resource have the potential to be self-supplied fertilizer; therefore, this study examined to quantify required fertility by measuring chemical properties of water and soil for main agricultural land (paddy fields, cereal fields and Tuber fields) and estimated the potential of local biomass resources in Wa Municipality, Ghana, for methane fermentation that can produce biogas and digest liquid as fertilizer. Average measured results of water quality indicated pH 6.2, EC 168.7 µs/cm, TDS 168.3 µs/cm, NH4+ 0.3 ppm, NO3 4.5 ppm, Me (Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Cd) 0.1 ppm, PO43- 0.4 ppm, and COD 6.3 mg/l. Similarly, soil results indicated pH 6.2, EC 65.9 µs/cm, TDS 67.1 µs/cm, NH4+ 2.3ppm, NO3− 10.8ppm, Me (Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Cd)1.9 ppm, PO43- 1.1 ppm and COD 152.0 mg/l. Estimated biomass resources in the municipality was 12, 925.6t/year combined with livestock waste, human excreta, sawdust, and agricultural crop processing waste. Potential of Nitrogen fertilizer was 34, 589.84kgN/year which can be spread about 400ha of wet paddy field and has the potential to replace chemical nitrogen fertilizer.