Fertiliser production: Technologies, tools and recommended practices from NUTRI-KNOW's EIP-AGRI Operational Groups

Agricultural by-products such as animal manure and processing by-products are rich in essential nutrients including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Although they are considered agricultural by-products, they have the potential to be used raw or be further processed into products to displace synthetic fertiliser reliance. In some cases, nutrients such as N which can be lost to the environment as ammonia-N for example can be captured and retained as fertiliser. Using recycled and recaptured nutrients as fertilisers in agriculture helps to close the nutrient cycle loop and can develop the local bioeconomy. This booklet gives an overview of the fertiliser production experiences, decision support tools, technologies and recommendations that are the outcomes of five EIP- AGRI operational groups related to nutrient management. These groups and associated projects have focused on producing fertilisers from agricultural by-products such as grass and manure. Furthermore, they provide knowledge on nutrient management and how the production of biobased-recycled fertilisers can contribute to a more sustainable agriculture . They do this by capturing synthetic fertiliser equivalent nutrients, which would otherwise be lost in the form of ammonia and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute to the efficient and predictable use of nutrients.