What is going on?

For sustainable and future-proof dairy farming, it is important to close cycles as much as possible at the regional level. So far, the clippings from ditches and verges are mostly removed from the region. Increasingly, dairy farmers are interested in processing this material on their farms into compost or Bokashi. Bokashi is an organic fertiliser produced by fermenting organic waste streams. The preparation of Bokashi is similar to the silage of grass or maize in livestock farming. Bokashi is used to improve soil fertility, but its effect on production and soil quality is still unknown.

What is the project doing about it?

In 2018, strip trials were established at five locations in Friesland (four on grassland and one on maize land) with different soil types. The strips were fertilised annually with (a) Bokashi and slurry (possibly supplemented with artificial fertiliser), (b) only slurry (possibly supplemented with artificial fertiliser), and (c) no fertilisation (control field 0-field). On these strips, the production of grass and silage maize was determined annually. The soil quality was determined before the trial and after three years.

What does the project deliver?

Through the research, we gained more insight into Bokashi's contribution to the build-up of organic matter in the soil, the development of soil biology, nutrient availability, and crop production.

Some outcomes of the project were that on the grassland plots, the strip fertilised with slurry and Bokashi had a higher grass yield compared to the strip fertilised only with slurry. In all strips, the organic matter in the soil increased, including in the plot without fertilisation, likely due to the aging of the grassland.

On the maize land plots, crop production on the strip fertilised with Bokashi and slurry was lower than the strip fertilised only with slurry. The percentage of organic matter increased slightly on the strip fertilised with Bokashi, while it decreased on the strip fertilised only with slurry.

Project information

Applied professor: Emiel Elferink and Goaitske Iepema
Project duration: 2018 - 2021
Project partners: Noardlike Fryske Wâlden, Municipality of Dantumadiel, Mulder Agro, Wetterskip Fryslân, Nordwin College

Downloads

Brochure Bokashi als bodemverbeteraar (*.pdf, 3,6mb)

Rapportage resultaten Bokashi proef 2021 (*.pdf, 2,9mb)