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This final report from the project “Residual materials from marine industries as fertilisers in organic agriculture” is an example of blue-green collaboration. Such collaboration has been a strategic goal for many Norwegian research and innovation activities since the terms bioeconomy and circular economy came high on the agenda. Significant amounts of residual raw materials from marine industry are still poorly utilized. Traditionally, seaweeds and residues of fish and other sea animals were applied as feed and fertilisers along the coast of Norway, as elsewhere in coastal regions. These valuable materials should still be applied in agriculture, but the application needs to be adapted to a more professional and large-scale production. Organic agriculture aims at being selfsufficient in nutrients and other inputs for the production. A further aim is to recycle nutrients and organic matter not only inside the farm by feeding manure-producing animals, but by recycling nutrients lost from the farm by sales of products, and by runoff and emissions. The RESTOR project (2018-2022) has provided resources for establishing a significant research and developmental work on marine-derived fertilisers at the Norwegian Centre for Organic Agriculture (NORSØK). Marine derived fertilisers, especially from sustainable collection or capture of natural renewable resources, may fit well to the aims of organic agriculture. The project has tested residual materials rich in bones from industry processing white fish species (cod, saithe, longfish etc.), and residual material from chemical extraction of rockweed. The materials have been tested as fertilisers and soil amendments, with controlled trials indoor and in the field. A general result is a very rapid growth effect of fishbones in the year of application, with a residual effect in subsequent years resembling that of dried poultry manure. The algae fiber has no immediate fertiliser effect but has a significant residual growth effect. D

This lecture explains some basic characteristics of the elements nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), and their important role as macronutrients for crop plants. Further, the significant contribution of current agricultural systems to overload the planetary boundaries for biochemical flows of N and P are discussed. The lecture then presents fertilisers derived from marine residual materials which are currently poorly utilised (bone-rich material from fish; seaweed residues). Raw materials are discussed, along with results of pot and field trials carried out with marine materials. Fish residues were applied as NPCa-fertilisers around 1910, with significant export of fish-based "guano" from Norway.

The file is a collection of slides presented during a field day to see an outdoor experiment with application of seaweed materials to agricultural crops. The materials were residues from extraction of liquid fertilisers, or other residual seaweed materials, provided by collaborating industry partners.

This presentation was an update about the ongoing research activities inside two related projects, SeaSoil and MariGreen, both funded by the ERA net BLue Bio cofund. Both project works with different topics related to the application of marine-derived residual materials as fertilisers.The target group was about 20 students from Øya vocational school, studying agronomy.

This presentation was given during the Organic-PLUS evaluation meeting (webinar) on February 6, 2023, on behalf of many colleagues involved in the WP5 SOIl work package of Organic-PLUS. The file gives an overview of deliverables and conclusions in the major tasks of this WP, which were named Peat, Plastic and Fertiliers. We worked with growing media phasing out the use of peat; completely degradable plastic mulchi and other accessories from renewable materials based on potato starch; and a range of materials applicable to phase out animal-derived fertilisers from organic growing.

This presentation was given at the final seminar of the NIBIO-project "UrbanFarms" (2019-2023), in Oslo on June 5, 2023. On 10 farms near Oslo or Bergen, soil was sampled to measure concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs, often named heavy metals). Norwegian data for PTEs in fertilisers which are applicable in a (peri)urban agriculture were used to assess for which elements and over which time spans the average soil concentrations would approach limits for soil quality in national regulations. Limits were reached within 20-450 years, and first for zink and copper. These elements are essential micronutrients for crop plants. Soil quality limits in Norway are strict compared with trhe EU, and need consideration to increase application of locally available fertilisers.

The first part of this report deals with peat as a natural resource in the three Scandinavian countries; Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Mires with peat receive raised awareness today with increased climate change and decreased biodiversity. The authorities and several non-governmental organizations are advocating to reduce the use of peat. Communication is often directed towards private users, who undertake about half of the peat sold for growing media as estimated both by volume and value. Private growers may act as a driver for change to reduce peat use because they can afford to pay more for alternatives than commercial growers, and they can take more risks if growing media do not always perform well. Organic regulations restrict the use of peat to horticulture. Since mineral nitrogen fertilisers may not be applied in organic growing, the development of growing media for the organic sector may increase our knowledge on applicability of organic materials more rich in nutrients than peat e.g. composts. Scandinavian studies on peat-reduced growing media are plenty but the results are not always translated to or explained in English. Research and industry have cooperated in the attempts to replace peat. Students have done efforts to find solutions and several written works are published. Wood products, possibly composted, are relevant to replace peat in growing media in Scandinavia where woody material is plenty. Other materials to be applied could be solid digestate from biogas plants, waste from industry and agriculture or residual materials from private gardens and public green areas. Substrates applied in growing media need to be studied both separately and in mixtures. Volume, processing and price are other factors to be considered. Because peat has unique properties as growing media, cultivation of white mosses in “paludi-culture” has received some interest and is briefly described in the report. The report briefly presents some peat-free products available on the

Thanks to the nutrient budget tool NutriGadget, available at https://orgprints.org/id/eprint/38025/ and developed by Reimer et al in H2020 project RELACS, NORSØK has developed a tool for planning the fertiliser management in market gardens. In market gardens, intensive small-scale vegetable production is carried out, usually in fixed in high beds with restricted input of mechanical support such as soil tillage. Application of composts and mulching material may lead to high surplus of nutrients, and even if the total area as small, a tool for evaluating the nutrient budgets for N, P, K and other plant nutrients may be of interest. The tool as such (Excel file) is available at https://orgprints.org/id/eprint/44305/ . More data on the yield levels in organic market gardens are welcome.

Even in dairy cow farming systems, organic farming systems need to replace nutrients, especially phosphorus, being depleted by regular export of products. Recycled fertilisers are one option, Organic-PLUS works with materials such as digestate. A former CORE Organic project, IMPROVE-P, conducted a mapping of stakeholders' opinions on the use of recycled fertilisers in organic farming, and the results were referred in this lecture. Information about recycled fertilisers, e.g., struvite, made the participants in several workshops more positive towards their use in organic farming.

The history and future of fertilisers derived from marine residual materials

Residues of captured fish and seweed are interesting for application as fertilisers in organic growing. 3 lectures were held for vocational school students in Kristiansund, Norway during a RCN campaign "Research days 2022" (Forskningsdagene 2022).

Fish residues and seaweed are interesting for fertilisation of crops

NORSØK has worked with residues of Ascophyllum nodosum (bladderwrack) after chemical extraction over several years, applying these residues as a sol amendment. The residual effect on plant growth has been significant. Seaweed material is high in K and Mg,and hence combines well with fish-derived materials rich in N, P and Ca to complete crop plants' demand for nutrients.

Fjørfegjødsel inneholder mer N og mindre organisk materiale enn gjødsel fra andre dyreslag. Slik gjødsel er også ganske tørr. Husdyrgjødsel er mest utsatt for ammoniakktap når den inneholder 30-70 % tørrstoff (TS), dvs. akkurat den tørrhetsgraden som gjelder for gjødsel fra både verpehøns og slaktefjørfe. Det er mulig å redusere NH3-tapet ved å tørke gjødsla, men den må da i så fall tørkes til minst 80% TS. Dette vil kreve mye energi, og gi en gjødsel som er krevende å håndtere siden det lett vil bli oppfukting, som vil gi N-tap. Selv i et lager med tak kan det komme fuktighet inn fra sidene med nedbør og vind. Å kreve lager med tak for en gjødselhaug som uansett vil gi fra seg NH3 under lagring, er kanskje ikke så fornuftig. Å dekke fast husdyrgjødsel med duk eller presenning er derimot et tiltak som alle med ansvar for slik gjødsel bør gjennomføre. Det vil gi en mer næringsrik gjødsel, eventuelt kompost, og mindre nitrogentap til omgivelsene. En skikkelig kompostduk koster litt penger, men er solid og kan brukes i mange år.

In organic farming systems, soil-plant systems fertility is sustained by recycling of nutrients through the addition of organic inputs and nitrogen fixation by clover and other legumes. Several of the nutrients in fertilisers are limited resources. Thus, it is crucial to recycle nutrients from various value chains so that in the future also one can produce fertilisers that ensure good plant crops in both conventional and organic agricultural production. The fishing industry produces large amounts of fish waste. In 2018 in Norway about 40% of fish waste was not utilised, which is a substantial amount. Fish waste such as fish backbones and bones-rich heads are an important source of phosphorus and calcium. We applied fish waste (fish sediments, conserved with formic acid) that originates from the white fish industry in our field experiments with ryegrass, oats, and leek. Fish sediments showed a quick and good effect on the growth of plants. However, to apply as a fertiliser, the fish sediments need to be dried to remove moisture, reduce odour and deterioration rate. The drying method/drying temperature can affect the pH, total nitrogen, and ammonium nitrogen concentrations. In this project, we investigated how the fish waste (fish sediments and minced fish backs) are affected by the drying in a cabinet, adjusted to temperatures 25C, 40C, and 80C with and without air-circulation, and by drying in a freeze dryer and a microwave oven. We studied how different drying temperatures affect the sample weight over time and which method was most effective. Additionally, we also investigated how different methods of drying can affect the pH and the concentrations of total nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen in fish sediments and minced fish backs. Altogether, cabinet drying with air-circulation was found to be more effective as compared to drying without air-circulation for both fish sediments and minced fish backs, particularly in terms of reduction of moisture/weight reduction o

Denne rapporten er skrevet på oppdrag fra Landbruks- og matdepartementet i januar-mars 2021. Oppdraget var å vurdere hensiktsmessigheten av et eventuelt krav om tørr lagring av fjørfegjødsel. Rapporten beregner mengde produsert fjørfegjødsel i Norge ut fra tilgjengelig statistikk, og beskriver dagens produksjon av fjørfe med tilhørende håndtering av fjørfegjødsel. Deretter drøftes lagring av tørr gjødsel (fra slaktekylling og kalkun) og halvtørr gjødsel (fra verpehøns) og hvordan dette best kan skje for å unngå gasstap. Tap av ammoniakk fra bygninger med fjørfe og under lagring og spredning av gjødsel er en viktig miljøutfordring for fjørfenæringa. I denne rapporten er det lagring av gjødsla vi har sett nærmere på. Etter en gjennomgang av dagens praksis i Norge og aktuell faglitteratur, tilrår vi at det brukes ressurser på å dekke hauger med gjødsel med pustende duk eller plast, avhengig av hvor tørr gjødsla er. Slik tildekking bør skje enten gjødsla lagres under tak eller ikke. Hvis gjødsla lagres i hauger utendørs over flere uker må man ta hensyn til plassering i terrenget slik at det unngås avrenning.

Significant amounts of organic material areavailable fromthe marine sector in Norway, applicable as fertilisers in organic agriculture. Macroalgae contain significant amounts of K, Mg and S and hence complete well residues of fish rich in N, P and Ca for a complete fertiliser. The content of arsenic and cadmium may pose a challenge for brown macroalgae material.

Residues from captured fish, and brown macroalgae, can be combined for valuable fertilisers.

Soil and Nutrients In the session "Soil and Nutrients" at the Organic Innovayion Days 2021, arranged by TP Organics in Brussel as a webininar event, alternative soil nutrients as well as peat and plastic were presented and discussed by the experts Jakob Magid from Copenhagen University (H2020 project RELACS), Anne-Kristin Løes from Norwegian Centre for Organic Agriculture (NORSØK, H2020 project Organic-PLUS) and Francis Rayns from Coventry University (Organic-PLUS). The Nitrogen use efficiency is highly variable between countries and farms​ and in the case of many farms below 60 kg N/ha. To ensure nutrient supply and avoid soil nutrient depletion, recycling of societal waste streams needs to be further developed and researched. Anne-Kristin Løes stressed that the demand for nutrients and organic matter to be applied in organic agriculture will increase significantly due to the EU Farm to Fork target of 25% organic land target by 2030. On the use of plastic and biodegradable mulch films, Francis Rayns remarked that many types of alternative materials are available, but more knowledge about treatment technologies and applications is needed. Loose mulch films also require further investigation, especially for small and medium growers. Organic farming should lead the way in phasing out the use of peat.

In this webinar, participants in WP PLANT and SOIL in the Horizon 2020 project "Organic-PLUS" (Pathways to phase-out contentious inputs from organic agriculture in Europe) present the outputs of their activities over the first half of the project period. Relevant actors from outside the project were also invited, with a restriction of maximum 60 participants. The program included 15 presentations, a group discission and a final plenary session. PDF files of the presentations are attached to this entry in Organic E-prints.

A field experiment over 2 years with marine-derived fertilisers is presented. Fish bones and algae fibre (from brown algae) were compared in oats (2019) followed by a 1st year ley (2020), and in repeated cuts of ryegrass (2020). Fish residues have a rapid and positive effect on plant growth, whereas algae fibre has a slow, but positive effect.

This hand-out summarises experimental details and results from a combined outdoor-pot and field experiment with oats and leek in 2019, fertilised with algae fibre and fishbones. The hand-out was given to participants visiting a field demonstration of the experimental site, at Tingvoll farm.

In organic growing, both in Norway and elsewhere in Europe, significant amounts of fertiliser products not derived from certified organic farming are used, such as dried poultry manure or other types of fertilisers derived from conventional farms such as animal by-products. Organic agriculture aims to be independent of conventional agriculture, and fertilisers derived from harvesting of natural materials may be a relevant alternative. Catching of wild fish, and collection or cultivation of seaweeds, result in residual products which contain essential plant nutrients. Sediments of fish bones, which are residues from hydrolysis of fish remains used to produce fish oil and soluble proteins, are rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. Residues from seaweeds (algae fibre), after extraction of soluble nutrients sold as a liquid fertiliser, are rich in potassium and sulphur. However, we do not know much about how such residues affect plant growth. This topic was studied in a pot experiment with annual (Westerwold) ryegrass, which was harvested five times during the experimental period, April-August 2018. We had four replicates per treatment, and fish bones and algae fibre were applied either as fresh material or after drying at 105 °C. The control treatment was an experimental soil without any fertiliser, and we also had a treatment with calcium nitrate (Calcinit). The three types of fertilisers were applied in low and high amounts, where we aimed at a fertilisation level corresponding to 300 or 600 kg nitrogen (N) per ha (corresponding to 30 or 60 kg per daa). However, the actual amounts of N applied in fish bones, and algae fibre were somewhat lower than this. The total number of treatments was 11. Application of fish bones gave a significant increase in the production of ryegrass. In total, across two N levels, and the drying status of materials, the accumulated above-ground yield over five harvests (stubble included) was 3.3 g DM per pot for fish bones, as compared with 2.2 g

Many materials are available for better utilisation in a circular economy. NORSØK has worked with different materials from blue and green value chains for feed and fertilisation in various projects since 2012. This invited presentation at the FARM 2019 event gives an overview of activities.

Prosjektet “Forsøk med fermentering av husdyrgjødsel» (2016-2018) prøver ut tilsetning av effektive mikroorganismer (EM) i dyrerom og gjødsellagre på noen gårder i Norge. Et kontrollert forsøk ble gjennomført på Tingvoll vinteren 2017-18. Uttrykket «effektive mikroorganismer» ble først brukt i Japan, der forskere isolerte og dyrket opp stammer av ulike jordboende sopp og bakterier, og prøvde dem ut i ulike kombinasjoner som tilsetning til dyrka jord. Ideen var å utkonkurrere den stedlige mikrofloraen og få sunnere planter og bedre avlinger. Metoden har fått vid anvendelse i Asia, og knyttes ofte til begrepet «nature farming» eller «Kyusei nature farming». Også i Europa er det nå mange produkter på markedet som inneholder EM. Det selges midler for å tilsette fôr ved ensilering, forbedre komposteringsprosesser, gi bedre forhold i vomma hos drøvtyggere, og forbedre husdyrgjødsel ved å redusere skorpedannelse, gi mindre luktproblem, færre fluer og bedre nitrogenutnyttelse. Produktene består gjerne av ulike stammer av sopp og bakterier, noen ganger i blanding med finmalte mineraler, og kan også inneholde karbohydrater som næringskilde. I dette prosjektet testet vi et produkt kalt «N-hance+» eller ProMest, framstilt av firmaet EM Agriton BV i Nederland. Det brukes i kombinasjon med et eget salgsprodukt, Microferm, som inneholder aktiverte EM, og tilsettes regelmessig i dyrerom og/eller gjødsellager. I forsøket på Tingvoll ble fersk bløtgjødsel fra økologiske melkekyr fylt i palletanker med et volum på 1 m3, fire tanker med og fire tanker uten tilsetning av preparater, 800 liter gjødsel per tank. Lokket på tankene var lagt løst over åpningen. Tankene ble plassert ved ca. 14 °C fra 10.10.2017 til 29.01.2018, og ble etterfylt med porsjoner a 15 liter gjødsel ukentlig fram til 6.12.2017. Ved hvert påfyll ble det målt pH og redoks, og ved to anledninger ble det målt sammensetning av lufta i tankene. Det var en tydelig gjæring i alle tankene i forsøksperioden. Allerede 24. okto

Significant volumes of residual materials from blue value chains may be applied as food, feed and fertilisers. This presentation gioves an overview of projects and activities where NORSØK has been involved, testing materials as fodd feed or fertilisers.