Waste Management
Sustainable agriculture depends on successful utilisation of waste material. Much of the research at Harper Adams in recent years has concentrated on efficient use of animal manures, and this work continues. New work is mainly focused on green waste composting. The Landfill tax has provided a strong incentive to local authorities to reuse green waste rather than dispose of it in landfill sites.
Slurry utilisation
Nitrate leaching is a major difficulty arising from slurry application. Extensive work has been carried out to discover the effects of different aspects of slurry application on nitrate leaching into groundwater.
Manure and soil quality
The work on animal manures is continuing with the emphasis on sustainabililty. A project has recently started to study the effect of manure additions to soil on turnover of soil organic matter and nitrogen.
Green waste compost
Increasing quantities of green waste compost are becoming available to agriculture from local authorities. Research at Harper Adams has investigated several aspects of utilisation of green waste compost. Current work is exploring the potential of compost for promoting crop growth and suppressing disease.
Synthetic soils
Quarry waste is being mixed with composts to study the potential for synthetic soils to replace top-soil in this Tarmac-funded project.
