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Introduction
@ofenton on Twitter
All papers are on:
https://publons.com/researcher/2853450/owen-fenton/publications/
or email me and i can get you a copy of my papers: owen.fenton@teagasc.ie
http://www.researcherid.com/rid/D-4377-2009
Hon-Prof @ University of Galway
Present project: DAFM D-TECT; DAFM REWET; Interreg Smart Carbon Farming; EPA ASPEN;
Editorial Board Member of:
The Irish Journal of Food and Agriculture Research
Additional affiliations
June 2016 - September 2016
January 2016 - September 2016
April 2013 - present
Education
September 2008 - September 2011
September 2002 - September 2003
September 1996 - June 2000
Publications
Publications (311)
Globally, there is growing demand for increased agricultural outputs. At the same time, the agricultural industry is expected to meet increasingly stringent environmental targets. Thus, there is an urgent pressure on the soil resource to deliver multiple functions simultaneously. The Functional Land Management framework (Schulte et al., 2014) is a...
Two different in situ spectrophotometers are compared
that were used in the field to determine nitrate-nitrogen
(NO3-N) concentrations at two distinct spring discharge
sites. One sensor was a double wavelength spectrophotometer
(DWS) and the other a multiple wavelength spectrophotometer
(MWS). The objective of the study was to review the
hardware o...
Purpose Modification of sediment properties used in fingerprinting
applications occurs along transport pathways as a
result of particle size and organic matter enrichment/depletion,
and geochemical transformations. Statistical approaches have
been widely used to correct for enrichment and depletion, but
detection of, and the un-mixing errors and un...
There is uncertainty regarding the suitability of some soils for mole drainage. Soils with questionable potential
for the formation of stable mole channels generally have <45% clay and >20% sand, and gravel mole drainage is
an alternative. However, this technique is unattractive due to its relative cost (2014 price: €1500–2800 ha−1
versus €125–300...
Understanding macroalgal bloom development is crucial for managing eutrophication and protecting estuarine ecosystems. In this study, brown macroalgal blooms (i.e., golden tides) were identified in a potentially eutrophic temperate estuary (NW Ireland). Pylaiella littoralis (Phaeophyceae, Ectocarpales) was monitored at low tide over seven sampling...
Peat soils are high in soil organic matter (SOM) and are recognised stores of carbon. Knowledge of the spatial distribution of peat soils is becoming the focus of many studies and is related closely to peatland mapping. Accurate maps of peat soils have many applications of international importance e.g., gaseous emission inventory reporting or soil...
A new project funded by DAFM-EPA in Ireland called D-TECT:
The primary objective of D-TECT is to map the drainage status (shallow versus deep water table) of grasslands on peatlands in Ireland and deliver tools to deliver this data broken down as required at different Tiers within the NIR matrix.
In the next 2 years the main objectives will be:
E...
Introduction
On intensive grassland dairy farms in high rainfall areas with poorly drained soils, networks of open drainage channels linked to in-field drainage systems are needed to enable farm operations. Nitrogen and phosphorus point and diffuse sources may be connected to this open drainage channel network along surface and subsurface pathways,...
Farm roadway runoff is a high-risk source of pollution when connectivity with waters occurs. Nutrients in this runoff are dominated by fresh animal deposits, but recent dairy and beef farm studies showed that available phosphorus (P) accumulates in roadway surface material and can be lost in runoff. A current knowledge gap is to examine available P...
The mobilisation and impact of roadway runoff on dairy farms has been established as a sub-component of the nutrient transfer continuum. It is acknowledged that fresh nutrient sources deposited on roadways dominate runoff and recent work has shown that available phosphorus (P) in roadway substrates is also an important source component. The objecti...
The mobilisation and impact of roadway runoff on dairy farms has been established as a sub-component of the nutrient transfer continuum. It is acknowledged that fresh nutrient sources deposited on roadways dominate runoff and recent work has shown that available phosphorus (P) in roadway substrates is also an important source component. The objecti...
Highlights
Permeable materials can be used to fill mole drains and provide support to the cavity walls in structurally unstable soils.
Permeable materials extend the lifespan and improve the hydraulic performance of mole drainage systems.
Darcy’s law for nonlinear porous flow explained the hydraulic performance of the permeable materials used in th...
This project reviewed mitigation measures to treat farm roadway runoff, developed an
on-farm visual tool to find and document connectivity between roadway runoff and waters, and provided an evidence base to define roadway runoff as a unique sub-component of the nutrient transfer continuum.
Due to population growth and expanding economic activities, waste generation is on the increase globally. Reuse of waste or by-products in agriculture as biostimulants and fertilizers contributes to a circular economy. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of studies on organic waste-derived biostimulants and the economic market for...
Forest preservation and management are paramount for sustainable mitigation of climate change, timber production, and the economy. However, the potential of trees and forests to provide these benefits to the ecosystem is hampered by natural phenomena such as windthrow and anthropogenic activities. The aim of the current research was to undertake a...
In Atlantic Europe, on poorly drained grasslands soils, compaction negatively affects soil health when trafficked in wet conditions, while optimum grass growth cannot be achieved in excessively dry conditions. In Ireland, daily soil moisture deficit (SMD) information is forecasted at regional scale for all soil drainage classes. Optimal paddock con...
Introduction: On dairy farms with poorly drained soils and high rainfall, open ditches receive nutrients from different sources along different pathways which are delivered to surface water. Recently, open ditches were ranked in terms of their hydrologic connectivity risk for phosphorus (P) along the open ditch network. However, the connectivity ri...
Sustainable utilisation of waste from the food industry is required to transition to a circular economy. The dairy industry relies on high phosphorus (P) inputs and produces large quantities of P-rich dairy processing sludge (DPS). Recycling DPS into P fertilisers provides an opportunity to decrease the reliance on chemical P fertilisers. However,...
Background
Struvite, biochar and ash products (collectively known as STRUBIAS) derived from different waste streams are used as fertilisers in agriculture. Raw dairy processing sludge (DPS) shows promise as bio‐based fertilisers, but secondary STRUBIAS‐derived products need further testing as fertilisers.
Aims
The objective of this study was to ca...
Background: Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of dairy processing waste was performed to investigate the effect of temperature and initial pH on the yield and composition of the solid (hydrochar) and liquor produced. All hydrochars met the EU requirements of organo-mineral solid fertilizers defined in the Fertilizing Products Regulation in terms of...
Peatlands have been artificially drained and degraded over 100s of years and have released huge amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a result. In organic grassland soils, raising the water table to prevent such emissions is being proposed to meet national greenhouse gas emission targets for the land use sector. At present, all of these soils (335,000...
Intermittent sand filters (ISFs) are widely used in rural areas to treat domestic and dilute agricultural wastewater due to their simplicity, efficacy and relative low cost. However, filter clogging reduces their operational lifetime and sustainability. To reduce the potential of filter clogging, this study examined pre-treatment of dairy wastewate...
Understanding available phosphorus (P) turnover could improve sustainable P management. An isotope tracing ³³P was used to measure daily P turnover rates and exchangeable P (E) in P deficient, balanced, and excess P soils from a long-term P site. Turnover under P deficient conditions was characterised by the lowest P flux predominantly from the ava...
Shallow subsurface pathways dominate dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) losses in grassland soils that are: poorly drained, shallow, or have a perched water table in wetter months causing saturation‐excess runoff. Saturated conditions can lead to anoxia, which can accelerate phosphorus (P) loss. Two scales of investigation were utilized in this st...
Dairy processing sludge (DPS) and DPS-derived secondary products such as struvite, biochar, hydrochar and ash (collectively known as SRUBIAS) are emerging as alternatives to fertilizers produced from mined rock phosphate. However, little is known about how these products affect soil P availability and daily P turnover rates.. A lack of such informa...
Dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) loss from agricultural soils can negatively affect water quality. Shallow subsurface pathways can dominate P losses in grassland soils, especially in wetter months when waterlogging is common. This study investigated the processes controlling intra- and inter-event and seasonal DRP losses from poorly drained perm...
Ammonia (NH3) emitted from synthetic nitrogen (N) fertiliser applications to farmland leads to air pollution and terrestrial acidification. Previous studies have indicated that replacing urea-based N fertilisers by manure may reduce NH3 emissions and enhance crop yield. However, the long-term effects of replacing urea N fertiliser by manure on crop...
Struvite, biochar and ash products (collectively known as STRUBIAS) products derived from different waste streams are used as fertilisers in agriculture. Raw dairy processing sludges (DPS) show promise as bio-based fertilisers, but their STRUBIAS-derived equivalents have not yet been tested as fertilisers. The objective of this study was to calcula...
Nitrogen (N) availability is generally a limiting factor in highly acidic soil, which could be improved by amending these soils with alkaline materials. Soil extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) plays an important role in N transformation; a current knowledge gap is how this occurs in acidic soils amended with alkaline material. The present 45-day i...
As supply chains of chemical fertilisers become more precarious, raw or derived bio-based fertilisers (herein referred to as bio-fertilisers) from the dairy processing industry could be good alternatives. However, their agronomic performance is relatively unknown, and where documented, the method to estimate this value is rarely presented. This pot...
Globally, to ensure food security bio-based fertilizers must replace a percentage of chemical fertilizers. Such replacement must be deemed sustainable from agronomic and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission perspectives. For agronomic performance several controlled protocols are in place but not for testing GHG emissions. Herein, a pre-screening tool is p...
Internal farm roadways are connectors within agricultural landscapes, which act as sub-components of the nutrient transfer continuum (NTC). On dairy farms, roadway surface runoff dissolved and particulate phosphorus (P) sources stem from a combination of cow excreta deposited at locations that impede animal flow, soil deposited from cow hooves or m...
Real-time soil moisture measurements are essential to manage for adaptive dynamic management of climate change adaptation and reduction of nutrient losses and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and forestry. Soil moisture status influences crop growth, run-off, groundwater recharge, land surface-atmospheric exchange dynamics and greenhouse g...
Farm roadways are an important sub-component of the nutrient transfer continuum (NTC) and roadway runoff (RR), leading to nutrient pressures in receiving waters at different times of the year at catchment scale. This study developed a semi-quantitative risk assessment model for dairy farms that once populated with data identifies roadway sections w...
Background: Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of dairy processing waste was performed to investigate the effect of temperature and initial pH on the yield and composition of the solid (hydrochar) and liquor produced. All hydrochars met the EU requirements of organo-mineral solid fertilizers defined in the Fertilizing Products Regulation in terms of...
Dairy processing sludge (DPS) is a bio-based alternative to chemical phosphorus (P) fertilizer in agriculture. However, there is limited information on the effect of bio-waste on P dynamics in soils with varying textures amended with treated DPS. Changes in P availability and supply potential, were measured in mineral soils amended with anaerobic d...
Constructed wetlands (CWs) are a cost-effective and sustainable treatment technology that may be used on farms to treat dairy wastewater (DWW). However, CWs require a large area for optimal treatment and have poor long-term phosphorus removal. To overcome these limitations, this study uses a novel, pilot-scale coagulation-sedimentation process prio...
An intermittent sand filter (ISF) is a simple and cost-effective treatment method that may be adopted on farms to treat dairy wastewater (DWW). However, the use of ISFs has been limited due to the large area required for treatment, and the risk of filter clogging and phosphorus (P) breakthrough, which decrease the operational lifetime. To overcome...
The performance of land drainage systems installed in mineral soils in Ireland is highly variable, and is dependent on, amongst other factors, the quality and suitability of the aggregate used. In Ireland, aggregate for land drainage systems is usually river-run gravel and crushed stone. This study classified the distribution, type, popularity, siz...
This study evaluates a range of scenarios to reduce soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) losses using the surface runoff phosphorus transport model (Surphos) to simulate the application of liquid manure (slurry) to grassland catchments. Surphos was applied using data from two contrasting sites in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It explor...
This study investigated the survival of Salmonella Senftenberg, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis and Clostridium sporogenes in sandy and clay loam textured soils when applied in bovine slurry or unpasteurised digestate, using laboratory based inoculation studies. The run-off rate for a test bacterium, Listeria...
Purpose
Information about particle size distribution (PSD) and soil texture is essential for understanding soil drainage, porosity, nutrient availability, and trafficability. The sieve-pipette/gravimetric method traditionally used for particle size analysis is labour-intensive and resource-intensive. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry may provid...
Purpose
The effects of straw incorporation on soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission at the soil aggregate scale have yet to be elucidated, especially with supplemental nitrogen (N) and/or organic carbon (OC). The objective of this study was to evaluate N2O emission across different size soil aggregates of 6-year straw-incorporated soil as affected by e...
Humic acids (HAs) regulate soil chemical reactivity and improve many soil functions. The amendment of soil with organic materials increases soil organic matter (SOM) content and promotes the formation of HAs. However, the effect of the type, frequency and duration of amendment, and pedoclimatic conditions on SOM transformation and HA structural cha...
The control of macroalgal bloom development is central for protecting estuarine ecosystems. The identification of the nutrients limiting the development of macroalgal blooms, and their most likely sources is crucial for management strategies. Three Irish estuaries (Argideen, Clonakilty and Tolka) affected by green tides were monitored from June 201...
Colloids can be important for facilitated transfer of phosphorus (P) to groundwater (GW) and contribute to elevated P concentrations later delivered to surface water. To assess the role of colloidal P and other P fractions in delivery processes via below-ground pathways, this study investigated the influence of catchment and flow event characterist...
The dairy industry produces vast quantities of dairy processing sludge (DPS), which can be processed further to develop second generation products such as struvite, biochars and ashes (collectively known as STRUBIAS). These bio-based fertilizers have heterogeneous nutrient and metal contents, resulting in a range of possible application rates. To a...
Maintaining phosphorus (P) supply for plants or reducing P mobility is critical to sustainable agricultural production and the environment. However, substituting long-term chemical fertilizer with a fraction of (i.e. partial substitution) manure and its effect on soil P surplus and P fractionation have not been widely studied. An eight-year protect...
Sufficient soil physical quality (SPQ) is needed to support the provision of multiple ecosystem services including food and fibre production, cycling of nutrients, cycling and storage of carbon, filtration of water and a habitat for biodiversity. Several SPQ indices are used to ascertain the SPQ of a soil and are often derived from the soil water r...
Worldwide dairy processing plants produce high volumes of dairy processing sludge (DPS), which can be converted into secondary derivatives such as struvite, biochar and ash (collectively termed STRUBIAS). All of these products have high fertilizer equivalent values (FEV), but future certification as phosphorus (P)-fertilizers in the European Union...
Straw incorporation (SI) coupled with ammonium nitrogen (AN) application is a management strategy for storing organic carbon (OC) and optimizing vegetable yields in intensively managed calcareous soils of North China. However, during short term flooded conditions, the resulting soil acidification and subsequent Fe reduction processes may affect the...
Farmyard manure and slurry (FYM&S) and anaerobic digestate are potentially valuable soil conditioners providing important nutrients for plant development and growth. However, these organic fertilisers may pose a microbial health risk to humans. A quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model was developed to investigate the potential human ex...
Phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural soils can negatively affect water quality. Models and management to decrease losses increasingly focus on P that is available and transported from areas in the landscape that are regularly saturated – and periodically anaerobic. Current models use soil tests conducted in oxic conditions, which do not represent...
Excess phosphorus (P) leached from high fertiliser input cropping systems in northern China is having detrimental effects on water quality. Before improved management can be directed at specific soils and cropping system types estimates of P leached loss apportionment and mitigation potentials across the main soil (fluvo-aquic soil, FAS; cinnamon s...
Animal waste contains high numbers of microorganisms and therefore can present a potential biological threat to human health. During episodic rainfall events resulting in runoff, microorganisms in the waste and soil may migrate into surface runoff, contaminating surface water resources. A probabilistic human exposure (HE) model was created to deter...
Installation of shallow drainage systems (mole drainage, gravel mole drainage, and subsoiling connected to an underlying tile drainage system) is common in fine-textured grassland soils. The performance and efficiency of these systems are known to vary, and a greater understanding of these criteria is needed. This study analyzed shallow drainage sy...
In soils with a fragipan or poor permeability, water may remain in a soil profile long enough to make it anoxic and reductive. The reductive dissolution of iron (Fe)‐ and manganese (Mn)‐oxides can release associated phosphorus (P). Therefore, the dissolved P would be vulnerable to subsurface flow and could contaminate nearby streams. It was hypothe...
BACKGROUND
The pH adjustment of acidic red soils with lime materials is beneficial for the reduction of phosphorus (P) fixation. However, the reasons for varying levels of P activation after adding different lime materials have not been fully investigated. Therefore, this study examined changes in soil labile P and P forms after phosphate applicati...