Bion Environmental Technologies Inc., New York City, a developer of advanced livestock waste treatment and resource recovery technology, announced on March 12 that it has applied to the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for an OMRI listing for its liquid 10-0-0 nitrogen (ammonium bicarbonate) fertilizer that is produced from livestock waste.
Bion said the product is a stable, readily available source of nitrogen that is upcycled in a patented process from the reactive ammonia in livestock and other organic waste streams. Bion in 2020 received an OMRI listing for its initial product, a 0.5 percent ammonium bicarbonate solution. Bion is also preparing an application to the California Department of Food Agriculture (CDFA) for a 6-0-0 nitrogen fertilizer product.
Bion estimates that without treatment, more than 75% of the nitrogen in livestock waste escapes to the environment as ammonia, which is an economic loss. Further, once in the atmosphere, ammonia can form PM2.5 air pollution, as well as fuel harmful algae blooms and contaminate groundwater with nitrates.