We previously reported a sustainable food waste management approach to produce an acceptable organic liquid fertiliser for recycling food waste called “FoodLift.” This study follows our previous work to evaluate the macronutrients and cation concentrations in harvested structural parts of lettuce, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes produced using food waste-derived liquid fertiliser (FoodLift) and compare them against commercial liquid fertiliser (CLF) under hydroponic conditions. N and P concentrations in the structural parts of lettuce and the fruit and plant structural parts of cucumber appear to be similar between FoodLift and CLF (p > 0.05), with significantly different N concentrations in the various parts of cherry tomato plants (p < 0.05). For lettuce, N and P content varied from 50 to 260 g/kg and 11 to 88 g/kg, respectively. For cucumber and cherry tomato plants, N and P concentrations ranged from 1 to 36 g/kg and 4 to 33 g/kg, respectively. FoodLift was not effective as a nutrient source for growing cherry tomatoes. Moreover, the cation (K, Ca, and Mg) concentrations appear to significantly differ between FoodLift and CLF grown plants (p < 0.05). For example, for cucumber, Ca content varied from 2 to 18 g/kg for FoodLift grown plants while Ca in CLF-grown cucumber plants ranged from 2 to 28 g/kg. Overall, as suggested in our previous work, FoodLift has the potential to replace CLF in hydroponic systems for lettuce and cucumber. This will lead to sustainable food production, recycling of food waste to produce liquid fertiliser, and will promote a circular economy in nutrient management.

The gross calorific value (GCV) is the most important property of any fuel, which shows its energy content. The experimental determination of GCV of solid fuels is a cost intensive process, as it requires exceptional equipment and high skills. To streamline the task, many equations were developed in past for determining GCV from proximate and ultimate analysis of solid fuels. In present study two empirical equations were developed to predict the GCV of lignocellulosic biomass using their volatile solids (VS) and fixed solids (FS) with and without ash contents in specified range of VS (60.84–82.64 %), FS (17.36–39.16 %) and ash (1.59–21.76 %) as percentage dry mass basis. The experimental data was analyzed through multiple regression analysis and least square method. The empirical equations were developed and their mean errors were determined. The developed empirical equations are simpler, economical, less time consuming and are more accurate compare to the equations based on the proximate analysis. Keywords: Calorific Value (CV), Lignocellulosic Biomass, Volatile Solids (VS), Fixed Solids (FS)

This study focusses on a method for estimating the urban recharge and evaluating the ground water quality for drinking and irrigation purposes. The study was carried out in the Liverpool Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia, and it included year-long monitoring of four boreholes for the water table depth and water quality. Average depth of water table was in the range of 1 to 4 m from the land surface. The pattern of variations in the water table depth (WTD) varied across the four boreholes. The WTD variations between borehole 2 (BH2) and borehole 3 (BH3) were similar, but significantly different variations were exhibited in BH1 and BH 4, with BH1 showing a quicker response to rainfall events. The presence of lake appears to have influenced the recharge pattern in the adjacent area as reflected in the WTD variations in BH3 and BH4. The recharge rates for BH3 and BH4 was about 2 to 5 times higher than those observed for BH1 and BH2, which are located at a relatively greater distance from the lake. This indicates that the presence of urban lakes can influence recharge rate in the area. Water quality analysis indicated higher salt and turbidity levels, which may be attributed to the local geology (the Wianamatta group) present in the study area and/or possible saltwater intrusion. This has implications for the treatment cost associated with the supply of the groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes. Pearson’s analysis indicated a significant correlation between EC, TDS, Turbidity and pH. The turbidity of groundwater varied between 33 and 530 NTU, indicating that the turbidity may have been affected by the dissolution of salt deposits via colloidal particles. Significant variations in groundwater quality during rainy periods, also, indicated the existence of groundwater recharge in the study area. This study highlights the issues associated with the groundwater recharge and quality management in urban landscapes and provides a basis for further research.

Pasture yield in dairy grazing systems is critical to supplying sufficient feed for milking cows and maintaining productivity. In the Australian dairy industry, ryegrass and clover are common grasses used in grazed pastures. Dairy shed effluent (DSE), the wastewater produced from washing down the dairy holding yards during and after milking, is generally managed through application to pasture as a fertilizer substitute/supplement following partial treatment in stabilization ponds. The aim of this study is to assess the benefits of applying sludge and supernatant collected from two-stage DSE pond systems to ryegrass pasture. A pot experiment was conducted which involved applying pond sludges and supernatant to soil seeded with ryegrass. The application rates of the pond by-products were set according to their labile (plant available) phosphorus content. Ryegrass yield and leachate generated from each of the pots were recorded, and samples were collected for analysis of nutrients and other parameters. The ryegrass grown in soil treated with pond sludge and supernatant yielded greater dry matter (DM) with higher nutrient content than untreated control pots. In addition, pots treated with pond sludge exhibited lower rates of phosphorus leaching from the soil compared with pots treated with supernatant. Thus, pond sludge retained more plant available phosphorus in soil than both the control and pond supernatant treatment. The potassium to calcium/magnesium ratios in the ryegrass in the pots treated with pond sludge and supernatant were below the recommended upper limit for grazing. Therefore, the application of pond sludges on the dairy paddocks was found to be superior to applying supernatant in terms of utilization and conservation of phosphorus within the dairy farm and presents low risks of groundwater pollution and grass tetany.