Manure Systems Used in the USA

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Manure Systems Used in the USA

• Dr. Jeffery Lorimor
• Ag Biosystems Engineering Dept
• Iowa State University

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Seemingly Conflicting Issues

• Lots of animals produced in Iowa
• Provides lots of jobs, and billions of dollars
• Great Concern about water and air quality
• Seepage from storages pollute groundwater
• Runoff from land application areas pollutes
  surface water
• Spills kill fish
• High soil phosphorus tests

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Types of Housing/Manure

• Swine (15 million head)
• In-house confinement
• Liquid manure
• Few open lots (unknown number)
• Few bedded systems (Iowa - 200,000 head)
• Dairy (280,000 head)
• Mixedopen lots and confinement
• Mixed manure handling, liquid and solid

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Types of Housing/Manure

• Beef (1,100,000 head)
• Open lots, both concrete and earthen
• Mixed manure handling, liquid and solid
• Depends on facility size whether liquids are
  captured and pumped
• All lots should capture, scrape, and haul solids

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Deep Pit Systems - Swine, Dairy, Beef

• Manure stored inside building
• Air quality problems during pumpout
• Easy management
• Manure out of sight

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Deep Pit Building Pumpout
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Deep Pits - Advantage/Disadvantages

• No rainfall on manure
• Concentrated nutrients
• Minimum volume to handle
• Minimum management (pump once a year)
• Not as visible to neighbors
• Bad indoor air quality

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Scraper and Pull Plug Systems

• Shallow gutter - frequent manure removal
• Can use either a pit or lagoon
• Better air quality inside building
• Nutrients depend on storage

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Outdoor Storages - Formed
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Outdoor Formed Storages - Advantage/disadvantage

• Concentrated nutrients, slightly less than deep
  pits
• Manure moved out of building quickly
• Better indoor air quality
• More visible
• More potential offsite gases/odors
• Little chance of groundwater pollution

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Outdoor Storages - Earthen
Starting agitation
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Outdoor Earthen Storage - Advantage/disadvantage

• Less concentrated nutrients than formed storages
• Manure moved out of building quickly
• Better indoor air quality
• More visible
• More potential offsite gases/odors
• Some chance of groundwater pollution

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Groundwater Effects of Earthen Storages

• Iowa State ABE study showed little contaminant
  movement
• Some water moved as indicated by Chloride
• Kansas State study showed ammonia
• down to 3 meters below old storages/lagoons
• Ia Geologic Survey showed movement
• Chloride, some ammonia

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Manure Production

• Finishing Swine Pits, per animal space per year
• 425 gallons (1600 liters)
• 21 lbs (9.5 kg) Nitrogen
• 15 lbs (6.8 kg) P2O5
• 11 lbs (5.0 kg) K2O

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Pit Recharge and Flush Systems

• Shallow gutter - very frequent manure removal
• Must use lagoon with a lot of dilution water
• Good air quality inside building
• Nutrient loss from lagoon
• return line

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Pit Recharge/Flush Systems
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Lagoons - Advantage/disadvantage

• MUST be used for pit recharge/flush
• Very large earthen structures
• Groundwater concern
• Highly visible
• Dilute Nutrients
• Lost/wasted nutrients (N P)
• Best indoor air quality
• Offsite air qualityconcerns

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Manure Production

• Finishing Swine LAGOON, per animal space per year
• 1500 gallons (5650 liters)
• 6 lbs (2.7 kg) Nitrogen
• 5 lbs (2.3 kg) P2O5
• 6 lbs (2.7 kg) K2O

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Manure Systems

• Beef (1,100,000 head)
• Almost all open lots, family farms
• Settle solids from feedlot runoff when it rains
• Large feedlots catch runoff and apply to land.
  Small lots release the runoff

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Large Beef Feedlot
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Typical Iowa Feedlots
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Open Lots- Advantage/disadvantage

• Work well for bovine production
• Dilute liquids runoff during precipitation
  events
• May not have to capture liquidsdepends on size
  and proximity of water resources

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Manure Production

• Finishing Swine LAGOON, per animal space per year
• 2000 gallons (5650 liters)
• N - 66 lbs (2.7 kg) (solids) 5 (liquids)
• P2O5 -5 lbs (2.3 kg) (solids) 2 (liquids)
• K2O - 6 lbs (2.7 kg) (solids) 11 (liquids)

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Manure Management

• BY LAW, in the US all agricultural manure must be
  land appliedit cannot be discharged to rivers or
  lakes.
• Management to recycle the nutrients for crop
  production, to avoid pollution, and to save money
  is very important

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Comparison of Contents
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Current Manure Issues

• Nutrient Management
• Determine how many nutrients are in manure from
  different systems
• Teach producers how to use it properly
• Odor control
• Neighbors to farmers very upset about odors
• Teach farmers odor control methods

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Manure Systems Used in the USA

• The End