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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #336969
Title: Effects of manure storage additivies on manure composition and greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions

Author
item Holly, Michael
item LARSON, REBECCA - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: ASABE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2017
Publication Date: 6/1/2017
Citation: Holly, M.A., Larson, R.A. 2017. Effects of manure storage additivies on manure composition and greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions. Transactions of the ASABE. 60(2):449-456. doi: 10.13031/trans.12066.

Interpretive Summary: Interpretive Summary: Manure additives are used to reduce manure solids to increase pumping efficiency, increase manure nitrogen uptake by plants, and decrease losses of nitrogen. We investigated manure additives More Than Manure™, Pro-Act Biotech®, and biochar to quantify the effect on manure solids, nitrogen losses, and greenhouse gas emissions in two separate trails. Results indicate that Pro-Act Biotech® and More Than Manure™ did not reduce the solids content of manure nor did they effect gaseous emissions. Biochar was ineffective to reduce ammonia emissions from manure slurry but could be effective in reducing ammonia emissions from liquid manure storages and needs further investigation.

Technical Abstract: Abstract: Storage of dairy manure slurry allows for flexibility in the timing of land application of manure to reduce environmental impacts related to water quality. Yet, manure storage can increase greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia emissions and cause operational issues due to the buildup of slurry solids. In order to combat these negative consequences, stored manure was treated with manure additives of More Than Manure™ (MTM), Pro-Act Biotech® (Pro-Act), and biochar to quantify the effect on manure solids, nitrogen losses, and GHG emissions in two separate trails. Gaseous emissions were studied over a 48-day manure storage period with manure storage treatments of MTM, Pro-Act, Pro-Act + aeration, aeration, and biochar. Manure characteristics were further examined in a 28-day storage study with storage treatments of MTMTM at the supplier recommended rate, MTMTM at 25x the recommended rate, Pro-Act at the supplier recommended rate with aeration, Pro-Act at 10x the recommended rate with aeration, aeration alone, and two additional Pro-Act treatments without aeration, one at the recommended rate and one 10x that rate. Biochar was the only manure treatment to impact manure characteristics with significantly more ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) on day 14 than the control (p<0.012) in the manure characteristic study. Biochar did not reduce emissions of NH3 from the control, likely due to the 10 cm natural crust on the manure control. MTM increased CO2 emissions with significantly higher emissions on day 7 and day 14 during the emissions study. Overall, no treatments were able to reduce manure solids or nitrogen emissions for these manure storage conditions. Biochar may reduce ammonia emissions from liquid manure storages and needs to be verified.