Removing solids improves response of grass to surface-banded dairy manure slurry: a multiyear study

Modeling ammonia emissions from manure in conventional, organic, and grazing dairy systems and practices to mitigate emissions

Almost 60% of all ammonia (NH3) emissions are from livestock manure. Understanding the sources and magnitude of NH3 emissions from manure systems is critical to implement mitigation strategies. This study models 13 archetypical conventional (5 farms), organic (5 farms), and grazing (3 farms) dairy farms to estimate NH3 emissions from manure at the barn, storage, and after land application. Mitigation practices related to management of the herd, crop production, and manure are subsequently modeled to quantify the change in NH3 emissions from manure by comparing archetypical practices with these alternative practices. A mass balance of nutrients is also conducted. Emissions per tonne of excreted manure for the manure system (barn, storage, and land application) range from 3.0 to 4.4 g of NH3 for conventional farms, 3.5 to 4.4 g of NH3 for organic farms, and 3.4 to 3.9 g of NH3 for grazing farms. For all farm types, storage and land application are the main sources of NH3 emissions from manure. In general, solid manures have higher emission intensities due to higher pH during storage (pH = 7.4 for liquid, 7.8 for slurry, and 8.5 for solid manure) and lower infiltration rates after land application when compared with slurry and liquid manures. The most effective management practices to reduce NH3 emissions from manure systems are combining solid-liquid separation with manure injection (up to 49% reduction in NH3 emissions), followed by injection alone, and reducing crude protein in the dairy ration, especially in organic and grazing farms that have grazing and forages as the main component of the dairy ration. This study also shows that the intensity of NH3 emissions from manure depends significantly on the functional unit and presents results per manure excreted, total solids in excreted manure, animal units, and fat- and protein-corrected milk.

Distribution of livestock sectors in Canada: Implications for manureshed management

Canada's livestock production and human populations are concentrated in southern regions. Understanding spatial and temporal distributions of animals and excreted nutrients is key to optimizing manure resources and minimizing impact of livestock. Here, we identify manureshed concerns and opportunities by reconciling nitrogen supply and demand on a regional and national scale. Data based on national statistics and farm surveys were allocated to homogeneous soil polygons (Soil Landscapes of Canada [SLC]) to quantify changes in nutrient distribution and ammonia (NH₃ ) emissions across Canada (1981-2018). Livestock sectors tied to domestic consumption, dairy and poultry, were stable over time and well dispersed. Export driven beef production has moved west since 1981, whereas pig production was prominent in Manitoba, Quebec, and Ontario. Per ha manure N excretion across livestock sectors in 2018 was generally low with 58% and 6% of the SLCs averaging <25 and >100 kg N ha^-1 , respectively. Although only 3% of SLCs had average NH₃ emissions reaching 16-200 kg ha^-1 , most of these were located near cities and emissions spiked in spring when more people might be exposed. The greatest concentrations of nutrients and livestock occurred around the three largest metropolitan areas: Toronto, Montreal-Quebec City, and Vancouver, posing challenges for nutrient recycling and public health. This study shows that as Canadian cities and livestock agriculture grow in southern Canada, so will challenges around food production, human health, and managing nutrients. Livestock and land use strategies are needed to reconcile changing animal sectors and growing populations.

How efficient is modern peri-urban nitrogen cycling: A case study

Urban centres acquire and accumulate many materials from their hinterland, among these are nutrient elements such as nitrogen (N). The popular North American vision of a peri-urban setting is one where urban food production, composting and re-cycling are assumed to limit urban accumulation of nutrients. This study quantifies this assumption using the Lower Fraser Valley (LFV) of British Columbia as an example, ideal because it is surrounded by mountains, ocean and an international border which collectively delimit the peri-urban boundaries. Nitrogen influxes are dominated by livestock feed imports to support dairy and poultry production (18000 tonnes N), followed by human food imports (9210 tonnes N), as well as 5410 tonnes N as fertilizer and 4690 tonnes N in atmospheric deposition. There is a transfer of 6700 tonnes N from agricultural to urban ecosystems displacing food imports, but food production contributes to the N footprint of the LFV. Nitrogen effluxes are dominated by sewage disposal (10400 tonnes N), solid waste disposal (7020 tonnes N) and atmospheric emissions (9460 tonnes N). The total influx is 15 kg N per person, the net influx is 3.1 kg N per person. Per unit land area, these are a total influx of 24 kg N/ha and a net influx of 4.7 kg N/ha. The atmospheric emissions are 4.7 kg N per person and 7.2 kg/ha. The N in soil is mobile and it is assumed soil N is at a steady state concentration, thus the surplus N is lost from the soil, probably by leaching and runoff. The Fraser River is estimated to acquire and transport 5230 tonnes N from the region into the ocean each year, in addition to 10300 tonnes N from sewage outfall. This is coupled with effluxes of phosphorus (estimated previously), and the result probably has an impact on the coastal waters. There is little reuse of imported N and current waste management practices including composting and combustion do little to improve N efficiency.

Availability of Phosphorus after Long-term Whole and Separated Slurry Application to Perennial Grass prior to Corn Silage

Removing solids from whole dairy slurry (WS) can reduce P loading on fields. This study investigated the effects of 11 yr of applications of WS, separated liquid fraction (LF), commercial fertilizer, WS plus fertilizer, and a control on total and extractable (Kelowna) soil P in perennial grass ( Schreb.) and two subsequent silage corn ( L.) crops. Plots received 200 kg N ha with or without 40 kg P ha. Shoot biomass, P uptake, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi root colonization, and soil microbial P were determined for corn at six leaves. Whole-crop and grain yield, P uptake, dry matter, and grain content were determined at maturity. The LF treatment received 30% less manure P than WS, had lower extractable soil P at 0 to 15 and 15 to 30 cm, and had lower total P at 0 to 15 cm. Historical treatments had no effect on soil microbial P or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization. At six leaves, corn shoot biomass, P concentration, and P uptake were related to historical P rates in Year 2, but the relationship was not apparent in Year 1. Starter P fertilizer increased shoot yield and P uptake for all treatments in both years. At maturity, most yield parameters for WS and LF were similar in Year 1, but in Year 2, there was a significant response to starter P fertilizer and a positive relationship between historical P rate and corn performance. This study shows that long-term LF treatments reduced the risk of P pollution with relatively little effect on the P response of subsequent corn crops.

A comparative analysis of vehicle-related greenhouse gas emissions between organic and conventional dairy production

Agricultural industrialisation and globalisation have steadily increased the transportation of food across the world. In efforts to promote sustainability and self-sufficiency, organic milk producers in Sweden are required to produce a higher level of cattle feed on-farm in the hope that increased self-sufficiency will reduce reliance on external inputs and reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. Using data collected from 20 conventional and 20 organic milk producers in Sweden this paper aims to assess the global warming impact of farmyard vehicles and the transportation of feed produced 'off-farm' in order to compare the impact of vehicle-related emissions from the different production methods. The findings show organic and conventional production methods have different vehicle-related emission outputs that vary according to a reliance on either road transportation or increased farmyard machinery use. Mechanical weeding is more fuel demanding than conventional agrichemical sprayers. However, artificial fertilising is one of the highest farmyard vehicle-related emitters. The general findings show organic milk production emits higher levels of farm vehicle-related emissions that fail to be offset by reduced emissions occurring from international transport emissions. This paper does not propose to cover a comprehensive supply chain carbon footprint for milk production or attempt to determine which method of production has the largest climatic impact. However, it does demonstrate that Sweden's legal requirements for organic producers to produce more feed on-farm to reduce transport emissions have brought emissions back within Sweden's greenhouse gas inventory and raises questions around the effectiveness of policies to reduce vehicle-related emissions. Further research is needed into the effectiveness of climate change mitigation on food production policies, in particular looking at various trade-offs that affects the entire food supply chain.

Nitrous oxide emissions from clayey soils amended with paper sludges and biosolids of separated pig slurry

Wastes from animal production and from the paper industry are often used as amendments to agricultural soils. Although data exist on the impacts of raw animal wastes on NO production, little is known regarding the effects of paper wastes and biosolids from treated animal waste. We measured NO emissions for two consecutive snow-free seasons (mid-May through the end of October) from poorly drained clayey soils under corn ( L.). Soils were amended with raw pig slurry (PS) or biosolids (four PS-derived and two paper sludges) and compared with soils with mineral N fertilizer (CaNHNO) or without N addition (Control). Area-based NO emissions from the mineral N fertilizer (average, 8.2 kg NO-N ha; 4.2% of applied N) were higher ( < 0.001) than emissions from the organic amendments, which ranged from 1.5 to 6.1 kg NO-N ha (-0.4 to 2.5% of applied N). The NO emissions were positively correlated with mean soil NO availability (calculated as "NO exposure"), which was highest with mineral N fertilizer. In plots treated with organic amendments (i.e., biosolids and raw PS), NO exposure was negatively correlated to the C:N ratio of the amendment. This resulted in lower NO emissions from the higher C:N ratio biosolids, especially compared with the low C:N ratio PS. Application of paper sludge or PS-derived biosolids to these fine-textured soils, therefore, reduced NO emissions compared with raw PS and/or mineral N fertilizers ( < 0.01).

Precision placement of separated dairy sludge improves early phosphorus nutrition and growth in corn ( L.)

Efficient use of manure nutrients by crops is necessary to minimize losses to the environment. This field study examined the possibility of replacing side-banded mineral P with precision-placed high-P sludge (6.2-11.0% dry matter) obtained after settling dairy manure slurry. The sludge was injected at about 30 kg P ha (36.0-51.2 m ha) into the soil at corn row spacing, and the corn was planted 5, 10, and 15 cm beside the injection furrow. Controls included no added P and side-banded commercial P fertilizer. The treatments were tested on corn with low and high root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM). The study showed that sludge did not impede AM root colonization, corn germination, or seedling growth. Corn plants with both high and low levels of AM colonization responded to the sludge from the three-leaf stage and showed the greatest benefit at the six-leaf stage. Corn responded more to sludge placed at 5 than at 15 cm from the corn rows, whereas the response at the 10-cm spacing was intermediate. There was little difference in seedling growth or final harvest parameters between the side-banded fertilizer P and the 5-cm sludge treatment. The results show a new way to use manure nutrients, namely precision-placement sludge for corn. This may obviate the need for chemical fertilizers for improving farm nutrient balances. Other anticipated benefits are less energy use for hauling and injection of the sludge fraction and reduced risk of nutrient loss by runoff and volatilization (ammonia) and nuisance odors due to injection.

Novel manure management technologies in no-till and forage introduction to the special series

Surface application of manures leaves nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) susceptible to being lost in runoff, and N can also be lost to the atmosphere through ammonia (IH3) volatilization. Tillage immediately after surface application of manure moves manure nutrients under the soil surface, where they are less vulnerable to runoff and volatilization loss. Tillage, however, destroys soil structure, can lead to soil erosion, and is incompatible with forage and no-till systems. A variety of technologies are now available to place manure nutrients under the soil surface, but these are not widely used as surface broadcasting is cheap and long established as the standard method for land application of manure. This collection of papers includes agronomic, environmental, and economic assessments of subsurface manure application technologies, many of which clearly show benefits when comparedwith surface broadcasting. However, there remain significant gaps in our current knowledge, some related to the site-specific nature of technological performance, others related to the nascent and incomplete nature of the assessment process. Thus, while we know that we can improve land application of manure and the sustainability of farming systems with alternatives to surface broadcasting, many questions remain concerning which technologies work best for particular soils, manure types, and farming and cropping systems.