EVALUATION OF SOLID MANURE STORAGE TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

Animal husbandry in agriculture is one of the main sources of air pollution with ammonia and GHG compounds. If the manure is handled improperly, there is also a threat of surface, groundwater, and soil pollution with nitrogen compounds. With proper management practices, manure can be turned into fertilizer - compost. Certain conditions must be created for the composting process to take place: optimal temperature, moisture content, C:N ratio. Using coatings to cover manure is one of the simplest ways to reduce air pollution. However, with the help of this technology, it is also possible to optimize the composting process by maintaining the optimal temperature of the manure. This experimental study was carried out during the prohibition of fertilization, under production conditions that correspond to those found in livestock farms, where manure is stored in piles near barns or in fertilizing fields. During the research, the temperature of the manure at different depths of the stack was measured with sensors, as well as the air pollution with ammonia gas. It has been established that a straw layer of >10 cm helps to maintain a temperature of 50-75°C in the surface layers of manure as well. In addition, up to 85 percent air pollution with ammonia gas is reduced during the first 30 days after the manure is piled, when the emission of ammonia into the environment is the most intense.