Search Results (15)

Ammonia (NH₃) is a major anthropogenic pollutant originating from agricultural activity, particularly livestock operations. NH₃ emissions from livestock slurry storage pose risks to environmental quality and human health. Reducing NH₃ emissions aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 3, SDG 12, SDG 14, and SDG 15. This study evaluates the performance of the commercially available SOP^® LAGOON additive under real-scale farm conditions for mitigating NH₃ emissions. Two adjacent slurry storage tanks of a dairy farm in Northern Italy were monitored from 27 May to 7 September: one treated with SOP^® LAGOON and one left untreated (serving as a control). In the first month, the treated tank showed a 77% reduction in NH₃ emissions. Emissions from the treated tank remained consistently lower than those from the control throughout the monitoring period, reaching an 87% reduction relative to the baseline levels by the end of the period. The results suggest that SOP^® LAGOON is an effective and scalable strategy for reducing NH₃ emissions from liquid manure storage, with practical implications for farmers and policy makers in regard to designing sustainable manure management practices. Full article

Climate change is a contemporary global challenge that requires comprehensive solutions to mitigate its adverse effects. All human activities contribute to climate change, mainly through atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as nitrous oxide (N₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and methane (CH₄). While most of these emissions are primarily due to fossil fuel use, agriculture and livestock production also contribute to a significant share of approximately 12% of global emissions. Most processes that are implemented within an animal husbandry unit are associated with greenhouse gas emissions, including manure management. This review explores the interconnection between climate change and manure management practices, highlighting the potential for sustainable approaches to mitigating GHG emissions. The key strategies for manure management, such as anaerobic digestion, nutrient management, composting, manure separation and treatment, and improved storage and handling, are discussed, as they are implemented in different livestock production systems (ruminants, poultry, and pigs). Despite the technological progress, there is still a place for further improving manure management approaches, especially in non-ruminant species leading to a higher mitigation potential and a reduction in greenhouse gases emissions. Moreover, policy support and incentives for sustainable practices are crucial for widespread adoption. Full article

In view of rising global demand, energy is becoming a significant cost factor in industry and society. In addition to the global players China, India, and the USA, Africa will also become a driver of the world’s primary energy demand in the future due to the rapidly growing developing countries. In addition to the armed conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, global energy markets are tense and volatile due to inflation and higher borrowing costs. Because of society’s desire to phase out the use of fossil fuels, the use of renewable energies is increasingly taking center stage worldwide and especially in Germany. Rural areas and agriculture, especially energy-intensive livestock farms, are particularly affected by this development and are therefore faced with additional economic challenges. Additional energy can be generated by using photovoltaic systems on the roofs of farm buildings or by utilizing the liquid manure from livestock farming in biogas plants. For these farms, such alternative sources of energy could open previously untapped potential and additional synergies for using their own inexpensive energy on the farm or supplying surplus electricity directly to the public grid as a market participant. Agriculture could thus serve as an actor in a decentralized energy supply and thus build up regional energy networks. However, intelligent electricity storage concepts and a corresponding energy management system (EMS) are essential to be able to utilize the potential for renewable energy generation at all, to coordinate both internal production processes and the varying energy demand and supply on the electricity grid. As agricultural production processes differ greatly from farm to farm and region to region, the introduction of an energy management system is strongly dependent on user acceptance. The purpose of this study is to use the web-based software tool ADOPT (CSIRO 2018) to predict the level of acceptance and the duration of the market launch of an EMS based on the region of Bavaria. Individual important influencing factors for the subsequent regional marketing concept are also identified. Full article

Reducing methane (CH₄) is a key objective to address climate change quickly. Manure management and storage play a significant role. In this context, a real-scale trial was performed to measure the ability of the commercial additive SOP LAGOON to reduce carbon-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from liquid manure over approximately 4 months. Gas emissions were measured at a commercial dairy farm from two slurry tanks, one treated with the abovementioned product (SL) and the other used as the untreated control (UNT). After 3 and 4 months from the first additive applications, the SL storage tank showed lower and statistically significantly different emissions concerning the UNT (up to −80% for CH₄ and −75% for CO₂, p < 0.001), confirming and showing improved results from those reported in the previous small-scale works. The pH of the UNT tank was lower than that of the SL on two dates, while the other chemical characteristics of the slurry were not affected. In this work, SOP LAGOON proved to be an effective additive to help the farmers mitigate the contribution of stored liquid manure to global CH₄ emissions, potentially improving the overall sustainability of the dairy industry. Full article

Ammonia emissions are both an environmental and health issue. Biological preparations (also known as biopreparations) have attracted interests as a tool to reduce ammonia emissions from livestock. However, little is known about their effectiveness in modulating evaporating NH₃ from manure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of one biopreparation product (MycroZyme© Micron Bio-Systems Ltd., Bridgwater, UK) by studying the dynamics of NH₃ gas evolution, taking into account factors such as manure storage time (fresh or stored) and the application method (sprayed or mixed). Experimental studies were performed with control manure (manure without biopreparation) and manure treated with the biopreparation. Data showed that the use of biopreparation slowed down the ammonia emission from manure, so the ammonia concentration in the wind tunnel decreased on average from 21.69 ± 0.9 to 14.43 ± 1.5 ppm. The effect of the biopreparation on ammonia evaporation was higher in the presence of more intensive ammonia emission conditions; i.e., when the manure was fresh, there was no crust on the surface, and the airflow over the manure was intense, and there was a large gradient of ammonia concentration on the manure surface. Based on the obtained results, recommendations were made to reduce ammonia emissions in litter-less cowsheds, where liquid manure is stored. Full article

Livestock production contributes to releasing methane into the atmosphere. Liquid manure management offers significant opportunities to reduce these emissions. A better understanding of the factors controlling methane emissions from manure is necessary to select effective mitigation strategies. Our study aimed to identify the influence of storage temperature and the associated change in chemical composition on methane emissions from dairy and fattening pig manure. Storage temperature affects microbial activity and induces changes in chemical composition that are key influences in methane emissions. Dairy and fattening pig manure samples were stored at five different temperatures (5–25 °C) for 90 days in a laboratory-scale experiment to measure the methane production. The chemical composition of the slurry samples was analyzed, and the biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests were performed before and after storage. For pig manure stored at 25 °C and 20 °C, methane emissions accounted for 69.3% and 50.3% of the BMP, respectively. Maximum methane emissions for dairy slurry were observed at 25 °C but remained at a low level. Analyses of the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) during storage are presented in few studies, this work revealed a potential inhibition of methane production, where the accumulation of VFAs was most elevated in samples stored at 20 °C and 25 °C. This partly counteracted the increase in methane emissions expected from the higher temperatures. The degree of VFA and dissociated fatty acids accumulation in dairy cattle slurry should be assessed for more accurate estimations of methane emissions from slurry stores. Full article

In various parts of India, tomatoes are grown using eco-friendly indigenous organic manures prepared from cow products for sustainable food production by small and marginal farmers. The main objective of the study was to compare the postharvest quality characteristics and storability between organically grown tomatoes using indigenous organic manures and those grown conventionally. The organic (OT) and conventional (CT) tomatoes procured from selected farms were observed for 28 days under ambient and refrigerated storage conditions. The postharvest quality characteristics and storability of tomatoes were assessed at intervals of 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days and observed till senescence. Physiological loss of weight (PLW), total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), pH, colour, lycopene, ascorbic acid content, respiration rate, and microbial stability were assessed to determine the postharvest quality and storability of OT and CT respectively. The study revealed that organic tomatoes stored in refrigerated conditions had a lower physiological loss of weight (2.78%), respiration rate (27.61 µL CO₂ g⁻¹ h⁻¹), and loss in firmness (27.14%) compared to conventional tomatoes indicating a higher storability and delayed senescence. The titratable acidity showed a decreasing trend while pH increased significantly for both samples stored under ambient and refrigerated conditions. A slower rate of increment in redness and chroma values was observed for OT at refrigerated storage conditions compared to ambient temperature. Ascorbic acid content was also found to be significantly higher in OT (23.53 mg/100 g) compared to CT (13.85 mg/100 g). Additionally, the result showed increased lycopene content in CT during storage compared to OT. The microbial study revealed that total aerobic mesophilic count and yeasts–molds were highest in CT on the 28th day of storage. Therefore, the study revealed that OT under refrigerated storage conditions had superior postharvest quality, storability and longevity compared to CT, which may be due to the sustained release of nutrients and useful elements from liquid organic manures and their uptake by plants. Full article

Gaseous emissions are the main loss pathways of nutrients during dairy slurry storage. In this study, we compiled published data on cumulative ammonia (NH₃), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) emissions from dairy slurry storage and evaluated the integrated effects of slurry pH, total solids (TS), ambient temperature (T) and length of storage (LOS) on emissions using linear mixed effects models. Results showed that the average nitrogen (N) loss by NH₃ volatilization from slurry storage was 12.5% of total nitrogen (TN), while the loss by N₂O emissions only accounted for 0.05–0.39% of slurry TN. The NH₃–N losses were highly related to slurry pH, lowering slurry pH leading to significant decrease of emissions. Temperature also affected NH₃–N losses, with higher losses from slurry storage under warm conditions than cold conditions. No significant relationship was observed between NH₃–N losses and slurry TS contents within a range from 21–169 g kg⁻¹. The losses of N₂O–N from dairy slurry storage were less affected by slurry pH, TS contents and temperature. The carbon (C) loss as CH₄ emissions varied from 0.01–17.2% of total carbon (TC). Emissions of CH₄–C presented a significant positive relationship with temperature, a negative relationship with slurry TS contents and no significant relationship with slurry pH ranging from 6.6–8.6. Length of storage (more than 30 days) had no significant influence on cumulative gas emissions from slurry storage. This study provides new emission factors of NH₃, N₂O and CH₄ in the percentage of TN or TC from dairy slurry storage. Our results indicate the potential interactive effects of slurry characteristics and storage conditions on gaseous emissions from slurry storage. Farm-scale measurements are needed to accurately estimate nutrient losses from liquid manure storage. Full article

The storage of animal manure is a major source of gaseous emissions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochar and clinoptilolite on the composition and gaseous emissions during the storage of separated liquid fraction of pig slurry. The experiment was carried out using containers with 6 L of pig slurry each. The additives biochar and clinoptilolite were added alone and mixed to the pig slurry at a rate of 2.5% each, in a total of four treatments with three replicates including the control. Gaseous emissions were monitored by a photoacoustic multigas monitor, and slurry samples were collected at 0 and 85 days and their composition assessed. Results showed that the addition of biochar could modify the physicochemical properties of the slurry. The addition of biochar did not reduce the E. coli during the experiment while clinoptilolite decreased its prevalence. The addition of biochar or clinoptilolite reduced significantly the NH₃ emission during the storage of slurry, but no advantages were gained with their combination. The addition of biochar significantly reduced the CO₂ and CH₄ emissions relative to clinoptilolite, however N₂O emissions and global warming potential did not differ among the additives. We conclude that the biochar and clinoptilolite are recommended as a mitigation measure to reduce gaseous emissions and preserve the fertiliser value at slurry storage. Full article

Liquid manure is a significant source of methane (CH₄), a greenhouse gas. Many livestock farms use manure additives for practical and agronomic purposes, but the effect on CH₄ emissions is unknown. To address this gap, two lab studies were conducted, evaluating the CH₄ produced from liquid dairy manure with Penergetic-g^® (12 mg/L, 42 mg/L, and 420 mg/L) or AgrimestMix^® (30.3 mL/L). In the first study, cellulose produced 378 mL CH₄/g volatile solids (VS) at 38 °C and there was no significant difference with Penergetic-g^® at 12 mg/L or 42 mg/L. At the same temperature, dairy manure produced 254 mL CH₄/g VS and was not significantly different from 42 mg/L Penergetic-g^®. In the second lab study, the dairy manure control produced 187 mL CH₄/g VS at 37 °C and 164 mL CH₄/g VS at 20 °C, and there was no significant difference with AgrimestMix (30.3 mL/L) or Penergetic-g^® (420 mg/L) at either temperature. Comparisons of manure composition before and after incubation indicated that the additives had no effect on pH or VS, and small and inconsistent effects on other constituents. Overall, neither additive affected CH₄ production in the lab. The results suggest that farms using these additives are likely to have normal CH₄ emissions from stored manure. Full article

The spread of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria is an increasing threat to human health, because novel compound classes for the development of antibiotics have not been discovered for decades. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) may provide a much-needed breakthrough because these immunity-related defense molecules protect many eukaryotes against Gram-negative pathogens. Recent concepts in evolutionary immunology predict the presence of potent AMPs in insects that have adapted to survive in habitats with extreme microbial contamination. For example, the saprophagous and coprophagous maggots of the drone fly Eristalis tenax (Diptera) can flourish in polluted aquatic habitats, such as sewage tanks and farmyard liquid manure storage pits. We used next-generation sequencing to screen the E. tenax immunity-related transcriptome for AMPs that are synthesized in response to the injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide. We identified 22 AMPs and selected nine for larger-scale synthesis to test their activity against a broad spectrum of pathogens, including multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Two cecropin-like peptides (EtCec1-a and EtCec2-a) and a diptericin-like peptide (EtDip) displayed strong activity against the pathogens, even under simulated physiological conditions, and also achieved a good therapeutic window. Therefore, these AMPs could be used as leads for the development of novel antibiotics. Full article

The storage of livestock manure is responsible for ammonia emissions into the atmosphere. Different natural covers could be used during animal manure storage, but the mitigation effect is influenced by the manure characteristics due to the housing or treatment systems. Starting from cattle and buffalo manure, the objectives of this study were (i) to assess the effect of anaerobic digestion (AD) and solid–liquid separation (SLS) on ammonia emissions during storage as well as natural crust development and (ii) to investigate the reduction in ammonia emissions by using a layer of straw to cover the stored animal manure. Storage conditions were simulated in a small-scale application in a climate-controlled room. Results showed that the higher organic matter content of cow raw slurry facilitated the surface crust formation starting from the first days of storage. AD with SLS increased ammonia emissions (48.5%) due to the increase of the ammoniacal nitrogen content. On the other hand, animal manure covered with a layer of straw showed a 7.3% reduction of ammonia emissions. This study suggests that treatments and covering strategies must be calibrated to different manure types to enhance the mitigation effect. Full article

Animal manure is a source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other pollutants and nuisances such as ammonia and odors. There are several technologies to reduce emissions on animal farms including manure additives; however, few have been proven effective and easy to apply to dairy lagoon systems. The present research aimed at testing the ability of the commercial additive “SOP LAGOON” to reduce emissions of GHGs (i.e., carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O)), as well as ammonia (NH₃) and odors from lagoon stored liquid manure. Emissions of GHGs, NH₃ and odors were measured in the laboratory from barrels filled with 65 L of manure treated with SOP LAGOON or left untreated as a control. Manure was collected from a commercial dairy that is located in Solano County, California. Emissions of GHGs and NH₃ were continuously measured for one week using flux chambers placed on top of the barrels and connected to a mobile air emissions laboratory. The effects of the untreated control, versus the two respective treatment additive doses of 30.8 and 61.6 g/m³ of manure were compared to each other. The low dose was selected based on the manufacturer recommendation and the high dose was selected by doubling the low dose. Results showed that SOP LAGOON applied at the high dose (61.6 g of SOP LAGOON per m³ of manure) versus the control greatly reduced (p < 0.05) emissions of CO₂, CH₄, N₂O and NH₃ by 14.7%, 22.7%, 45.4% and 45.9%, respectively. Furthermore, the high dose of SOP LAGOON treated samples versus the control samples showed less odor intensity (p < 0.05). There was no significant effect of the low dose of SOP LAGOON on the emissions of different gases. The HIGH dose of SOP LAGOON might decrease the number of methanogens and hydrolytic microorganisms and their excreted enzymes during manure storage. Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism of emission reduction using SOP LAGOON. Full article

Sustainable swine manure management is critical to reducing adverse environmental impacts on surrounding ecosystems, particularly in regions of intensive production. Conventional swine manure management practices contribute to agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and aquatic eutrophication. There is a lack of full-scale research of the thermochemical conversion of solid-separated swine manure. This study utilizes a consequential life cycle assessment (CLCA) to investigate the environmental impacts of the thermal gasification of swine manure solids as a manure management strategy. CLCA is a modeling tool for a comprehensive estimation of the environmental impacts attributable to a production system. The present study evaluates merely the gasification scenario as it includes manure drying, syngas production, and biochar field application. The assessment revealed that liquid storage of manure had the highest contribution of 57.5% to GHG emissions for the entire proposed manure management scenario. Solid-liquid separation decreased GHG emissions from the manure liquid fraction. Swine manure solids separation, drying, and gasification resulted in a net energy expenditure of 12.3 MJ for each functional unit (treatment of 1 metric ton of manure slurry). Land application of manure slurry mixed with biochar residue could potentially be credited with 5.9 kg CO₂-eq in avoided GHG emissions, and 135 MJ of avoided fossil fuel energy. Manure drying had the highest share of fossil fuel energy use. Increasing thermochemical conversion efficiency was shown to decrease overall energy use significantly. Improvements in drying technology efficiency, or the use of solar or waste-heat streams as energy sources, can significantly improve the potential environmental impacts of manure solids gasification. Full article

Degrading antibiotics discharged in the livestock manure in a well-controlled bioprocess contributes to a more sustainable and environment-friendly livestock breeding. Although most antibiotics remain stable during manure storage, anaerobic digestion can degrade and remove them to various extents depending on the concentration and class of antibiotic, bioreactor operating conditions, type of feedstock and inoculum sources. Generally, antibiotics are degraded during composting > anaerobic digestion > manure storage > soil. Manure matrix variation influences extraction, quantification, and degradation of antibiotics, but it has not been well investigated. Fractioning of manure-laden antibiotics into liquid and solid phases and its effects on their anaerobic degradation and the contribution of abiotic (physical and chemical) versus biotic degradation mechanisms need to be quantified for various manures, antibiotics types, reactor designs and temperature of operations. More research is required to determine the kinetics of antibiotics’ metabolites degradation during anaerobic digestion. Further investigations are required to assess the degradation of antibiotics during psychrophilic anaerobic digestion. Full article