Ammonia loss from simulated post-collection storage of scraped and flushed dairy-cattle manure

• Published in: Biosystems engineering 2011-11, Vol.110 (3), p.291-296
• Main Authors: Vaddella, Venkata K., Ndegwa, Pius M., Joo, HungSoo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural machinery and engineering; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Ammonia; Animal productions; Biological and medical sciences; dairy cattle; Emission analysis; Exposure; Flushing; Flux; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Biometrics, experimentation. Remote sensing; Manure; manure storage; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; Scraping; Simulation; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; storage time; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates
• ISSN: 1537-5110; 1537-5129
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2011.09.001

A series of laboratory scale studies were conducted, over a period of 23 d, to evaluate NH 3 losses from simulated storages of scraped manure and flushed manure on the basis of similar: (i) exposed-surface-area to volume ratio (ESAVR), and (ii) exposed-surface-area (ESA). Based on similar ESA; NH 3 flux during the 23-d study period from the storage of scraped manure ranged from 2.7 to 1.4 g m −2 d −1 compared to a range of 2.2 to 1.8 g m −2 d −1 from storage of flushed manure. This resulted in significantly higher total NH 3 loss from the storage of scraped manure (2034 ± 107 mg) compared to that from the storage of flushed manure (1739 ± 53 mg). Ammonia flux ranging from 5.9 to 2.4 g m −2 d −1 was observed from the storage of scraped manure with similar ESAVR to that of the flushed manure storage. In the latter case, however, the total NH 3 losses from either type of storage were not significantly different. The mean cumulative NH 3 lost from the simulated storages of flushed manure was 1739 ± 53 mg, while the mean loss from the simulated storages of scraped manure was 1752 ± 56 mg. The results from this study indicate that for geometric similar post-collection storages (i.e. similar ESA), flushing manure mitigates NH 3 emissions more than scraping manure, during post-collection storages: at least within the initial 23-d storage duration simulated in this study. In contrast, however, there was no indication of any advantage of using one system over the other if the post-collection storages were based on similar ESAVRs. ► Ammonia emissions from storage of scraped and flush manures were evaluated. ► Ammonia emissions were the same from storages with similar exposed-surface-area to volume ratios. ► Flushing mitigates ammonia emissions more than scraping if storages are geometrically similar.