By Bruce Cochrane
Research being conducted by the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute will provide hog producers an indication of the effectiveness of air flotation and belt filter press manure separation technology.
The Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute in partnership with the Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative is evaluating the economics and operating effectiveness of air flotation and belt filter press manure separation.
The technology, which uses a multi step process to separate manure into a nitrogen rich liquid stream and a phosphorus rich solid stream, originates in the Netherlands and was recently installed on a farm in Manitoba.
MLMMI executive director John Carney says this is one of several manure separation technologies currently available.
John Carney-Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative:
What we hope to learn is just how well does this technology work compared to the other technologies that we have looked at.
We do realize that every farm is different, every situation is different so we believe that different farms may need different solutions.
That said, we want to provide producers with comparative information that's objectively gathered so that, rather than relying on manufacturers or marketing claims, that they've got some validated objective data that they can use as they formulate their decisions on how to proceed.
In terms of who would be using this information, really it would be hog producers in southeast Manitoba where they are looking for ways to use the phosphorus and the nutrients in the manure that is generated in that particular area.
Carney expects to have results in June.
Source: Farmscape