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Moving Toward Circular Agriculture Thanks to Nutrient Separation From Manure

Due to strict environmental regulations, farmers are not allowed to spread all of their manure on their land. At the same time, they use synthetic fertilizers to provide their crops with sufficient nutrients. The result: a growing manure surplus and the loss of valuable nutrients.

Ph.D. researcher Marrit van der Wal is working on a circular solution: a method to separate nitrogen and potassium from manure and make them reusable.

"I'm from Friesland, my father works as a livestock feed trader, and many of my friends and acquaintances are farmers. So I'm very familiar with the challenges they face," Van der Wal explains. When she read the project description, she didn't hesitate for a second. "I even moved to the south of the country for it."

From the very beginning, her goal was clear: through her Ph.D. research, she wants to make a real contribution to solving the current problems in the agricultural sector.

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Hog producers are taking their stewardship to the next level by finding new ways to manage manure that benefit both the environment and their operations. One approach is using slatted floors with an 8-foot pit. By storing manure in this system, and combining it with variable rate spreading, they're able to apply manure nutrients exactly where needed, improving crop production and reducing waste.

Minnesota pig farmer, Randy Spronk shares how this system has transformed his operation, allowing him to grow healthy crops for his herd while minimizing environmental impact. It's a solution he's proud of — one not that only benefits the land but also creates a lasting legacy he can pass down to his family and future generations.