Land Spreading of Animal Manures, Farm Wastes & Non-Agricultural Organic Wastes -Part 1 - Manure (and Other Organic Wastes) Management Guidelines for Intensive Agricultural Enterprises

Abstract

Properly managing manure (liquid and solid) and other organic wastes on farms is essential to achieving sustainability, both in environmental and economic terms. Recycling animal manures back to the land is the most sensible management option. Although considerable progress toward improving manure management has been made on many farms in recent years, environmental and regulatory requirements are demanding even greater changes. These changes pose considerable challenges for the larger intensive farms (i.e. Intensive Agricultural Enterprises, or IAE). At the core of these changes is achieving a better balance between the nutrient loads, particularly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), contained in the manure, and crop requirements for nutrients. In addition, given the increasing environmental significance of atmospheric emission from agriculture, it is critical that producers minimise emissions to both air and water by following the Code of Good Agricultural Practice to Protect Waters from Pollution by Nitrates and employing the best available technologies The practical implications of achieving a closer balance between the needs of crops for nutrients and amounts of nutrients supplied by manure (and other organic wastes) are that IAEs must seek larger land spreading areas than have been traditionally used. At the same time, however, a variety of factors are influencing the availability of spread lands. These include revised P nutrient advice for grassland, the EPA BATNEEC Guidelines, the national Code of Good Agricultural Practice to Protect Groundwater from Pollution by Nitrates, and the national Rural Environment Protection Scheme all of which influence the supply of agricultural land that can be utilised for recycling of manure generated by IAEs. In addition, the localised concentration of IAEs in parts of the country and the general separation of these concentrated production areas from tillage areas impact seriously on the availability of spread lands. The restrictions noted above pose greater difficulties for existing compared with new enterprises. For these reasons, Teagasc is proposing adequate time be given for existing IAEs to fully implement a manure and waste management strategy that will balance nutrient applications with removals. In this interim period, it is proposed that existing IAEs be allowed to use soil P storage as a mechanism to manage the practical and financial hardships that will accompany trying to obtain enough land to achieve a balance between nutrient inputs and outputs on spread lands. The objective of the Teagasc Manure (and Other Organic Wastes) Management Guidelines for IAE are to provide an operational framework for the agronomically efficient and environmentally safe recycling of these organic by-products, maximising the benefits of nutrients they contain at minimum cost. The principles of the approach are equally applicable to the management of all manures and organic wastes applied to land. The approach includes programmes for controlling manure quantity and quality; operational procedures covering storage, transport and nutrient management; and a quality assurance programme. These Guidelines assign the importance of manure management on an equal footing with other production practices. Implementation of these Guidelines may entail higher costs compared with traditional practices. However, some of the benefits accruing from the improved management practices can partly or wholly offset the costs of implementation. The introduction of regulations will serve to channel the course of livestock farming, poultry production, and other farming systems, particularly IAE, in so far as these regulations will modify current practices and promote technical changes. The implementation of these Guidelines will assist producers in optimising nutrient recycling and in complying with environmental regulations. However, they require a change in attitudes toward manure management, and the genuine commitment of all those involved

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