# Presentation: 782542

## Manure Handling and Storage Effects on Nitrogen Losses of Dairy Farms

- Vinicius R. Moreira

## Overview

-  Brief identification of the problem;
-  Processes involved in ammonia volatilization;
-  Methods for estimating nitrogen losses;
-  Sources of ammonia volatilization;
- Summary.

## Introduction

- Enhanced Integrated Nutrient Management on Dairy Farms

## Why has nitrogen management become an issue?

## Jim Galloway’s N cascade

- N-Conference (2001)

## Slide 6

## Effects of excessive ammonia in the atmosphere

- Effects to human and animal health:
- ISU Extension publication #: Pm-1518k

| Ammonia levels | Health effects |
| --- | --- |
|  5ppm | Olfactory detection |
|  20-25ppm | Eye irritation |
|  ~ 1,500ppm | Cough and froth at the mouth |
|  5,000ppm | Deadly |

## Effects of excessive ammonia in the atmosphere

- Effects to human and animal health:
- Reacts with sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NxO)  Aerosols.
- 	* Clean Air Act enforces PM10;
- Odor problems.

## Effects of excessive ammonia in the atmosphere

- Effects on environment:
- 50% of NH3 is deposited within a 50-km (31 miles) range;
- Farther deposition is halved every 400 km (250 miles).
- Reduces visibility (haze);
- Reduction of biodiversity: affect natural ecosystems through N enrichment and allow shift from native oligotrophic plant communities to competitive grass species;
- Acid rain;
- Eutrophication (nitrate): Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Zone (Burkart and James, 1999).

## Where does ammonia come from in dairy farms?

## Slide 11

## Factors affecting N efficiency in a dairy cow:

- N efficiency (kg milk N / kg feed N)
- Maximum theoretical: = ~.44 (NRC, 2001);
- 56 experiments: .26 (range: .17-.39);
- Grazing N fertilized pastures: .16 (Vuuren and Meijs, 1987).
- * Reducing dietary N  increase efficiency (and risk?).

## 

     * Excreted N = urinary N + fecal N

-      * Excreted N = urinary N + fecal N

- Factors affecting N efficiency in a dairy cow:

## N distribution in dairy manure

- Fecal N:
- Undigested feed;
- Microbial proteins;
- Metabolic losses.

- Urinary N:
- Urea (50-90%);
- Allantoin;
- Uric acid;
- Creatinine;
- Creatine;
- Hippuric acid;
- Xanthine, Hypoxanthine, free ammonia, free amino acids

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## Urea breakdown

-     CO(NH2)2 + H2O            2NH3 + CO2
- * Complete within 2-6h at T > 10oC (50oF - Muck, 1982, Elzing & Monteny, 1997)

- Ammonia dissociation

## Processes involved in ammonia volatilization from dairy manure

- NH3/NH4+ reaction tends to NH3 with increase in:
- Temperature (Muck and Steenhuis, 1981, Muck, 1982);
- pH (Muck and Steenhuis, 1981, Muck, 1982);
- NH4+ concentration (Hashimoto, 1972);
- Wind speed (Monteny and Erisman, 1998).
- May reduce volatilization:
- Floating layers (Voorburg and Kroodsma, 1992).

## Modeling N Split Between Urine and Feces

- Introduction:
- Objective:
- To develop a regression to predict N split between urine and feces based on simple information.
- Literature review:
- 56 experiments, 231 different treatments, 3751 cows.
- Literature up to 11 years old (1990-2001).

## Modeling N Split Between Urine and Feces

- Information obtained:

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## Calculations

- Modeling N Split Between Urine and Feces

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## Modeling N Split Between Urine and Feces 

- Experimental and dietary information
- 	  * Estimated based on book values of dietary ingredients.

## Modeling N Split Between Urine and Feces 

- Production and excretion information

## Modeling N Split Between Urine and Feces

- Estimating fecal N:

## What techniques can be used to estimate N losses?

## Methods for estimating nitrogen losses

- Direct measurements:
- Continuous measurement:
- Non Dispersive Infra Red (NDIR);
- Open-Path Fourier Transform Infrared (OP-FTIR);
- Optical absorption techniques
- Fluorescence methods;
- Gas chromatography;
- Electrochemical cells;
- NO monitor in combination with a high temperature catalyst stainless steel (chemiluminescence detectors);
- Continuous flow denuder.

## Direct measurements:
Discontinuous measurement:
Acid scrubbers; 
Gas detection tubes; 
Passive diffusion devices;
Denuders.

- Discontinuous measurement:
- Acid scrubbers;
- Gas detection tubes;
- Passive diffusion devices;
- Denuders.

- Methods for estimating nitrogen losses

- Direct measurements:
- Discontinuous measurement:
- Acid scrubbers;
- Gas detection tubes;
- Passive diffusion devices;
- Denuders.
- * Product of air exchange rate and the difference between inflow and outflow NH3 concentrations.

## Methods for estimating nitrogen losses

- Indirect estimations:
- Mass balances (N Inputs minus N outputs – van der Meer, 2001);
- N:ash (Muck and Richards, 1983, Muck et al, 1984);
- N:P.

- Indirect estimations:
- Mass balances (N Inputs minus N outputs – van der Meer, 2001);
- N:ash (Muck and Richards, 1983, Muck et al, 1984);
- N:P.
- * Do not discriminate among N form (NH3, NH4+, N2O or N2);
- * Not “real-time”.

## Sources of ammonia volatilization

## Opportunities for losses

- Cattle housing system
- Floor barn
- Tie-stall;
- Free-stall:
- Slatted floor;
- Solid floor;

- Storage
- Daily haul;
- Earthen basin or concrete pit;
- Bedded pack;
- Stack.

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## Validation Protocol

- Moreira, V.R., Santos, H.H.B., Satter, L.D.
- Introduction
- Objectives
- To evaluate the use of N to P ratio for estimating N disappearance from manure;
- To determine N disappearance from tie-stall and free-stall.

## Validation Protocol

- Materials and methods

## Validation Protocol

- Materials and Methods

## Validation Protocol

- Results
- Manure temperature (oC) and pH:

## Validation Protocol

- Results
- TN and TP:

## Validation Protocol

## Validation Protocol

## Freeze Drying TN Protocol

- Introduction
- Objective
- To evaluate the freeze drying process on the recovery of manurial total nitrogen.
- Materials and Methods
- 2x2x3 factorial design:
- With or without acidification (2mL 67%H2SO4/90mL manure);
- Three levels of ammonium sulfate (0, 3 or 6g/~90mL manure);
- Analyzed fresh or after lyophilization
- 5 replications/treatment.

## TN Protocol

- Results

## TN Protocol

-  Results
- Effect of lyofilization and acidification manure samples on total nitrogen recovery (TN):

## On-Farm Estimations

- Introduction
- Objective
- To estimate N disappearance from dairy manure from excretion until storage is emptied using P as a marker (N to P ratio).

## On-Farm Estimations

- Materials and methods
- 13 farms were selected;
- Samples collected:
- Manure samples: collected throughout emptying of storage facility;
- Feed samples;
- Sampling period: March 27th through May 29th 2001

## On-Farm Estimations

- Materials and methods
- Information:
- Housing (type and management);
- Milk records and diet composition (N and P);
- Manure storage (type and management);
- Hauling schedule.

## On-Farm Estimations

- Materials and methods
- Sample processing was similar to that of Validation Protocol;
- TN analyses were done in half of the sub-samples that were lyophilized.

## On-Farm Estimations

- Results

## On-Farm Estimations

- Limitations

## On-Farm Estimations

## Datasets

- Introduction
- Objective
- Estimate N disappearance from dairy manure based on N to P ratio, according to analyses done in commercial laboratories.

## Datasets

- Materials and Methods
- 230 dairy manure analyses from three commercial laboratories located in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin;
- Analyses: Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus.

## Datasets

- Results
- Effect of manure storage structure on Total Nitrogen (**TN**), Total Phosphorus (**P**) and N to P ratio (**N/P**) (3 Labs: Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin)
- 1 BP = bedded pack (n=19).
- 2 DH = daily haul (n=68).
- 3 EB = earthen basins (n=136).
- 4 S = stack (n=7).

## Datasets

- Results
- Effect of season1 on Total Nitrogen (**TN**), Total Phosphorus (**P**) and N to P ratio (**N/P**) of 130 dairy manure analyses (2 labs: Minnesota and Wisconsin), regardless waste storage structure.
- 1 Seasons were arranged based on the dates of manure analyses.
- 2 n=15
- 3 n=25
- 4 n=36
- 5 n=54

## SUMMARY

- N factors presented in the literature:

## N Excretion

## Housing
and
Storage

- Housing
- and
- Storage

## 43% reduction

## 43% reduction

## 43% reduction

## 43% reduction

## 43% reduction

## 43% reduction

## 43% reduction

## Slide 61

## Slide 62

## Slide 63

## Validation Protocol

- Overall status:
- Limitations:
- Assumed equal proportions of urine and feces for front and back free-stall;
- Day to day variation in excretion rates, mainly for tie-stall sampling;
- Perspective:
- Correct urine:feces excretion ratio, according to DM or P, for free-stall sampling mix all???
- Tie-stall: repeated protocol in Summer for two days.

## In Stall Scraping

- Introduction
- Objective
- To evaluate the effect of scraping frequency on N disappearance, as estimated by N to P ratio.
- Materials and Methods
- Scrapers were set up for 2 or 6-times a day;
- Cross-over design, two sides of free stall;
- Sampling protocol followed that presented for Validation Protocol.

## Slide 66

## Datasets

- Results
- Effect of type of bedding on Total Nitrogen (**TN**), Total Phosphorus (**P**) and N to P ratio (**N/P**) of 130 dairy manure analyses (2 Labs: Minnesota and Wisconsin), regardless of storage type.
- 1 Manure samples with accompanying information indicating that sand or no bedding was used. This also included samples where there was no information about bedding (n=56).
- 2 Manure samples with accompanying information indicating that straw, hay, grass, sawdust, shaving or oat hulls (n=74).

## Datasets

- Results
- Effect of wall profile of manure storage on Total Nitrogen (**TN**), Total Phosphorus (**P**) and N to P ratio (**N/P**) of 99 dairy manure samples (3 labs: Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin).
- 1 n=86
- 2 n=13

## Datasets

- Results
- Effect of loading (bottom or top) of manure into the storage on Total Nitrogen (**TN**), Total Phosphorus (**P**) and N to P ratio (**N/P**) of 63 dairy manure samples (1 lab: Pennsylvania).
- 1 n=21
- 2 n=42

## Datasets

- Results
- Effect of covering the manure storage on Total Nitrogen (TN), Total Phosphorus (P) and N to P ratio (N/P) of 36 dairy manure (1 lab: Pennsylvania).
- 1 n=11
- 2 n=25

## Procedures

- Freeze Drying TN Protocol
- Sampling Protocol

## Slide 72

## Slide 73

## Slide 74

## Slide 75

## Slide 76

## Slide 77

## Slide 78