Separation of solid fraction (SF) is an easy and cheap treatment to simplify the storage, the management and the application of a part of the nitrogen contained into swine slurry. Composting of SF under controlled conditions can give a higher degree of stability and improve agronomic value compared with raw material (Chiumenti et al., 2007). Well composted manure improves soil structure, increases soil organic matter, suppresses soil-borne plant pathogens, enhances plant growth and reduces the cost of fertilization (Ramos and Martìnez-Casasnovas, 2006). Composting cannot be considered a new technology but it is gaining interest in waste management strategies as an alternative way of recycling the manure in farms without enough agricultural land for their direct use as fertilizer (Bernal et al., 2008). SF from liquid animal manure can be composted successfully when optimal conditions are satisfied: temperature of the material during the process must not exceeding 70-75 °C, moisture content (MC) should be between 50-60%, C/N is near 30, pH is between 6.5 and 8.0, porosity is 35-50% and aeration operations assure oxygen to the aerobic microorganisms responsible of the process. The addition of bulking agents to nitrogen rich-waste such as SF optimizes substrate porosity, MC, pH, C/N ratio affecting positively the decomposition. Cellulose crop residues with high C/N ratio can be used as raw materials to add to animal manure (Bernal et al., 2008). In Europe swine manure composting at farm level is not a substantially practiced process (Chiumenti et al., 2007). Composting could be justified in some high revenue farms, such as vines and tree crops, where organic fertilizers are preferred to chemical fertilizers. These crops make available 1.5-3 t ha-1 of the woody material from pruning, at the moment generally shredded in the inter-row, as bulking material to improve animal waste SF. The paper investigates the feasibility of small scale and low technology farm composting process of the swine manure SF to produce organic fertilizer for viticulture and crops tree.
Small scale composting of swine slurry solid fraction for sustainable fertilization in viticulture and tree crops
Cavallo E
2009
Abstract
Separation of solid fraction (SF) is an easy and cheap treatment to simplify the storage, the management and the application of a part of the nitrogen contained into swine slurry. Composting of SF under controlled conditions can give a higher degree of stability and improve agronomic value compared with raw material (Chiumenti et al., 2007). Well composted manure improves soil structure, increases soil organic matter, suppresses soil-borne plant pathogens, enhances plant growth and reduces the cost of fertilization (Ramos and Martìnez-Casasnovas, 2006). Composting cannot be considered a new technology but it is gaining interest in waste management strategies as an alternative way of recycling the manure in farms without enough agricultural land for their direct use as fertilizer (Bernal et al., 2008). SF from liquid animal manure can be composted successfully when optimal conditions are satisfied: temperature of the material during the process must not exceeding 70-75 °C, moisture content (MC) should be between 50-60%, C/N is near 30, pH is between 6.5 and 8.0, porosity is 35-50% and aeration operations assure oxygen to the aerobic microorganisms responsible of the process. The addition of bulking agents to nitrogen rich-waste such as SF optimizes substrate porosity, MC, pH, C/N ratio affecting positively the decomposition. Cellulose crop residues with high C/N ratio can be used as raw materials to add to animal manure (Bernal et al., 2008). In Europe swine manure composting at farm level is not a substantially practiced process (Chiumenti et al., 2007). Composting could be justified in some high revenue farms, such as vines and tree crops, where organic fertilizers are preferred to chemical fertilizers. These crops make available 1.5-3 t ha-1 of the woody material from pruning, at the moment generally shredded in the inter-row, as bulking material to improve animal waste SF. The paper investigates the feasibility of small scale and low technology farm composting process of the swine manure SF to produce organic fertilizer for viticulture and crops tree.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
