manure
104 Views

GC: n

CT: Manure application to agricultural land involves the addition of all the components of the manure to the soil. An appropriate balance should be maintained between agronomic requirements and negative environmental impacts. Negative impacts, that could be defined as soil pollution, have to do with the addition of heavy metals, organo-chlorines and too many salts. Also, weed seeds could be spread through manuring the land. On the other hand, manuring almost always has a positive influence on the build-up of soil organic matter and thus improves the “intrinsic” fertility of the soil, as well as the soil structure.

S: FAO – https://www.fao.org/3/X6113E/x6113e05.htm#TopOfPage (last access: 29 January 2024)

N: 1. “Dung or compost used as fertilizer, any substance (especially the excrement of livestock) added to the soil to render it more fertile,” 1540s, from manure (v.).

2. The excreta of animals, with or without the admixture of bedding or litter, in varying stages of decomposition (used to fertilize soil).

3. The terms “manure” and “liquid manure” can get mixed up.

According to the book Animal Agriculture: Sustainability, Challenges and Innovations, the term “liquid manure” applies to the mixture of feces and wash water: liquid manure is produced when wash water is added to slurry manure, or when a significant solid fraction is removed from slurry manure after solid-liquid separation, resulting in less than 5 % of dry matter.

Therefore, the term “liquid manure” should only be used when referring to a mix of feces and wash water with less than 5 % of dry matter.

4. The terms “manure” and “dung” can also get mixed up.

The website Cambridge Dictionaries Online offers the following definition for “manure”: solid waste from animals, especially horses, that is spread on the land in order to make plants grow well.

Meanwhile, it offers the following definition for “dung”: solid waste from animals, especially cattle and horses.

Therefore, manure is considered a fertilizer, while dung is just excrement.

5. Manure can be turned into valuable products:

  • Nutrients. Manure contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients that plants need to grow. Farmers can often save money by properly using manure as a fertilizer. Farmers can also sell manure or manure products to gardeners, landscapers, golf courses, and others who use nutrients to grow plants.
  • Organic matter. Adding manure to soils is an excellent way to increase soil organic matter. Soil organic matter contributes to overall soil health —the soil’s ability and sustainability to function as a living ecosystem. In addition to slowly releasing plant nutrients over time, organic matter improves soil structure and the soil’s ability to hold water. Healthier soils improve crop yields and reduce soil loss from both wind and water erosion, and protect water quality by reducing contaminated runoff.
  • Solids. Manure begins as mostly water. By separating the liquid and solid portions of manure, the solids can be used for other purposes. Many dairy farms use separated manure solids for bedding.
  • Energy. Manure contains a lot of carbon and other elements that can be used to generate different types of biofuels. Anaerobic digestion is a technology that uses microbes to process manure into biogas. Biogas can be used to generate heat or electricity for use on the farm or sale to the local power grid. Thermal processes can produce liquid bio-oil fuels, including biodiesel, and useful byproducts like biochar. Bio-oils can be used for heating or generating electricity. Biodiesel can be used just like petroleum diesel. Gasification can also be used to convert manure to syngas, a synthetic gas fuel that can power engines, turbines, and fuel cells. Using manure to generate biofuels reduces the reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels. In addition, farmers can save money when biofuels are used on the farm.
  • Fiber. Manure contains a great deal of fiber. Some of the fiber is from undigested animal feed and some is from straw, sawdust, or other bedding that gets mixed in with the manure. Manure fiber has been used to produce a number of specialty consumer products like plant growth medium (similar to peat moss), seed starter pots, fertilizer garden sculptures, paper, and building materials. Consumer products help turn manure from a potential environmental liability to a commodity.

6. The effect on the environment of the manure produced in a particular agricultural system should be assessed by considering its role in the total nutrient management of the system. If the import and export of nutrients in the system is in balance, and animal manure is to play a positive role, it implies that losses from animal manure must be minimal. It also implies that efficient use is made of the manure in crop production, i.e. a large fraction of the nutrients from the manure is taken up by the crop.

S: 1. Etymonline – https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=manure (last access: 29 January 2024). 2. TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=estiércol&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 29 January 2024). 3. SDir – https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/liquid-manure (last access: 29 January 2024). 4. CD – https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/dung and https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/manure (last access: 30 January 2024). 5. EPA – https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-08/documents/beneficial_uses_of_manure_final_aug2015_1.pdf (last access: 29 January 2024). 6. FAO – https://www.fao.org/3/X6113E/x6113e06.htm#TopOfPage (last access: 29 January 2024).

SYN: dung (depending on context)

S: TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=estiércol&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 29 January 2024)

CR: air pollution, anaerobic digester, anaerobic digestion, biocoal, biofertilizer, biogas, biomass, biorefinery, combustion, compost, composting, forest clearance, fuel, liquid manure, nitrous oxide, organic fertilizer, peat, reforestation.