There are many livestock farms specializing in cattle breeding in Russia. Unfortunately, in many cases, heaps of animal waste products accumulate near such farms. This, in turn, can lead to unpleasant consequences such as pollution of the soil with nitrates and microbes, the penetration of harmful substances into nearby water bodies, the spread of infectious diseases.
Such a procedure as the disposal of manure allows not only to solve all these problems in the economy, but also to get additional profit. Recycled cattle wastes can be sold to other enterprises in the industry as fertilizer for various crops.
Removal Methods
Recycled manure is a rotted humus, used mainly as fertilizer in the fields. There are many ways to process such organic matter. However, before proceeding with the disposal of livestock products, they, of course, should be removed from the premises of the farm itself.
There are several technologies for cleaning manure from cows:
Mechanical In this case, a V-shaped scraper is mounted in the passage between the pens. A chain is fixed to it and fixed on the drum of a special mechanism. When the unit is turned on, the scraper begins to move along the aisle towards the receiving containers, raking manure.
Water wash. In this case, a receiving tray is arranged in the aisle on the farm. Hoses are also stretched in the barn. Feces are removed using this technology when water is turned on under pressure. On the tray, animal waste products flow outside the barn.
Manual. In this case, the floors in the barn are mounted with a slight slope towards the entrance gate. Manure using this technique is partially removed outside the premises by gravity. Its bulk is removed manually with the help of shovels. The cleaned feces are collected in carts and transported to a storage location.
Removal and disposal of cattle manure should be carried out both in small and large farms. The first two methods of cleaning the premises from the feces of cows are usually used on large farms. The latest technology is used in private farmsteads and in small farms.
Can fresh manure be used as fertilizer?
Such a substance for feeding agricultural plants, of course, is absolutely not suitable. Disposal of cattle manure on farms before using it as fertilizer should be carried out necessarily. Rotting in the soil, fresh organics will surely burn the roots of plants. As a result, they will reduce productivity or even die. Also, fresh manure in large quantities contains various kinds of harmful microorganisms. Plants fed with such a substance are more likely to be infected with pathogenic viruses, bacteria or fungus. And this, of course, will also negatively affect crop yields.
Another disadvantage of fresh manure is the presence in it of seeds of various kinds of harmful plants. If they fall into the ground, they will quickly germinate and clog the plantings. Agricultural workers will have to spend time and money on weeding.
Used as fertilizer in the fields, in gardens and vegetable gardens exclusively rotted, past the disposal of cattle manure. The mass exported from the farms, previously stand for some time. In the process of overripening of manure in its thickness due to high temperatures, all harmful microorganisms and weed seeds die. At the same time, in the feces, some substances also decompose into simpler forms. And this, in turn, makes the mass much more useful for crops. The bound forms contained in fresh manure by plants in most cases are simply not absorbed.
Storage methods
Cleaning and disposal of manure on farms specializing in cattle breeding can be carried out using different technologies. However, the waste of this variety removed from the farm is always stored in specially designated places. There are only three main ways of storing manure. In the first case, the mass is collected in small piles with a base area of 2 x 2 m. When using this technique, harmful bacteria and fungi die in the future. Also, oxygen escapes from the mass. This technology is called cold storage.
Sometimes manure is also stored in a thick layer without tamping. As soon as the mass warms up due to the chemical processes occurring in it, it is thoroughly crushed. Then a new layer is laid on top of the lash that started, also without tamping it. Subsequently, the procedure is repeated. With this method of storage in manure, all harmful microorganisms also die. This technology is called anaerobic.
Sometimes manure is stored using biometric technology. In this case, they dig a hole in the ground and strengthen its walls. The bottom is also covered with some kind of building material. Then, for example, dry grass, old rotted manure, etc. are laid in the pit. In the middle, fresh manure is poured from the farm premises and covered with straw or soil.
Disposal Methods
Storage according to the methods described above allows you to get a fairly high-quality fertilizer. However, the livelihoods of cows are cross-hatched when using such technologies for a very long time - from several months to a year. Currently, for the disposal of cattle manure can be used including various kinds of modern methods that significantly accelerate this process.
For example, manure removed from farm premises can be processed using the following technologies:
humate fermentation;
vermicomposting;
insisting;
conventional composting.
Sometimes cattle manure is utilized in farms using the following methods:
granulation;
bioprocessing.
In some cases, manure exported from farms is also used to obtain not fertilizers, but biofuels.
Fermentation technology
First of all, this technique has the advantage of saving manure when feeding plants. In addition, when using humates, the livelihood products of cattle themselves cross over much faster.
Actually, the technology of disposal of manure by fermentation is as follows:
A solution of humates is prepared at the rate of 10 g of stimulants per 10 kg of manure. Among other things, the use of such technology makes it possible to reduce the cost of organic matter taken from farms when it is used as a fertilizer. This type of fertilizing reacts to crop yields in the most positive way.
What is vermicomposting?
This technology for the disposal of manure is considered the most environmentally friendly. In this case, the earthworms simply populate the farm waste in the heap. By passing organics through their body, these representatives of the fauna secrete a substance similar to humus. Manure processed in this way is a fully stabilized organic fertilizer that has a very good effect on the growth and development of vegetables, grains, legumes, etc.
Most often, California red earthworms are used for vermicomposting biological farm waste. This variety was bred in Russia by Krasnodar breeders. Red worms process manure very quickly. Subsequently, after applying such fertilizer to the fields, they also begin to loosen the soil, which in the most beneficial way affects its physicochemical properties. In addition to environmental safety, the advantages of such a technique include cheapness.
Infusion technology
Fertilizers made by this method are used in agriculture as a liquid fertilizer mainly for vegetable crops. This method of disposal of manure is considered the simplest and fastest. In this case, the mass is first poured with water in a ratio of 1: 1. Then it is insisted for a week, constantly mixing, until the fermentation processes cease. In the next step, the working solution is additionally diluted with water in a proportion of 1:10. The resulting fertilizer is used for its intended purpose.
Conventional composting
The method of disinfecting and disposing of manure in this way is probably known to all summer residents. Compared to the rotted heap in the usual way in heaps, composted mass is a substance more balanced in the amount of nutrients and microelements included in the composition.
The manure disposal method for this technology looks as follows:
last year’s dung is laid in the base of the heap;
various types of waste are laid out in layers: tops, grass, peel of vegetables, etc .;
as soon as the heap reaches 1-1.5 m, the mass is watered.
Crosses composted manure for several months.
Biological processing
Sometimes cattle manure is disposed of using this technique. In this case, various kinds of preparations manufactured industrially are used for the processing of organic matter. It can be, for example:
Yeast. Their use allows you to utilize cattle feces, converting them into biohumus very useful for plants.
Enzymes. These active elements of biological origin quickly decompose organics with the release of nitrogen and carbon.
Milk bacteria. Being introduced into the dung mass, these microorganisms convert lactic acid into a substrate. As a result, pathogenic microflora perishes in the waste.
Most often, domestic and Chinese biological products are used for the disposal of manure in farms.
Granulation of manure
Thus, livestock products of cattle are processed at enterprises in an industrial way. In this case, the manure is disposed of on lines of a special design.
The advantage of organic granules is first of all that they do not contain absolutely any harmful microorganisms. In addition, this fertilizer is very convenient to use. Manure disposal systems using this technology are usually complemented, among other things, by packaging equipment. Such granules are usually delivered to consumers simply in bags.
Processing manure into biofuel
In most cases , livestock products of cattle are used, of course, precisely as fertilizer. But sometimes they also make biofuels. In this case, special equipment is also used for disposal. It is often installed directly in the livestock complexes themselves. Often such a manure disposal system is mounted underground. This saves space in the premises of the complex. Biogas extracted from manure can be used, for example, for heating farm pens.