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SUPER Z® PRO-GROW JNS SUPER Z® Natural Fertilizer
HIGH PURITY CLINOPTILOLITE, HIGH POTASSIUM, LOW SODIUM,
HIGH SURFACE AREA, HOLDS UP TO 55% ITS WEIGHT IN WATER
HOLDS UP TO 2.1% NITROGEN
SAFE, NATURAL, NONTOXIC AND INEXPENSIVE
 JNS SUPER Z® Natural Fertilizer
CONSIDERATIONS IN FEEDING, MANURE TREATMENT, ODOR REDUCTION, AND USE OF SWINE MANURE FOR PLANT NUTRIENT VALUE INTRODUCTION.
Swine production, like many other Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO’s) in the U.S. has been the focus of regulations by states more than most other CAFO’s. It seems that noxious odors are a primary factor, but potential phosphate pollution of soil and water are concerns of the environmental community.
Suggestions presented here include some aspects of feeding and manure handling and treatment that may improve conditions of swine productivity and profitability and may reduce offensive odor generation at producer sites. References documenting benefits of Zeolite (clinoptilolite) additive to swine feed for improved health and reduced odor from manure are listed in the “Selected References”.
The introduction of phytase in feed additive for swine (and poultry) has improved metabolic assimilation of phosphate and thereby reduced the amounts of phosphorous in swine (and poultry) manure. The use of chemisorbents (natural clinoptilolite) in feed has virtually eliminated mycotoxin (e.g. aflatoxins)-caused mortality, and improved swine health and thus improved profits. The clinoptilolite added to feed also reduces the potential for fungal growth on the feed in humid areas by absorbing water.
Most large swine producers use washdown, or water dilution of the manure. Thus most swine manure storage facilities involve liquid plus solid manure storage in lagoons, or ponds. These are typically 5-25 feet deep. Anaerobic digesters offer the most effective elimination of manure-generated odors, and also reduce energy costs. However this method of conversion requires a significant capital cost.
Odor Generation, Causes, and Methods of Reduction Offensive odors are generated chiefly by exposure of manure to air and the associated generation of ammonia (NH3) gas from ammonium (NH4+). However, many other gases are generated during oxidation of manure. Many approaches to the reduction of offensive odors from production sites have been used.
Odor control for hog production may include closed systems, ventilation, feed, handling in the production unit, and storage, handling, and spreading of wastes. Odor emissions from the manure storage lagoons or ponds are significantly reduced by having a floating permeable blanket. Anaerobic digesters use an inflatable airtight plastic cover to capture biogas for methane recovery; the methane is either flared (burned) or used to power internal combustion engines which generate heat and electricity. This system eliminates odors because all of the gases are isolated. Another method of handling the solids is “in vessel composting” where the wet solids are placed in a large heated rotating drum; solids go in one end and out the other in 3 days.
Several studies have shown that 40% or more of the N excreted from hog production is lost to the air from the barn, during storage, and following field application. Ammonia may have a short residence time in the air. It may be converted to ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate as particulates in the size range of a few micrometers (e.g. 2.5 microns) that are carried as aerosols. These particulates may attach to, or be precipitated on airborne dust. Inhalation of these aerosols has been shown to have adverse respiratory health affects on humans (and animals/poultry). These particles bypass the normal defenses of the respiratory system. It has been documented that some farm workers have developed respiratory problems such as chronic bronchitis, occupational asthma, or farmer’s lung disease.
It must be acknowledged that at present, there is no single or multiple control technology method(s) to economically eliminate the offensive odors generated by swine producer feeding and associated manure disposal operations. At best, however, it is thought that there can be a reduction in the odors that are more than just unpleasant, and also reduce those associated atmospheric reactions of ammonia with nitrates and sulfates that may induce human respiratory health problems.
Clinoptiloite (Zeolite) feed additive for swine has been shown to reduce ammonium concentration in manure, and also to reduce the amount of protein required in the feed. In addition, clinoptilolite would aid in reducing ammonia generation if it was added to the fresh manure in the rearing/finishing area.
METHODS, LOGIC, AND CHEMISTRY OF CONTROLLING ODORS AND NITROGEN LOSSES FROM SWINE MANURE.
1. Treatment Before Excretion:
Numerous studies of the beneficial effects of using clinoptilolite (Zeolite) feed additive for improved health and reduction of odor production have been done. These include Pond (1995), Poulson and Oksbjerg, (1995), Uygongco and others (1999), Veldman and Vander Aar, (1997), and Yannakopoulos and others (2000), and reports in languages other than English.
A significant effect of Zeolite in the alimentary tract includes the reaction that involves the ion exchange of ammonium into the Zeolite, where the ammonium displaces cations such as Ca, K, and Na—due to the higher affinity of Zeolite for the ammonium in cation sites. Ammonium in the cation sites is not water soluble, and it is protected from bacterial degradation. This practice reduces nitrogen losses before excretion.
2. Treatment of Fresh Manure and Related Wastewater:
Addition of Zeolite to fresh manure provides a means of capturing ammonium by ion exchange, although ammonium N is only about one-half of the total N in fresh manure. The remainder of the N in manure is chiefly organically bound N—some of which will be naturally converted to ammonium N. In the absence of Zeolite, as natural degradation of manure takes place, during the first 3-4 days most of the N is lost as ammonia gas, and some is lost as nitrate or nitrite during natural oxidation of the organically-bound N. Lefcourt and Meisinger (2001) recently found that by adding 6.25% Zeolite to dairy slurry reduced ammonium volatilization by 55%.
Harris and others (undated) report that the average annual ammonia emissions from fattening (finishing) barns in North Carolina were 3.69 kg/hog/yr, but during the summer emission rates were 4.81 kg/hog/yr. Other studies in the U.S. and Europe report annual rates ranging from about 2-5 kg/hog/yr. Taking a mid-range of 3.5 kg/hog/yr amounts to an ammonia gas N loss of 6.36 lb/hog/yr, or 0.0174 lb/hog/day. For a 1,000 head hog barn this amounts to an ammonia N loss of 17.4 lbs/day, or 6,351 lbs/yr. If half of this could be retained as fertilizer N, it amounts to about $950 of N value per 1,000 head hog barn, while significantly reducing odor problems.
For swine lagoons the report of Ham (1999) indicates the average concentration of ammonium N in several swine lagoons in Kansas was about 670 mg/L (ppm). Reports as high as about 1,200 mg/L of ammonium N have been reported for some swine lagoons. Small amounts of Zeolite added directly to the lagoons would reduce ammonia emissions by ammonium capture.
If aeration of the normally reducing environment in the lower part of the lagoon is done, H2S is oxidized to produce sulfate ions. Calcium ions displaced from the Zeolite by ammonium will combine with the sulfate to form gypsum (CaSO4), which is beneficial to soil properties in terms of plant nutrition. In addition, Ca ions displaced from Zeolite may combine with manure derived orthophosphate to form a non-crystalline Ca-phosphate that is not highly soluble in near-neutral pH soils, but provides plant-available phosphate.
3. Composting Solids:
Unenclosed or outdoor composting of swine manure solids is not reasonable because of high nitrogen losses from N in organically bound N, large ammonium emissions generating noxious odors, occupies too much real estate, is labor intensive due to turning, and losses of N, P, and K due to precipitation. In addition, during winter months of cold climates, proper composting temperatures cannot be maintained.
Either enclosed vessel composting (barns), or mechanical in vessel composting rotating drums such as the design of B W Organics, Inc. could be used for swine manure separated solids. However, in order to obtain the correct Carbon/Nitrogen ratio of 15-30, material such as chopped wheat or barley straw would have to be added. The Zeolite that was added either to the feed or to the fresh manure, or both, should report to the solid fraction of the solid/liquid separation process, adding the N value to the composted product. For the rotating drum composter, with a 96 cu yd capacity, 33 cu yd of manure solids plus chopped straw with 50 % moisture is added each day and the composted product is finished in 3 days. This eliminates outdoor storage and significantly reduces airborne noxious odors. The composted product qualifies for use on “Organic” grown labels on produce, grain, etc. Pelletizing the composted product would enhance the value (due to higher NPK) and increase the potential shipping distance, as well as reduce the volume to be stored or handled.
Selecting a clinoptilolite (Zeolite) for use in Manure Waste to be used as Crop Fertilizer.
For the purpose of ammonium capture, the Zeolite with the highest cation exchange capacity for NH4+ ammonium should be used.
Because of the plant toxicity of sodium, a Zeolite with a very low concentration of exchangeable Na is required (e.g. less than 0.7 wt. % Na2O). A Zeolite with high K (plus Ca) is preferred because K exchanged out when ammonium replaces K is plant available and water-soluble.
A Zeolite with some exchangeable Ca is desirable so that Ca exchanged out due to ammonium replacement is available to form Ca-phosphate and precipitate gypsum (hydrated CaSO4) when organic-bound sulfur is generated under oxidizing conditions.
A Zeolite with high cation-exchange capacity is desirable because it enhances soil quality. A Zeolite with a large amount of pore space (internal surface area) is desirable because this accelerates the ion-exchange reactions.A Zeolite with no “clay” minerals is desirable because clays tend to reduce both aeration and water permeability of soil. Zeolite’s from different natural deposits have variable proportions of the mineral clinoptilolite. Thus a rock containing a high concentration of clinoptilolite will have more ion-exchange capacity than one with lower concentrations of the mineral.
Zeolite’s with moderate physical strength will be better than those that tend to be soft. Soft clinoptilolites will tend to disaggregate and make dust during handling and transport. In addition the soft zeolites that contain minor amounts of “clay” minerals tend to “fall apart” when saturated due to expansion of the “clays” (e.g. montmorillonite).
The Zeolite should contain no associated carbonate minerals such as calcite (CaCO3) because this mineral will tend to raise the pH of the manure and associated water, which will promote conversion of ammonium to ammonia gas.
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