Testing a New Technology for Solid Manure Incorporation

Manure spreading on agricultural land is beneficial for crop production, but it can have adverse consequences for the environment and for human health. Researchers leading the Fugitive Emissions Following Manure Spreading – Risk Assessment and Engineering Controls
project have quantified airborne emissions from manure spreading both in a controlled environment and in the field. Following this study, the research team wanted to test mitigation strategies in order to reduce the airborne emissions. A new manure spreading equipment (Figure 1) developed by Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) was refurbished and shipped to the IRDA’s research facility in St-Lambert-de-Lauzon, Québec for this very purpose. Instead of spreading solid manure over land as with conventional equipment, the PAMI spreader uses screw augers to deposit the manure on the surface and then incorporate it into the soil. By directly mixing the manure into the soil, it will hopefully be possible to avoid the release of fugitive air contaminants.