Instant Insights

This book features five peer-reviewed reviews on the utilisation of manure to improve soil management and health.

The first chapter reviews ways to improve manure management in animal housing during storage and after application in the field. The chapter also considers manure application methods and their effects on nitrogen utilisation and soil carbon storage.

The second chapter discusses the role of manure and compost in maintaining soil health, as well as ways of integrating livestock and crop production to optimise soil health. It also includes a case study on the legacy effect of a one-time manure application on crop yield and soil health.

The third chapter reviews the impacts associated with the application of livestock and poultry manure on the ability of soil to deliver a range of ecosystem services that sustain plants, animals, people and the environment in which they live.

The fourth chapter discusses the responsible storage, treatment and processing of livestock manure, as well as the measures available to mitigate the production of greenhouse gas emissions during these processes, such as slurry mixing.

The final chapter reviews the main technologies for manure valorisation into bioenergy and biofertiliser products. It discusses developments in more established technologies such as solid-liquid (S/L) separation, as well as more innovative techniques, such as ammonia stripping/scrubbing.