Mitigating ammonia emissions from typical broiler and layer manure management - A system analysis

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Agricultural Science
• Animal Science

Background:

• Poultry production, specifically broiler and layer farming, is a major source of ammonia (NH3) emissions in the livestock industry.
• Effective management of manure is critical to mitigate environmental impacts from poultry operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct the first meta-analysis and integrated assessment of NH3 emissions from broiler litter and layer manure belt systems.
• To evaluate the mitigation potentials and efficiencies of various NH3 reduction strategies for these manure management systems.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis of 96 studies was performed to determine integrated NH3 emission factors (EFs).
• The mitigation efficiencies (MEs) of 14 available NH3 abatement options were assessed.
• Baseline NH3 emissions were estimated for typical broiler litter and layer manure belt manure management systems (MMS).

Main Results:

• Estimated baseline NH3 emissions were 84.1 ± 5.9 kg AU⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for broiler litter MMS and 53.5 ± 15.8 kg AU⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for layer manure belt MMS.
• Mitigation focus for broiler litter MMS is the in-house stage, while for layer manure belt MMS, it is the outdoor and land application stages.
• Recommended mitigation options include acid scrubbers (-92.5%), compost biofilters (-71.9%), and manure incorporation (-83.0%). Combined strategies achieved high NH3 mitigation (89.3% for broiler, 84.8% for layer).

Conclusions:

• The study provides crucial data on NH3 emissions and effective mitigation strategies for poultry manure management.
• Findings support the development of sustainable poultry production systems by addressing NH3 emissions.
• Future research should consider other environmental issues like reactive nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions alongside NH3 mitigation.