Effects of Two Manure Additives on Methane Emissions from Dairy Manure

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Science
• Biogeochemistry

Background:

• Liquid manure is a major source of methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas.
• Manure additives are commonly used in livestock farming for various purposes.
• The impact of these additives on CH4 emissions from manure is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of two manure additives, Penergetic-g® and AgrimestMix®, on methane (CH4) production from liquid dairy manure under laboratory conditions.

Main Methods:

• Two laboratory incubation studies were conducted using liquid dairy manure and cellulose.
• Manure was treated with different concentrations of Penergetic-g® and AgrimestMix®.
• Methane production was measured at controlled temperatures (20°C, 37°C, 38°C), and manure composition was analyzed before and after incubation.

Main Results:

• Neither Penergetic-g® nor AgrimestMix® significantly altered methane (CH4) production from liquid dairy manure or cellulose in the lab.
• Additives showed no significant impact on manure pH or volatile solids (VS).
• Minor, inconsistent effects were observed on other manure constituents.

Conclusions:

• The tested manure additives do not appear to influence methane (CH4) emissions from stored liquid manure under the studied laboratory conditions.
• Livestock farms utilizing these additives are unlikely to experience altered greenhouse gas emissions from their manure management systems.
• Further field studies may be warranted to confirm these laboratory findings under real-world farm conditions.