The storing and spreading of bio-solids (sewage sludge), animal manure and slurries (muck spreading) on agricultural land can sometimes cause odours. The spreading of pre-treated sewage sludge is legal and is common in rural areas.
Spreading of organic manure, such as slurry, provides crop nutrients and can replace the use of inorganic fertilisers. Use of slurry in this way is a good example of resource use efficiency, provided best practice is used.
Most of the complaints we receive about odour relate to the storing and spreading of bio-solids (sewage sludge), slurries (muck spreading) and animal manures, particularly chicken manure (also called chicken litter), which has a strong odour.
If your smell is about "muck spreading" on farmland then its unlikely that we are able to take any action as this type of odour is likely to only last for a day or so.
Manure spreading is the process carried out by a manure spreader or muck spreader. These are pieces of agricultural machinery which is used to evenly distribute manure across farming space and fields. The use of manure allows farmers to regulated the fertility of the soil and maintain the quality.
Farmers use raw manure on their fields because it is an excellent source of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), which are all nutrients necessary for plants to grow and thrive.
Stored manure should be applied to the soil in a thin layer to speed drying and discourage fly breeding. Spreading incompletely composted manure on horse pastures should be avoided due to the risk of infecting pastures with internal parasites.
However, farmers must remember they have a responsibility to protect water quality when spreading slurry or manure and should avoid spreading slurry in sub-optimal ground conditions. From 1 February it will be possible to spread slurry and manure on land as long as ground conditions allow.
Soil is an excellent filter for removing odors released by manure. However, maintaining residue cover to protect soil quality, reduce erosion, and conserve water does not always allow for manure to be incorporated.
Manures with a higher nitrogen content have the potential of producing more ammonia. The gas is colorless; however, it has a sharp pungent smell that can cause eye irritation and respiratory issues. While typically not deadly, there can be long-term effects from extended exposure.
By adding lime to the natural soil, acidic soil can be converted to neutral soil. The alkaline nature of lime neutralizes the acidity of the soil. Quick lime can also be used to neutralize the acidic soil, which is known as calcium oxide.
It's not too pleasant at first, but normally the smell is minimal and only lasts a few hours. However, in dry conditions with no rain, the smell can hang around for a couple of days. Farmers do try to avoid spreading litter when the wind is strong or conditions are really wet, as that will increase the smell.
For sheer stink power, though, experts say manure is the worst, with pig manure the worst of the worst.
Cow dung is a type of organic fertilizer. It increases the fertility of the soil by increasing the nutrients in it.
Hydrogen sulphide has a 'rotten egg' smell at low levels, but cannot be smelt at higher levels. High levels can be released when slurry is agitated. One breath or lung-full at this level causes instant death.
Surplus crops beyond the needs of subsistence agriculture can be sold or bartered. The more grain or fodder a farmer can produce, the more draft animals such as horses and oxen could be supported and harnessed for labour and production of manure.
Manure is food to bacteria, and bacteria give off odors as they digest manure. You can reduce odors by preventing bacteria from growing in manure. Methods to reduce bacterial growth include killing bacteria with disinfectants, adding lime to raise manure pH, and keeping manure dry.
Although the composting process will occur naturally over several months or years, with human help the entire process can be completed in as little as 4-6 weeks.
Riley said the manure generated by farm animals "is not a waste product, but a resource. It has lots of nutrients in it," and it's used in lieu of chemical fertilizer to help plants grow. "It's not a great problem," he said. "The smell usually goes away in a day or two.
Summer fallow is the practice of leaving cropland unplanted for a summer and is often practiced every second or third year for water conservation purposes on 20 Mha of U.S. cropland otherwise susceptible to crop failure from drought (Janzen, 2001; Sperow et al., 2003).
It is best to wait for three to four weeks after applying nitrogen fertiliser before grazing.
A light rain is good and helps incorporate surface applied manure. A big fast rain may not be good, increasing the risk of runoff.
You can spread ¼ to ½ inch of fresh or composted manure on pastures during dry weather when plants are actively growing. Test your soil to determine your plant nutrient needs; retest every few years. If you apply the manure too thickly, nutrients can contaminate water.
When you drag (harrow) pastures to break up manure piles, you're spreading infective larvae over areas where horses graze, which can actually help parasites proliferate. If you must drag, only do so during hot, dry weather and keep horses off the field for at least two weeks, preferably four.
A tractor and a manure spreader are needed to ensure proper field application of stored manure. Some small farms may be able to utilize small ground-drive spreaders that can be pulled behind an all-terrain vehicle or pickup instead of a tractor.