Controlling Odor and Nutrient Losses to Surface Runoff, Groundwater and Air with New and Conventional Manure Injection Technologies on No-Till and Sod Soils

Land application of manure is one of the most important conservation issues facing livestock operators in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. A large body of research has revealed how application of manure to soil can enrich nitrogen in groundwater or phosphorous in surface runoff. Recent changes in criteria for air quality regulations have made ammonia volatization from livestock manure a priority issue. Manure can also impact emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. An ever-expanding suburban fringe has resulted in a growing number of odor complaints. These concerns highlight the need to understand environmental and agronomic trade-offs when developing conservation strategies. Practices that control one conservation concern can exacerbate another. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the environmental and agronomic effects of several manure application systems (e.g., pressurized injection, surface application followed by tillage incorporation) to identify systems that optimally address multiple priority environmental concerns.