U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Cattlemen’s Beef Association U.S. Poultry & Egg Association Beneficial Uses of Manure and Environmental Protection United Egg Producers National Pork Producers Council National Milk Producers Federation

August 2015

The Components of Manure

The value of manure is found in its nutrients, organic matter, solids, energy potential, and fiber. A variety of products and byproducts can be generated using manure. EPA, NCBA, USPOULTRY, UEP, NPPC, and NMPF encourage the environmentally sound use of manure. Its constituents Throughout history, people who raise livestock and poultry have we can use manure more efficiently and in more ways than ever. can be used as a resource used manure as a fertilizer, soil amendment, energy source, These techniques can protect water and air quality, and reduce for crop production, and even construction material. Manure contains many useful, greenhouse gases. When managed improperly manure can harm improvement of soil quality, recyclable components, including nutrients, organic matter, the environment, but when properly managed it can serve as a and other purposes, while solids, energy, and fiber. With today’s science and technology, valuable, renewable resource. leading to water quality improvements. Turning Manure into Valuable Products

Nutrients Organic Matter Manure contains nitrogen, Adding manure to soils is an excellent way to increase soil phosphorus, and other nutrients organic matter. Soil organic matter contributes to overall soil that plants need to grow. health — the soil’s ability and sustainability to function as a living Farmers can often save money ecosystem. In addition to slowly releasing plant nutrients over by properly using manure as a time, organic matter fertilizer. Farmers can also sell improves soil structure manure or manure products and the soil’s ability to Energy to gardeners, landscapers, golf hold water. Healthier Manure contains a lot of carbon and other elements that can be courses, and others who use soils improve crop used to generate different types of biofuels. Anaerobic digestion nutrients to grow plants. yields and reduce soil is a technology that uses microbes to process manure into loss from both wind biogas. Biogas can be used to generate heat or electricity for use Manure can be land-applied in its raw form, or after processing and water erosion, on the farm or sale to the local power grid. Thermal processes (for example, composting, pelletizing, nutrient extraction). Just and protect water can produce liquid bio-oil fuels, including biodiesel, and useful like other fertilizer sources, as long as the manure is applied quality by reducing byproducts like biochar. Bio-oils can be used for heating or from the right source, at the right rate and time, using the contaminated runoff. generating electricity. Biodiesel can be used just like petroleum right methods, and in the right place, manure nutrients can be Land managers can diesel. Gasification can also be used to convert manure to syngas, recycled safely through agricultural systems. Land application of increase soil organic a synthetic gas fuel that can power engines, turbines, and fuel manure should be guided by a nutrient management plan (NMP) matter by applying raw cells. Using manure to generate biofuels reduces our reliance on that outlines how to balance crop needs with manure nutrient manure or a manure non-renewable fossil fuels. In addition, farmers can save money concentrations. The NMP includes specifications for manure product like compost, when biofuels are used on the farm. application based on soil and geographical conditions in order to pellets, or biochar—a avoid over-application, prevent runoff, and protect water quality. product of manure combustion. Manure should be utilized Proper use of manure as a fertilizer minimizes nutrient pollution Fiber appropriately, as noted in the previous section. to water resources and helps build healthy soils. Manure contains a great deal of fiber. Some of the fiber Manure nutrients can also be used to grow worms, insect larvae, Solids is from undigested animal algae, or other living organisms. Through “biomass conversion,” Manure begins as mostly water. Different types of manure feed and some is from these organisms transfer manure nutrients to their bodies or can contain from 8 to straw, sawdust, or other castings, which can then be harvested and used as fertilizer, 26 percent solids. By bedding that gets mixed in animal feeds, or soil amendments. separating the liquid and with the manure. Manure solid portions of manure, fiber has been used to the solids can be used produce a number of for other purposes. Many specialty consumer products like dairy farms use separated plant growth medium (similar manure solids for bedding. to peat moss), seed starter pots, This can save farmers up to fertilizer garden sculptures, $50 per cow every year— paper, and building materials. savings that can add up Consumer products help for dairy farmers milking turn manure from a potential hundreds of cows! environmental liability to a commodity.