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EIP Operational Group ARGE Ammosafe - Low-emission fertiliser application through nutrient recovery

The EIP Operational Group ARGE Ammosafe has developed a mobile technical solution for the treatment of liquid agricultural manure.
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  • Innovation, knowledge exchange & EIP-AGRI
    • - Programming period: 2014-2022
    Steiermark, Austria
    - Programming period: 2014-2022
    Steiermark, Austria

    General information

    RDP Priority
    • P5. Resource efficiency and climate
    RDP Focus Area
    • 5D: Greenhouse gas & ammonia emissions
    RDP Measure
    • M16: Cooperation
    Beneficiary type
    • Operational group
    CAP specific objective
    • Ensuring a fair income for farmers

    Summary

    In recent years, environmental protection requirements have steadily increased. This includes topics such as the reduction of emissions and the storage and application of agricultural manure. These are constant challenges for agricultural businesses, particularly in view of the current price changes on the mineral fertiliser market, which oblige farmers to improve the efficiency of their manure management significantly.

    The EIP Operational Group ARGE Ammosafe developed a mobile processing facility to help improve manure management and increase the nutrient efficiency of farms while contributing to an environmentally friendly, soil-friendly and socially acceptable form of agriculture in Austria. The new mobile facility removes ammonium nitrogen from liquid manure to such an extent that organically bound nitrogen is virtually all that is left behind. The in-built automated continuous flow process is therefore also effective in reducing any smell emissions. Its demand on energy and operating resources is low. This helps the successful promotion of the mobile processing facility in practice.

    Results

    • A developed mobile liquid manure treatment facility that can remove more than 90% of ammonium nitrogen from liquid manure. After treatment, the processed manure contains organically bound nitrogen and virtually nothing else. This is achievable by using a continuous flow process that requires a corresponding downstream application technology for seamless operation.
    • The removed nitrogen can be stored in a highly concentrated form and in a simple and space-saving manner. The improved storage enables farmers to fertilise their crops with the recovered ammonium sulphate in a flexible manner when the demand for nitrogen is highest. This represents a more targeted and low-emission use of the nitrogen-reduced liquid manure.
    • Air emissions, such as ammonia, as well as nitrates in the groundwater have been significantly reduced after the application of the liquid manure. This also enables farmers to spread liquid manure at various times of the year.
    Promoter

    EIP Operational Group ARGE Ammosafe*

    * The Project promoter/beneficiary is an EIP Operational Group

    Funding

    Total budget: 425 810 (EUR)

    EAFRD: 209 367 (EUR)

    National/regional: 212 943 (EUR)

    Other: 3 500 (EUR)

    Resources

    English language

    Good Practice Report - EIP Operational Group ARGE Ammosafe

    (PDF – 766.4 KB)

    Download

    Context

    Agriculture is responsible for 94% of the total ammonia emissions in Austria. 50% of these emissions originate from agricultural fertilisers. This increases when the fertilisers are incorrectly used, resulting in additional emissions to air and groundwater. In order to reduce these negative environmental impacts from farm fertilisers, the Directive on the Reduction of National Emissions of Certain Air Pollutants (EU) 2016/2284 was introduced and transposed into national regulations in Austria.

    In addition, the current price situation on the fertiliser markets is forcing farmers to use fertilisers more efficiently and effectively. Farmers are thus faced with numerous challenges. Difficulties for farms arise, for example, in logistics, nutrient efficiency, the legal framework and social compatibility while improvements in air, groundwater and soil protection are required at the same time. To address all these demands, new procedures and methods are needed that will foster an environmentally friendly, soil-friendly and socially acceptable fertilisation of soils. However, hitherto, any newly developed procedures have been mainly targeted at large-scale farms and do not meet the requirements of Austria’s small-scale agricultural structure.

    To address this issue, the EIP Operational Group ARGE Ammosafe was formed by a multi-actor collaboration including three agricultural enterprises, the Bauer GmbH and the Styrian Chamber of Agriculture. In addition, the University of Technology in Graz, the Styrian Provincial Government and the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences and further enterprises contributed to the project.

    Objectives

    The EIP Operational Group ARGE Ammosafe aimed to foster environmentally friendly, soil-friendly and socially acceptable agriculture. The project specifically sought to provide a practical, feasible, cost-efficient and environmentally effective mobile technical solution for the treatment of agricultural manure.

    Furthermore, the aim was to reduce ammonia emissions during liquid manure spreading and to reduce nitrate in groundwater. By finding a suitable technical solution, the hope was that greater nutrient efficiency of farms would be achieved. The project also planned to reduce the emission of unpleasant smells whereby the social compatibility of liquid manure management would be improved.

    The target group of the project was livestock farms (pigs and cattle) seeking to implement socially and environmentally compatible agriculture.

    Activities

    The following activities were carried out:

    • A new type of process for the treatment of agricultural manure was developed and tested, whereby the practical feasibility, economic efficiency and environmental effectiveness of the process were specifically explored.
    • A mobile liquid manure processing facility was designed and developed to remove ammonium nitrogen from the liquid manure. Various tests were carried out to ensure the full functionality of this facility. For example, olfactory measurements and plant cultivation trials were carried out.
    • Other activities dealt with the implementation and testing of liquid manure (including three liquid manure preparation processes being carried out).
    • Subsequently, tests were carried out on the storage of the processed manure and its use as fertiliser.
    • The final part of the project was an evaluation of the output components. It was carried out via field trials in real conditions. The field trials were implemented at two trial locations.
    • The evaluation included an economic assessment of the process that was undertaken and its results.

    Main results

    • A mobile liquid manure treatment facility was developed that can remove more than 90% of ammonium nitrogen from liquid manure. After treatment, the processed liquid manure contains organically bound nitrogen and very little else. However, this can only be achieved by using a continuous flow process. A corresponding downstream application technology for seamless operation needs to be considered accordingly. The process should be automated and should minimise the use of resources (such as quicklime, energy, sulphuric acid) to maintain a good level of economic viability.
    • The nitrogen that is removed can be stored in a highly concentrated form and in a simple and space-saving way. This enables farmers to fertilise their crops with the recovered ammonium sulphate in a flexible manner when the demand for nitrogen is highest. This represents a more targeted and low-emission use of the nitrogen-reduced liquid manure.
    • Air emissions, such as ammonia, as well as nitrates in the groundwater have been significantly reduced after the application of liquid manure. This also enables farmers to spread liquid manure at various times of the year.

    The results were presented in the final report and in the brochure entitled 'Empfehlungen für die Praxis' ('Recommendations for practice').

    Key lessons

    • For one of the participating farmers, Mr. Loibner, who implemented the EIP-AGRI project together with the EIP Operational Group ARGE Ammosafe, this project was the beginning of a process that triggered new ideas. The project confirmed to him that liquid manure is not a waste product but a complex fertiliser and thus a valuable component in the agricultural nutrient cycle.
    • The project also showed that precision in the application of manure is an important part of manure management. To carefully determine the required nutrient amounts when applying liquid slurry, it is important to know the exact ingredients within it.
    • The participation of different stakeholders in the project showed that farmers can benefit directly from being involved in the project and that social acceptance for agriculture can be increased.
    • The EIP Operational Group enabled experts from different fields to collaborate with each other. This worked well and new solutions were jointly developed on a scientific basis.