When wastes are re-used responsibly and beneficially they are correctly termed

'recoverable resources'. To shift the paradigm and regard wastes as recoverable

resources, particularly for the agricultural sector, it is essential to demonstrate that
the long-term impacts from re-using wastes are not detrimental to human, animal,
plant or environmental health.
The avoidance of waste is the most important starting point in improving resourceuse efficiency and minimizing the potential impact of waste disposal. Though waste
production is an inevitable consequence of economic development, any potential
negative impacts also need to be avoided.
The three principles of Waste Management Strategy in Agriculture are:

Reducing wastes produced by agricultural activities,

Preventing long term degradation or restriction of land used for agriculture

due to the application of wastes

Assisting in the uptake and responsible use of wastes for agricultural

production systems.

Selection of a manure or agricultural waste digester type and the associated

equipment and waste handling system is key to correct functioning of a full scale
digester.
Agricultural waste may produce several harmful effects, including health risks and
contamination of surrounding water bodies and the atmosphere. Agricultural waste,
if not properly disposed of, can cause short-term and long-term effects on
ecosystems, land and broader environments by introducing foreign toxins into the
soil and water.
Agricultural pollution comes from several sources. Pesticides and fertilizers
comprise the bulk of agricultural waste and include man-made synthetic chemicals
and materials. Synthetic compounds often do not biodegrade upon exposure to the
air or water and may linger for decades or even a century. These chemicals are
sprayed on crop fields to keep insects away and enter streams and waterways as
runoff. Contaminated water is another primary effect of agricultural waste; water
becomes contaminated through fertilizer and pesticide residue, along with
pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, which may enter drinking water systems.
According to Conserve Energy Future, agricultural pollution is a primary source of
pollution in water and lakes, as chemicals and toxins make their way into
groundwater upon settling at the bottoms of these large water bodies. The
accumulation of these substances ultimately leads to health issues such as blue
baby syndrome and neurological ailments. Agricultural waste can also negatively
affect aquatic animals and plants because fertilizers, manure, ammonia and waste
make their way into local environments and disrupt ecosystem processes.
Waste materials can be used for biogas generation. The gas can be used for
powering electricity generating equipment, the electricity from which can be either

used on farm or sold to a local utility. The gas can also be used directly to run
heating equipment for some livestock, such as farrowing houses or pig nurseries,
and for poultry operations, such as egg laying operations. The volume of waste
material and the content of elements do not diminish significantly through the
biogas generation process.
Slurry generally is associated with confined feeding operations for cattle and swine.
The feces and urine as excreted behave as a slurry rather than as a solid or a liquid.
The solids content of slurry ranges from about 5 to 15 percent except as noted
below. In this range, manure has fluid handling characteristics, but requires special
pumping equipment. It can be transported by either tank wagon or pump and
pipeline. Pump and pipeline is more economical for transporting large volumes of
slurry because of the time and labor requirements for tank wagons. Slurry can be
applied to the land by sprinklers that have a large nozzle, by broadcasting from
slurry tanks, or by injection under the ground surface. Because of its propensity to
cause odors and pollute water, slurry should be incorporated immediately into the
soil profile. If slurry material from confined livestock facilities is properly agitated, it
generally flows readily to a pump inlet. It may have a solids content of as much as
10 or 15 percent for swine and cattle manure and 20 percent for some poultry
manure. The more viscous materials are pumped into tank wagons by highcapacity, low-head pumps or are drawn in by vacuum pumps. On occasion,
additional water is required for easier agitation and pumping. Swine and poultry
manure with about 12 percent solids and cattle manure with about 7 percent solids
can be handled by certain types of large bore irrigation equipment. Large gun-type
sprinklers must be powered by relatively low-capacity, high-head pumps that have
chopping blades. Swine or poultry manure diluted to less than 7 percent solids and
cattle manure diluted to less than 4 percent solids can be applied by most irrigation
equipment if the manure is free of fibrous material. Standard centrifugal pumps,
regular sprinkler nozzles, or gated pipes can be used. If the material is distributed in
graded furrows, the tail water should be recovered to prevent the runoff from
polluting the surface water.
An agricultural waste management system (AWMS) is a planned system in which all
necessary components are installed and managed to control and use byproducts of
agricultural production in a manner that sustains or enhances the quality of air,
water, soil, plant, and animal resources.
Agricultural waste management systems must be developed using the total
systems approach. A total system accounts for all the waste associated with an
agricultural enterprise throughout the year from production to utilization. In short, it
is the management of all the waste, all the time, all the way.
Waste of different consistencies require different management techniques and
handling equipment. Agricultural waste may be in the form of a liquid, slurry, semisolid, or solid. Waste, such as manure, can change consistency throughout the
system or throughout the year. The total solids (TS) concentration of manure is the
main characteristic that indicates how the material can be handled.

Open systems (pastures, woodlots, and wetlands), feedlot systems, confinement

systems, or a combination of these, are used for raising swine. Raising hogs in an
open system may appear to have a low initial investment, but often results in
animal health and pollution control problems. Even if sufficient land is available,
hogs tend to congregate and concentrate their waste. This can be prevented by
moving the feeding, watering, and housing facilities and by rotating the hogs
through a series of open lots. Hogs raised in an open system should not have
unrestricted access to streams. Runoff is difficult to manage in an open system
because of the large area and topographic limitations. Rather than invest the capital
and time necessary to install and manage an extensive runoff management system,
it may be more efficient to convert to a more concentrated operation. Manure in
feedlot systems can be handled as a solid if the feedlots are cleaned regularly,
sufficient bedding is added to the manure, and the collected manure is protected
from excessive precipitation. It can also be handled as a slurry or liquid, but
measures must be taken to manage contaminated runoff. Total confinement
systems eliminate the need to manage contaminated runoff and may allow for more
automation in waste management. Undesirable odors are often associated with
swine operations. A swine waste management system should incorporate odor
control measures where possible. A clean, neat appearance; efficient management
system and positive public relations with those affected by the odors eliminates
many complaints.
Production
Waste associated with swine operations include manure and possibly contaminated
runoff. In some systems provisions must be made to manage flush water. Hogs tend
to play with watering and feeding facilities, which can add to the waste load. The
disposal of dead pigs may be a resource concern in some operations.
Collection
Swine manure can be collected by scraping or flushing. Scraped manure is collected
as a solid or slurry, and flushed manure must be handled as a liquid. The flush water
should be recycled if possible so that the volume of contaminated water is kept to a
minimum. The collection process can use automated equipment, or it can be as
simple as raising swine on slatted floors over waste storage pits.
Storage
Swine manure can be stored as a solid, slurry, or liquid. If stored as a solid, it should
be protected from precipitation. Above or below ground tanks or an earthen waste
storage pond can be used to store slurries or liquid waste.
Treatment
Liquid waste from a swine operation is commonly treated in an anaerobic lagoon,
but it can also be treated in an aerobic lagoon or oxidation ditch. Solid waste and
dead pigs can be composted.
Transfer

The method used to transfer the waste depends largely on the consistency of the
waste. Liquid waste and slurries may be transferred through open channels, pipes,
or in a portable liquid tank. Pumps can transfer liquid waste as needed. Solids and
semi-solids can be transferred by mechanical conveyance equipment. Piston pumps
or air pressure can be used to transfer semi-solid waste through smooth pipes.
Utilization
Swine waste is used as a feed supplement and an energy source through methane
production. With proper ventilation and sufficient bedding, the solid manure can be
composted in confinement facilities, and the heat generated from the composting
process can be used to supplement heat in the buildings. The most common use of
the nutrients in swine waste is through land application. The waste can be hauled
and distributed over the land by spreading devices. If odors are a problem, liquid
waste can be injected below the soil surface. It can also be distributed through an
irrigation system. Slurries can be distributed through an irrigation system equipped
with nozzles that have a large opening.

Managing agricultural wastes such as manure, spent silage, culled fruits and
vegetables, and other organic residuals can be a significant burden to farming and
greenhouse operations. As agricultural wastes increase on-site, so do the potentials
for plant and animal pathogens to persist and become a serious problem to
production.
Improperly managed piles can also become noxious and pose serious threats to soil
and water quality. As a result, governmental agencies require specific and often
complex storage, handling and disposal procedures for various waste materials.
Handling procedures become even more rigid for organic production systems.
However, if the material is managed successfully, then what was once a
problematic waste product becomes a valuable agricultural resource.
Since farming and greenhouse operations and the wastes they generate can be
quite variable, it is helpful to approach waste management on a case-by-case basis.
However, there are some general issues, considerations and strategies associated
with agricultural waste management that can be applicable for most growers.
Effluent or manure from pigs in piggeries can be converted into biogas (a renewable
energy source consisting mostly of methane and carbon dioxide), liquid fuel and/or
nutrient-rich solids. Biogas can be burnt to generate electricity and heat, upgraded
into a transport fuel (biomethane) and can yield other useful products.
Using simple bacteria to break down waste in oxygen-free (anaerobic) conditions is
a process called anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion in lagoons or ponds is the
most common method used to process piggery waste to create biogas.

Piggery shed effluent/wastewater, which contains urine and dung and may contain
wash water, chemicals and rainwater. Urine and dung that dries before being
collected is handled as a semi-solid or solid and called manure.
Most piggery owners dispose of manure/effluent by:

letting it compost in the piggery (with straw) or in a pile (on a cement slab)

putting liquid manure into a concrete storage pit, then into large outside
storage containers

letting it flow into a lagoon to be digested by microorganisms to clean it of

organic solids (and the produced methane burnt off).

or

From there, they would spread solid or spray liquid waste onto land as fertiliser, or
use the relatively clean effluent from lagoons as irrigation water.
Benefits of using effluent/manure for bioenergy
Instead of burning off the methane or using it as compost/fertiliser, piggery owners
can choose to capture the methane from lagoons/ponds (and turn that into
electricity or heat), or use the waste to produce liquid fuel.
If a piggery operator wants to use effluent/manure for bioenergy, they commonly
use that energy themselves and do not on-sell it.
Using manure/effluent to create bioenergy has many benefits, such as:

reducing the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of

recovering energy from waste

reducing odour problems

reducing potential for groundwater contamination

giving a use to waste that previously had little or no market or

environmental value

reducing water use by reusing washing water for the plant/lagoon

generating income from waste/diversifying income sources

moderating the impacts of commodity prices

killing harmful bacteria, flies and weed seeds normally in and around
manure

converting organic nitrogen into a form available to be used by plants.

anaerobic digestion

Many piggery owners already use anaerobic digestion to treat waste, so it is the
most commonly used process for producing bioenergy.
It uses simple bacteria to break down waste in oxygen-free conditions (anaerobic) to
produce biogas and nutrient-rich solids.
You can use biogas, solids and cleaner waste water for:

heating or electricity, by burning biogas in a boiler, heater or engine

natural gas, by further processing the biogas

fertiliser, by using the undigested solid remains

irrigation, by using the water separated from the solids.

Anaerobic digestion is possible using:

a lagoon or pond that holds effluent, covered with an airtight cover that
collects biogas

complete mixed digestion in heated above- or below-ground tanks full of

effluent

fixed film digestion in a tank packed with materials that the microorganisms
grow on

plug-flow digestion in heated underground tanks, where effluent is put

through semi-regularly.

Effluent quality and volume, temperature, pH, and time all affect how much biogas
is produced by anaerobic digestion, and can be carefully controlled to increase
production.
Among animal wastes, piggery waste is the most troublesome. Pig production
industries have been growing as the demand for pork meat has increased, and as a
result the waste management problem of piggery waste will become more serious
in the future.
The land receiving the piggery wastes has already become over saturated with
Nitrogen and Phosphorus in many countries and the solution to the waste problem
is further complicated as the land area utilised for disposal becomes restricted.

Managing manure
Effluent and manure by-products generated in a piggery are valuable sources of
water, nutrients and organic matter. You are required to re-use by-products in ways
that will not harm the environment.
You should construct effluent ponds to industry standards and ensure that effluent
re-use does not damage soil. Establish composting sites with good surface drainage

that pose no risk of run-off to water sources. Take safety precautions when working
with potentially dangerous effluent storages.
Managing odour
Odour generated from piggeries is usually caused by decomposing manure and
waste food. Odour management involves appropriate shed design, effluent
collection and disposal systems, and overall piggery management.
Practical techniques to manage odour include:

improving shed ventilation

keeping drains clean

sweeping or hosing lanes and pens regularly to avoid manure build-up

flushing sheds twice daily

providing deep litter pens

dumping static-pit sheds weekly, or more often

covering anaerobic ponds with straw and permeable polypropylene

avoiding ponding and effluent irrigation during wet periods

covering carcasses immediately with soil.