Assessing gaseous emissions from swine manure storage systems utilizing different cover technologies for cold climates

On-farm manure management is one of the most significant environmental challenges facing modern livestock agriculture. Containing and treating manure in an economical and efficient manner is essential to minimize the hazards of both point and non-point source water pollution and also adhere to more stringent air quality standards. During the storage of manure, several undesirable gases including ammonia, methane and nitrous oxide can be released. The anaerobic nature of liquid manure systems also increases its potential for odour production. Several management strategies have been suggested to possibly diminish gaseous emissions from manure storages. These include various types of surface covers (synthetic and biological), manure solid-liquid separation, altering the bedding material in the manure and utilizing mechanical aeration technology. In general few attempts have been made to evaluate, under replicated conditions, emissions reductions achieved with these options. This is especially lacking for colder climate conditions experienced in Canada. An additional challenge associated with gaseous losses from manure is that many factors that influence emissions often differ depending on the gas in question. As a result simultaneous emissions monitoring must be performed to correctly establish trade-off mitigation strategies prior to their implemention at the farm-level. The objectives of this research program will be to simultaneously assess gaseous emissions from several manure storage technologies in an attempt to determine mitigation efficiencies offered by storage cover systems for both warm and cold seasons.