Farmscape for August 22, 2007  (Episode 2570)

Research in Manitoba shows centrifuge based manure separation technology to be an economically viable option for removing phosphorus from swine manure.

Researchers with Manitoba Conservation, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives and Puratone are evaluating a mobile research version of a centrifuge based manure separator.

The project is intended to test and demonstrate, to Manitoba farmers faced with new phosphorus based fertilizer application regulations, equipment capable of removing phosphorus from manure.

Manitoba Agriculture technical review coordinator Gary Plohman explains the centrifuge separates the liquid fraction, which contains most of the nitrogen, from the solid fraction, which contains most of the phosphorus.

Clip-Gary Plohman-Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives 

We've got some initial test results and what we're seeing is that there's a slight variation in performance depending on the solids content of the manure going in so there are adjustments that have to be made as the equipment is running for manure with very high solids or manure that is very low solids.

But, all in all, it is removing roughly 70 percent of the phosphorus and perhaps slightly less of the total solids.

In terms of its effectiveness, I haven't seen any other technology that is as reasonable in cost and one that has been as simple a technology to operate for producers.

Plohman notes testing has been done on manure ranging anywhere from about two and a half percent solids to about nine percent solids so the technology is applicable to the full range of manure typical for hog facilities all the way from farrowing to nursery to dry sow to finishing units.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council