Manure management and processing

Manure management within the United States is considered one of the key hotspots of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Linked to the formation of gases like methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and ammonia, great attention must be paid to this portion of the dairy production chain in order to mitigate negative environmental impacts. The dairy industry has begun implementing a series of interventions throughout the manure management system to address emissions, helping to reduce the volatile fraction of manure through solid separation, improve nutrient management, and capture biogas in anaerobic digesters. Although more work is still needed, especially joint efforts between policy makers and farmers to increase rates of adoption and implementation, great strides have been made to reduce the environmental impact of manure management.