Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Pioneer Farm has a new friend to assist in manure management. Meet the Manure Monster®, a machine that separates manure leaving behind a solid and liquid that can be used for a multitude of purposes. "Pioneer Farm's commitment to more environmentally friendly manure handling has made the unit an ideal integration for the dairy enterprise to test prior to installing a permanent separator for its new dairy center. I'm very excited to have the opportunity to test this unit at Pioneer Farm" said Chris Baxter, UW-Extension nutrient management specialist and consultant for Pioneer Farm. Baxter is currently testing the unit for solids and nutrient removal efficiency. Future work will involve evaluating pathogen reduction by composting separated solids for possible reuse as bedding material, and cost-benefit analysis of the separator. The machine is being loaned to Pioneer Farm through Dick Hauser, a distributor for North Star Manufacturing, Inc. of Estherville, Iowa, who manufactures a line of Manure Monsters®. Baxter and Hauser conversed about the possibility of a manure separator at the Pioneer Farm research symposium last March and in May Hauser delivered the machine along with a piston type manure pump made by N-Tech of Barron.

Hauser is lending the machine to Pioneer Farm in hopes that data collected by the university will show producers the positive impact this practice has on the environment and implement it on their own dairy operations. There are a couple of other Manure Monsters in Wisconsin but Hauser noted their biggest one located in northeast Missouri at Heartland Dairy, the second largest dairy in the U.S. "That one has a bigger horsepower and caters to over 4,100 cows," said Hauser. Whereas, Pioneer Farm has a scrape-type manure handling system and is pumping their liquid manure into a lagoon, Heartland Dairy has a flushing system with a slope for water to trickle into the lagoon. "Heartland's main interest is to get rid of the pathogens in the solid and use it as bedding. In turn, they will pay for their system in two months time by not having to purchase bedding," said Hauser.

Hauser explained further that the Manure Monster® has a lower horsepower than other models making them energy efficient and cost effective. They also require less maintenance because they are able to pass small objects such as twigs, whereas other units get clogged up and have to be repaired. "I'm doing my best to make sure the ag industry operates for what's best for the environment," said Hauser. Hauser owns a small beef operation and recently purchased a bull from Pioneer Farm's annual bull sale last April. Hauser is also a member of the Pioneer Farm Advisory Board and Wisconsin Agricultural Stewardship Initiative Coordinating Council.

Whereas liquid manure is primarily used for one purpose - land spreading, the separation creates other cost-effective options for producers. Possible benefits of manure separation are: decreased solid content and volume of liquid manure making it easier and less expensive to transport, reduced odor, decreased solid build up in lagoons minimizing maintenance costs, and separated solids can be composted to use for bedding and the finished product can be marketed off the farm.

Pioneer Farm has begun preliminary research on the environmental affects of the Manure Monster® by collecting data that will show how separating solids from liquid manure reduces nutrient content, and also how long it takes to reduce the amount of pathogens in the solid until it can be used for bedding. Initial data has shown solids consisting of 40-60 percent dry matter are easily composted, with temperatures reaching 150 degrees Fahrenheit within 24 hours of separation. Other studies will evaluate the efficiency of solids removal, how many cows per day the machine can handle and how much volume can be achieved at different speeds with the pump. One of the biggest questions we hope to answer is - "Where do the nutrients go once they are separated?" - if they stay with the solid or with the liquid. Initial testing will involve separation of raw manure, but future work may involve using additives to increase the efficiency of separation. "By testing a separation unit prior to permanently installing one in the new dairy, we can gain some valuable insight as to how such a unit will factor in to nutrient management on the farm," said Baxter. "It would be ideal to get a high phosphorus removal in solids as they are easier to move off-farm and, like many producers, we are trying to lower phosphorus levels in fields due to regulations surrounding phosphorus in runoff from agricultural lands," said Baxter.

Pioneer Farm is a member of the Wisconsin Agricultural Stewardship Initiative; a statewide collaboration between producers, government and the University of Wisconsin System to evaluate best management practices in Wisconsin and form policies based on practices that will enhance the environment and generate a profit for the producer. Pioneer Farm has been developed to provide agricultural and environmental research in a production setting representative of Southwest Wisconsin and Upper Mississippi Basin Loess Hills. It is envisioned that the data collected by Pioneer Farm and other WASI research sites will be used to improve conservation practices, produce scientific data that can be used to develop environmental protection legislation and serve as the basis for profitable and expanding agriculture in the upper Midwest.

For more information about Pioneer Farm's research initiatives please visit the webpage at www.uwplatt.edu/pioneerfarm or contact Pioneer Farm at 608-342-1850.

Contact: Leeann Lonsdorf, communications and outreach coordinator, UWP Pioneer Farm, (608) 342-1296, lonsdorl@uwplatt.edu