Cow dung and dungbells Mystery Creek centrepiece

Cow dung and dungbells centrepiece of Mystery Creek Fieldays Exhibit

A towering column of fake cow dung is the centrepiece of the AgResearch exhibit at the National Fieldays at Mystery Creek.

Beneath it are ‘dungbells’ weighing 25 kilograms – the weight of dung one cow produces a day. Those attending the Fieldays will be able to try their hand at lifting the dungbells to understand the size of the challenge facing farmers wanting ways to better manage effluent. AgResearch scientists will be available to explain the research they are undertaking to help assist with improved effluent management and demonstrate tools to help farmers.

These tools include a bite counter, with GPS, to know where cattle eat and motion sensors to record when and where animals are walking, standing, lying or grazing.

Using these tools AgResearch scientists know that a cow urinates 20 litres a day (9,000 litres a year) and produces 25 kilograms of faeces per day (9 tonnes a year, which includes 35 kilograms of nitrogen and 13 kilograms of potassium).

Given these volumes, farming faces many environmental and regulatory challenges that can impact on managing the business. Management of fertilisers, effluent, soils, pasture and animals requires more attention to detail, as a result.

Other issues include measuring the soils ability to absorb effluent. Recent findings from AgResearch show that pasture soil and land type also make a big difference and the AgResearch stand will demonstrate a lysimeter, which takes a core of soil to study the movement of water and nutrients by collecting and analysing the drainage water.

The display, which sits alongside the Environment Waikato stand, features ways of making the best use of valuable nutrients in urine, dung and farm effluent.

Dung, urine and effluent can be potent sources of nutrients, causing problems if mismanaged, but benefits to the farm if managed well.

Topics featured on the stand include:
• ‘Reducing the risk’ – by using low nitrogen feeds (less waste produced) and/or using diuretics (less concentrated urine patches).
• ‘Trapping nutrients’ – using techniques to minimise losses of the nutrients from the paddock, for example use of nitrogen inhibitors, better fencing (keeping stock out of water), wintering pads and capturing and storing effluent.
• ‘Spreading it’- using best practice for your land and soil type to avoid run-off and to avoid entry of effluent to water.
‘Valuing it’ – appreciating the monetary value of replacing nutrients that are unnecessarily lost by taking account of nutrients from animals when planning fertiliser applications, understanding nutrient flows on your farm, and not overloading the soil with nutrients.

ENDS

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