CHAP.
LIFE + MANEV
2. 3.
possible emissions to the environment.Transport of manure can be carried out with different systems: i) tractors and slurry tankers or trailers, ii) trucks, iii) pipeline. The system more frequently used is road transportation. Land spreading (or exportation to other farms or enterprises) is the final step of manure management. Application to soil is an operation that can be carried out with different technologies according to the soil type and condition, the period of the year and the cropping system used. Also if it has not been possible to find suitable statistics, there is a clear trend towards techniques that incorporate the manure directly or soon after spreading, in order to minimise the ammonia and odour emissions, increasing the efficiency of the nutrients applied. Regarding nutrient use, it has to be emphasized that inefficient use of fertilisers leads to the accumulation of nutrients in areas of intense agricultural activities and can cause serious environmental problems in these areas
and beyond. As highlighted during the final conference of the project “Resource Efficiency in Practice - Closing Mineral Cycles” (http://mineral-cycles.eu), to close mineral cycles there is a need for: i) an integrated and holistic approach, taking all environmental media into account, ii) an increased use of innovative practices and solutions, and iii) the enhanced implementation of existing policies, aiming at reducing pollution at its source. The adoption of suitable treatments is getting an increasing attention as a possible mean to reduce nutrient surplus and to better balance nutrient application considering the possibility to extract nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) when they are exceeding crop requirement of the farm and export them to other areas where there is a lack of nutrients and organic matter. However, it has to be emphasized that manure processing cannot be the solutions of the problem but it is a component of a management system that must have a whole-farm approach.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Foged, Henning Lyngsø, Xavier Flotats, August Bonmati Blasi, Jordi Palatsi, Albert Magri and Karl Martin Schelde. 2011. Inventory of manure processing activities in Europe. Technical Report No. I concerning “Manure Processing Activities in Europe” to the European Commission, Directorate-General Environment. 138 pp. “Resource Efficiency in Practice - Closing Mineral Cycles” (http://mineral-cycles.eu)
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