Baltic Slurry Acidification
Reducing Nitrogen Loss from Livestock Production by Promoting the Use of Slurry Acidification Techniques in the Baltic Sea Region (Baltic Slurry Acidi., BSA)
Priority: 2. Efficient management of natural resources
Specific objective: 2.1. Clear waters: To increase efficiency of water management for reduced nutrient inflows and decreased discharges of hazardous substances to the Baltic Sea and regional waters based on enhanced capacity of public and private actors dealing with water quality issues.
Baltic Slurry Acidification reduces nitrogen loss
Nitrogen loss from livestock production is both economically and environmentally counterproductive. Nitrogen loss could be reduced by using slurry acidification techniques (SATs). These techniques have been widely tested and are in use in Denmark, but are not so known in the rest of the Baltic Sea Region. BSA project with further demonstrate and analyze SATs in the region and promote the implementation of these techniques.
Reducing nitrogen loss via slurry acidification benefits the environment and a farmer.
Livestock manure is the main source of ammonia-nitrogen emissions in the Baltic Sea Region and contribute to eutrophication and acidification of nature. Atmospheric deposition of ammonia results in airborne eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. The increased usage of SAT techniques will give an environmental benefit for the whole region. The usage of these techniques benefits also farmers by increasing the nitrogen use efficiency of their manure fertilizers and thereby decreasing their dependency on mineral nitrogen.
The three main types of SATs are:
- in-house acidification of livestock slurry;
- in-storage acidification of stored livestock slurry;
- in-field acidification of livestock slurry during field spreading.
Baltic Slurry Acidification project, funded by INTERREG Baltic Sea Region, was launched on March, 2016. The first field tests have already been started. The project is a cooperation of 17 partners from 8 Baltic Sea region countries. The lead partner is JTI – Swedish Institute of Agriculture and Environmental Engineering.
Project homepage www.balticslurry.eu
Project duration: 20.11.2015.-31.05.2019. (36 months)