Biosecurity and arable use of manure and biowaste — Treatment alternatives

The potential negative environmental impact of manure and biological waste (BW) can be minimised at a profit by recycling plant nutrients in the food chain. Current large-scale livestock production, epizootic diseases and increasing globalisation increase the need for biosecurity, to minimise the risk of disease transmission to the food chain. Arable use of manure and BW can inadvertently spread infectious diseases; opinion differs concerning the risk levels. To obtain general acceptance for arable use, a hygienically safe end-product is needed. This paper provides a detailed discussion of treatment alternatives for co-treatment, i.e., mixture before treatment of manure and BW. Composting, anaerobic digestion and ammonia treatment are the three options given. A decision support tool is also presented and discussed. Suitable treatment methods must combine biosecurity aspects with environmental, economic and nutrient recycling aspects to create a beneficial whole-farm approach.