dairy farm – Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Community

Purpose

While animal manure contains nutrients and organic material that are beneficial for crop production, the concentrations of those nutrients are typically too low to allow economically viable transportation of bulk manures over long distances to where crops are sometimes produced. Therefore, dairy manure tends to be applied to soils near where it is generated. Since phosphorous (P) is conserved during manure handling compared to nitrogen, P concentrations in soils where dairy manure is applied tend to exceed crop demands. Due to the implication that P runoff from agricultural operations plays an important role in the eutrophication of streams and other water bodies, farmers are experiencing increasing pressure and regulation to not apply animal manures to fields that are already overloaded with P.

A possible solution to P overloading is to remove some of the P from manure before it is applied. In testing the MAnure PHosphorus EXtraction (MAPHEX) System Church et al. (2016, 2017, 2018), found that by treating liquid dairy manure with a screw press followed by a decanter centrifuge, 38 – 60% of the P could be removed from the manures of a wide variety of farms. A benefit to this approach is that the P removed, is concentrated into a stackable solid (about 72% moisture) that can be more economically transported to distant fields where P may be in deficit. The remaining liquid and course solids, containing greater than 90% of the manure N, can be beneficially used nearer the source without loading those soils with P. A comprehensive farm-scale evaluation of manure nutrient extraction is needed which can be done using the Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM; USDA, 2022). The IFSM has been used to assess other manure handling strategies along with many farm-scale options for crop, animal and feeding management.

What Did We Do?

We evaluated the whole-farm performance, environmental effects, and potential economic benefit of extracting P from dairy manure using a decanter centrifuge (Rotz et al., 2022). A farm in Pennsylvania with distant cropland was simulated with the IFSM to evaluate the feasibility of extracting P to reduce transport requirements on-farm or to produce a concentrated P product for off-farm use. Three production systems were evaluated with and without the use of centrifuge extraction. The first was the current farm with manure collected by flushing, next was the same farm with manure collection by scraping and the last was a modified farm with scraped manure where only forage crops were produced and concentrate feeds were purchased. Collection by scraping greatly reduced the volume of manure handled by the centrifuge thus reducing operating time and electricity use. Reducing the crop land and removing grain production created an imbalance in nutrient utilization with potential accumulation of P in the farm soil. Under this constraint, use of the centrifuge provided a method for removing a portion of the manure P for export from the farm.

Farm simulations estimated all forms of nitrogen, P, and carbon losses. This included erosion of sediment and runoff of sediment-bound and dissolved P across the farm boundaries. Costs for owning and operating the manure handling systems were determined using the economic component in IFSM. All equipment and facilities were amortized over an economic life and the annualized cost was added to other operating costs to get a total. Manure handling costs included fixed and operating (repair and maintenance, fuel, and labor) costs of the rotary screen, screw presses, and centrifuge. Manure hauling was also an important cost in the assessment because the number of trucks required and hauling distance varied among systems. Hauling cost included the amortized initial cost of trucks and annual costs for truck repair and maintenance, fuel, and operator labor.

What Have We Learned?

On a large dairy farm of 2,000 cows and 3,450 acres of land where manure must be transported to distant cropland to obtain uniform distribution, P extraction with a centrifuge provided a better ratio of nitrogen and P contents in manure used on nearby cropland and reduced transport costs for nutrients applied to more distant cropland. Centrifuge extraction was found to be more practical and economical when used with manure scraped from the barn floor than with flushed manure. Use of the centrifuge was not economically justified with the flush system where large volumes of low concentration liquid manure were handled. When barn floors were scraped, the benefit received through reduced manure volume more than offset the increased costs of owning and operating the centrifuge. To avoid long-term accumulation of soil P on the farm with less land (2,000 cows and 2,720 acres) where concentrate feed (27% of total feed) was imported, centrifuge extraction provided a material with a high P concentration that could be exported from the farm for other uses. Extracting the P in excess of crop needs cost about $1.14/lb P. This was generally greater than the price of phosphate fertilizer, but the extract also included other nutrients and micronutrients of value to crops.

A centrifuge provides a useful tool for extracting and concentrating manure P, but the economic benefit to the producer depends upon the value of the full array of nutrients contained, manure handling practices, and the end use of the extracted material. Although marketing this material for its P content alone may not be economical, the material may have other value and the reduction in long-term risk of surface water eutrophication has a less well-defined economic benefit to society.

Future Plans

The IFSM provides a tool for evaluating the performance, environmental impacts and economics of beef cattle and dairy production systems. The addition of the new component for modeling manure nutrient extraction technologies provides a tool for evaluating the whole farm costs and benefits of various technologies being developed or proposed for on-farm use. These can include manure processing based upon dissolved air floatation, evaporation, ultrafiltration, and the full MAPHEX system.

Authors

Alan Rotz, Agricultural Engineer, Agricultural Research Service, USDA

Corresponding author email address

al.rotz@usda.gov

Additional authors

Michael Reiner, Support Scientist, Agricultural Research Service, USDA; Sarah Fishel, Support Scientist, Agricultural Research Service, USDA; Clinton Church, Chemist, Agricultural Research Service, USDA

Additional Information

Church, C. D., Hristov, A., Bryant, R. B., Kleinman, P. J. A., & Fishel, S. K. 2016. A novel treatment system to remove phosphorus from liquid manure. Appl. Eng. Agric. 32: 103 – 112. doi:10.13031/aea.32.10999

Church, C. D., Hristov, A., Bryant, R. B., & Kleinman, P. J. A. 2017. Processes and treatment systems for treating high phosphorus containing fluids. US Patent 10,737958.

Church, C. D., Hristov, A. N., Kleinman, P. J. A., Fishel, S. K., Reiner, M. R., & Bryant, R. B. 2018. Versatility of the MAnure PHosphorus Extraction (MAPHEX) System in removing phosphorus, odor, microbes, and alkalinity from dairy manures: A four-farm case study. Appl. Eng. Agric. 34: 567 – 572. doi: 10.13031/aea12632

Rotz, C.A., Reiner, M., Fishel, S., & Church, C. 2022. Whole farm performance of centrifuge extraction of phosphorus from dairy manure. Appl. Eng. Agric. In press.

USDA-ARS. 2022. The Integrated Farm System Model, version 4.7. University Park, PA: USDA-ARS. Retrieved from https://www.ars.usda.gov/northeast-area/up-pa/pswmru/docs/integrated-farm-system-model

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. The authors thank the producer who contributed characteristics of their farm for this assessment.

The authors are solely responsible for the content of these proceedings. The technical information does not necessarily reflect the official position of the sponsoring agencies or institutions represented by planning committee members, and inclusion and distribution herein does not constitute an endorsement of views expressed by the same. Printed materials included herein are not refereed publications. Citations should appear as follows. EXAMPLE: Authors. 2022. Title of presentation. Waste to Worth. Oregon, OH. April 18-22, 2022. URL of this page. Accessed on: today’s date.

The typical dairy farm uses a large amount of energy during milking activities. This is due to the frequency of milking and the energy intensive nature of harvesting milk, keeping it cool, and cleaning the equipment with hot water. Renewable energy systems generally become more economically efficient as the amount of energy used increases, making dairy farms a great place to incorporate renewable energy.

Dairy farms have not typically been set up with energy efficiency in mind and often use relatively expensive fuel sources like heating oil or propane to heat water. One of the difficulties encountered with renewable energy systems is the intermittent generation of wind and solar energy, whereas the energy load on a dairy farm is very consistent since cows are typically milked twice or three times every day (very large dairies may milk continuously). An efficient way to store energy has long been sought to tie energy production and consumption together. A dairy farm’s need for both electricity and heat provides an ideal situation to generate electrical energy on-site to meet current electrical load requirements, displace conventional thermal fuels with electrical energy, and evaluate thermal storage as a solution to the time shifting of wind and solar electrical generation.

What did we do?

The dairy operation at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris milks between 200 and 275 cows twice daily and is representative of a mid-size Minnesota dairy farm. The cows are split almost evenly between a conventional and a certified organic grazing herd, and all cows spend the winter outside in lots near the milking parlor. The existing dairy equipment is typical for similarly sized dairy farms and includes none of the commonly recommended energy efficiency enhancements such as a plate cooler, refrigeration heat recovery, or variable frequency drives for pump motors. The WCROC dairy provides an ideal testing opportunity to evaluate and demonstrate the effect of on-site renewable energy generation and energy efficient upgrades on fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (Figure 1).

Heat pumps, electric water heaters, and thermal storage at the University of Minnesota Morris — Figure 1. Renewable energy upgrades that include new heat pumps, electric water heaters, and thermal storage tank at the University of Minnesota WCROC Dairy in Morris, MN.

A data logger was installed in the utility room of the milking parlor in August 2013 to monitor 18 individual electric loads, 12 water flow rates, 13 water temperatures, and two air temperatures. Average values were recorded every 10 minutes for the last 4 years. The milking parlor has gas and electric meters that measure the total consumption of natural gas and electricity within the parlor. The data helped us evaluate energy and water usage of various milking appliances. Some small energy loads were not measured in unused parts of the barn, or for equipment not directly related to the milking operation. These small and miscellaneous loads were estimated by subtracting monitored energy use from the total energy use.

Baseline measurements were collected at the WCROC dairy and overall, the milking parlor currently consumes about 250 to 400 kWh in electricity and uses between 1,300 and 1,500 gallons of water per day (Figures 2 and 3). The parlor currently uses about 110,000 kWh per year (440 kWh per cow per day) in electricity and 4,500 therms per year in natural gas. A majority of the electricity (26 percent) is used for cooling milk , with ventilation, fans and heaters utilizing 16 percent. The dairy uses about 600 gallons of hot water per day, with a majority used for cleaning and sanitizing milking equipment (57%), followed closely by cleaning the milking parlor (27%). Energy and water usage fluctuates throughout the year; the dairy calves 40 percent of the cows from September to December and 60 percent from March to May. Therefore, water and energy use escalates dramatically during April.

The first energy efficiency upgrade was the installation of a variable frequency drive for the vacuum pump in September 2013. Prior to the upgrade, the vacuum pump used 55 to 65 kWh per day. Following installation, electrical consumption by the vacuum pump decreased by 75% to just 12 kWh per day. This data provides a vivid example of the significant energy savings that can be achieved with relatively simple upgrades.

Because the dairy operates both organic and conventional systems, two bulk tank compressors are used: one scroll and one reciprocating. The scroll compressor is the newest and uses 15 kWh per day versus 40 kWh per day for the reciprocating compressor. Based on milk production, the scroll compressor costs $0.73 per kWh per cwt. versus $1.08 per kWh per cwt. for the reciprocating compressor, indicating that the scroll compressor is more efficient. In terms of fossil fuel consumption, milk harvesting consumed more energy than feeding and maintenance.

Pie Chart: Electrical usage by equipment component for 2016. — Figure 2. Electrical usage by equipment component for 2016.

Pie chart: Hot water usage by activity during 2016 — Figure 3. Hot water usage by activity during 2016

During the fall of 2016, a TenKSolar Reflect XTG 50 kW DC array was installed. The annual production from this solar PV system was projected to be 70,000 kWh. At a total cost of $138,000 ($2.77/W) for the solar system, a 19.7-year simple payback without incentives was predicted. Adding the “Made in Minnesota” incentives would reduce the payback period to 8.6 years.

In 2017, two 10-kW VT10 wind turbines from Ventera were installed. These turbines are a three blade, downwind turbine model, each with an annual predicted generation of 22,400 kWh. The wind system cost was $156,800 ($78,400 per tower) with a 35-year simple payback without incentives. With the 30% federal credit, each turbine would have a 24.5-year payback.

What we have learned?

Our study suggests that fossil energy use per unit of milk could be greatly reduced by replacing older equipment with new, more efficient technology or substituting renewable sources of energy into the milk harvesting process. To improve energy efficiency, begin with an audit to gather data and identify energy-saving opportunities. Some energy efficiency options that may be installed on dairy farms include refrigeration heat recovery, variable frequency drives, plate coolers, and more efficient lighting and fans. A majority of these upgrades have immediate to two- to five-year paybacks. Make all electrical loads as efficient as possible, yet practical. Consider converting all thermal loads to electricity by the use of heat pumps that allow for cooling of milk. In the future, we have plans to harvest energy from our manure lagoon and store electricity as heat by use of heat pumps. Renewable energy options also can improve energy efficiency.

Solar panels — Figure 4. 50 kW solar array at the University of Minnesota WCROC Dairy, Morris, MN

Future Plans

We will continue to monitor the WCROC dairy and make renewable energy upgrades. We have begun monitoring the two 10-kW wind turbines, and installed a new 30-kW solar array in the WCROC pastures for renewable energy production. Additionally, we will evaluate the cow cooling potential of solar systems in the grazing dairy system at the WCROC. This study is the first step toward converting fossil fuel-based vehicles used in dairy farms to clean and locally produced energy. The knowledge and information generated will be disseminated to agricultural producers, energy professionals, students, and other stakeholders.

Authors

Brad Heins, Associate Professor, Dairy Management, hein0106@umn.edu

Mike Reese, Director of Renewable Energy

Eric Buchanan, Renewable Energy Scientist

Mickey Cotter, Renewable Energy Junior Scientist

Kirsten Sharpe, Research Assistant, Dairy Management

Additional information

We have developed a Dairy Energy Efficiency Decision Tool to help provide producers a quick way to estimate possible energy and costs savings from equipment efficiency upgrades. The tool can be used to quickly see what areas of a dairy operation may provide the best return on investment. Furthermore, we have developed a U of MN Guidebook for Optimizing Energy Systems for Midwest Dairy Production. This guidebook provides additional information about the topics that were discussed in this article, as well as the decision tool. More information may be found at https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/energy-dairy

Acknowledgements

To complete our goals, we have secured grants from the University of Minnesota Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE), the Minnesota Rapid Agricultural Response Fund, and the Xcel Energy RDF Fund.

The authors are solely responsible for the content of these proceedings. The technical information does not necessarily reflect the official position of the sponsoring agencies or institutions represented by planning committee members, and inclusion and distribution herein does not constitute an endorsement of views expressed by the same. Printed materials included herein are not refereed publications. Citations should appear as follows. EXAMPLE: Authors. 2019. Title of presentation. Waste to Worth. Minneapolis, MN. April 22-26, 2019. URL of this page. Accessed on: today’s date.