Optimising N recovery from livestock waste for multiple production and environmental benefits
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Intensive dairy, beef and poultry industries share the common practice of housing animals through all or part of their productive life. This leads to a concentration of animal waste, high nitrogen (N) loss, detrimental environmental impacts, and health risks. This paper will outline a new $7 million (AUD) Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) funded by the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and industry partners, aiming to implement cost-effective commercial management of waste for long-term sustainable intensification of animal industries, while increasing agricultural productivity, protecting natural resources, and producing high value fertilisers.
Half of the global human protein requirement comes from nitrogen (N) fertilisers – manufactured in energy-expensive processes. Fertiliser N accounts for half the production costs in many Australian agricultural systems, but then often more than 50% of the available N escapes to the environment causing severe land, water, and atmospheric pollution. Intensive animal systems (dairy, beef, poultry) are ‘hotspots’ for N loss primarily via ammonia volatilisation e.g. 60% of dietary N is lost as ammonia in intensive beef systems. Efficient use and reuse of agricultural N remains one of the most pressing challenges for Australian agriculture and food production globally.