6. GUIDELINES FOR MANURE MANAGEMENT

REPORT TITLE:Technical Guidelines for Manure Management in the Central and Lower DRB Countries (March 2004)

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

•  Definition of BAP concept and need to suit local conditions 
• Main benefits and principles of good manure management 
• 4 sets of guidelines
  - 3 for collection and storage of animal manures divided in three groups: households and small farms, communal stores, and larger livestock units
  - 1 for application of manures to agricultural land 
• Available in English, Croatian, Moldovan, Bulgarian, Serbian and Ukrainian

REPORT SUMMARY

The purpose of this report is to provide guidelines for 'Best Agricultural Practices (BAP)' related to manure (solid and slurry/liquid) management. It begins with defining BAP as a 'hierarchy of activities' that needs to be selected to suit national and local context. The main benefits and most important principles of good manure management follow.

Most of the guidelines relate to collection and storage of animal manures. These are divided into three main categories: households and small farms, communal stores and larger livestock units. Examples of guidelines for the first two include locating waste stores away from watercourses, assessing the slope of concrete flooring for stores, separating household waste from manure, and preventing rainfall from reaching stored manure.

For larger livestock units which can be a serious source of water pollution, guidelines fall in three more groups. The first relate to solid manure, for example regular inspection of stores. The second relate to slurry, for example creating a deep basin lined with clay or plastic. The third relate to 'dirty water' produced by rainwater falling on dirty yards or water used for washing equipment, for example applications onto soil.

A final set of guidelines relate to application of manures to agricultural land. These cover when, where and how to apply manures. Examples include applying slurry early in the growing season, avoiding application in flood-prone areas, and obtaining nutrient analyses of soils before application.

The report is available in the following languages: English, Croatian, Moldovan, Bulgarian, Serbian and Ukrainian.

To download this information sheet, click HERE.
To view or download the full report, click HERE.