Slurry additive promises improved fertiliser value

Using a cattle slurry additive can reduce nitrogen losses and crust formation and improve aerobic bacteria count, according to new Kingshay trial work.

Enhancing the value of slurry and ensuring intelligent application can significantly improve soil performance and offer valuable savings on artificial fertilisers, says independent consultant Josephine Scamell.

Epizym Cattle uses bacteria to liquefy and deodorize slurry in livestock systems, to make slurry management easier and improve fertiliser value. A six-week trial looking at the effect of slurry additives on various key indicators identified some significant improvement when using an additive over no additive.

The product resulted in a 20.9% increase in total nitrogen, a 6.08% increase in ammonium nitrogen and a 35% boost in organic nitrogen.

Much of the increase in organic N is expected to be in the bacteria that have multiplied from the initial Epizym culture, explains Giles Dadd, agricultural consultant for Epizym.

“Once this slurry has been spread, organic N will quickly become available to the plants as the bacteria die.”

The additive also resulted in a 319% increase in aerobic bacteria and a 19% reduction in slurry crust weight.

“The additive ensures slurry organic matter remains in suspension rather than naturally settling in solid form at the bottom of the tank or on the surface as part of a crust,” he says.

The results could have significant effects on the efficiency of nutrient use on farm, as well as positive environmental consequences, says Kingshay’s technical manager Martin Yeates.