Livestock Manure for Organic Rice Farms
Recycling program in Korea, using tanks for liquid manure
To solve this problem, the Korean government has begun a new program to promote the use of livestock manure in organic rice farming. It provides a subsidy and credit for rice farmers to purchase a large (200 mt) fermentation tank for liquid livestock manure. The tank is usually located on rice farms rather than where the livestock are raised. It is filled and emptied by a tanker lorry, the purchase of which is supported by a 50% subsidy. An ordinary field cultivator with a pump attachment is used to spray the liquid fertilizer over the field.
Four hundred tanks are now in use on Korean farms. Microorganisms are added to the liquid manure, which speed up the process of fermentation. Trained technians use a testing kit to check the fermentation process. They also test the pH and the level of nitrogen etc. in the final product.
A common problem is antibiotics in the manure. It is common for producers to add antibiotics to livestock feed. This is partly to prevent disease outbreaks in intensively raised herds and flocks. Another reason is to speed up the growth rate. Antibiotics in the manure interfere with the composting process. They may also injure populations of soil microorganisms when the compost is applied.
Successful systems of nutrient recycling need an integrated approach. In selecting their production methods, farmers must go beyond assessing their effect on the crop. They must also consider their effect on the crop by-products, and the ways in which these are to be used.
Index of Images
Figure 1 Tank Holds 200 MT of Livestock Manure. Farmers Can Get Credit and a Government Subsidy to Help Pay for It.
Figure 2 Tanker Truck Used to Carry Liquid Manure from Livestock Farms to Rice Farms. the Cost of the Truck Has a 50% Government Subsidy.
Figure 3 Cultivator with Attachment Used for Spraying the Liquid Manure
Figure 4 Spraying the Manure Over the Field
