Press release: launch PPS Reinventing Circular Dairy Farming

The PPS 'Reinventing Circular Dairy Farming' was launched today. In this Public Private Partnership, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, Wageningen Livestock Research, Slootsmid, Nederlands Centrum Mestverwaarding, Hanskamp and Lely are working together. The pilot project aims to research how urine can be used as a fertiliser substitute. Using urine as a manure stream can help improve the circularity of a dairy farm.

During the pilot, the use of urine as a fertiliser substitute and the extent to which this contributes to circularity on participating farms will be researched. A total of 100 dairy farms can participate for 4 years. Within this pilot, the dairy farms, which have a Lely Sphere barn system, a CowToilet or a VrijlevenStal from Hanskamp, can apply mineral flows in a different way. Thus, data is collected on the impact of these the systems, which can contribute to the optimisation of the use of mineral flows. In the longer term, the results of this pilot can play an important role in the European discussion on artificial fertiliser substitutes. Fertiliser substitutes can contribute to European food security, strategic autonomy and the sustainability and profitability of dairy farms, so it is important that scientific knowledge about them is expanded and included in European laws and regulations.

Within the pilot, annual field trials are carried out by Wageningen Livestock Research to investigate the technical underpinnings of the manure flows (faeces and urine). Together with Slootsmid, it is also investigating how the manure fractions should be applied to minimise ammonia emissions. Through the trials, emissions are being investigated for application technique, working coefficient and optimal application timing.

Increase in circularity dairy farm 

Making optimal use of available manure flows on the dairy farm is one way to make the farm more circular. Within the EU, it has been agreed that a maximum of 170 kg nitrogen from animal manure per ha (without derogation) can be applied. Because of the fertile climate in the Netherlands, the crops, and thus the soil, often do not have enough of this. Additional minerals are now supplied in the form of artificial fertilisers. At the same time, farmers are often forced to dispose of manure containing valuable minerals.

When urine is applied as a fertiliser substitute, available fertilisers can be used more efficiently, and more minerals can be applied on the own farm. This can increase circularity on the farm, which can benefit the environment. Moreover, the manure surplus is reduced, giving the farmer a financial benefit by reducing artificial fertiliser input and manure disposal on his farm.

Participating in the pilot

For this pilot, the participating parties are looking for dairy farmers who are open to innovation on their farms and willing to participate in this experimental study. Registration for the pilot has yet to be opened and will be via the RVO. Interested parties can already register at Sphere@lely.com and info@hanskamp.nl. The exact conditions are currently being worked out by LVVN. 

.