A simple method to identify areas of environmental risk due to manure application |
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Authors: | Héctor Flores José Luis Arumí Diego Rivera L Octavio Lagos |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Water Resources, University of Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile; |
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Abstract: | The management of swine manure is becoming an important environmental issue in Chile. One option for the final disposal of
manure is to use it as a biofertilizer, but this practice could impact the surrounding environment. To assess the potential
environmental impacts of the use of swine manure as a biofertilizer, we propose a method to identify zones of environmental
risk through indices. The method considers two processes: nutrient runoff and solute leaching, and uses available information
about soils, crops and management practices (irrigation, fertilization, and rotation). We applied the method to qualitatively
assess the environmental risk associated with the use of swine manure as a biofertilizer in an 8,000-pig farm located in Central
Chile. Results showed that the farm has a moderate environmental risk, but some specific locations have high environmental
risks, especially those associated with impacts on areas surrounding water resources. This information could assist the definition
of better farm-level management practices, as well as the preservation of riparian vegetation acting as buffer strips. The
main advantage of our approach is that it combines qualitative and quantitative information, including particular situations
or field features based on expert knowledge. The method is flexible, simple, and can be easily extended or adapted to other
processes. |
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Keywords: | |
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