ManureMagic Inhibits Manure Foam in Swine Pits by 75%
Manure foam pits have been a major safety concern for many livestock producers in the past few years. In Iowa State University’s recent study on potential treatment options, researchers have found that ManureMagic reduced manure foam levels up to 75%. We may be biased but we think this is pretty exciting news! ManureMagic has already been popular with many of our customers, especially for those looking to reduce odors and to break up crusting.
Manure Foam Treatments
ManureMagic® is the first commercially available foam-deterrent product that is focused on the prevention of nuisance bacteria that cause foam in swine manure pits. On top of the 75% manure foam inhibition, solid destruction was recorded at 33% in the study conducted by Iowa State University.
“We found that treatment with ManureMagic reduced solids content, methane production rate, foam stability, and resulted in an altered microbial community,” Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department researchers Dan Andersen and Caleb Polson wrote in the concluding statement of their study “Evaluation of Potential Treatments to Reduce Foaming from Swine Manures.”
Safety Concerns and Manure Foam Management Challenges
In 2009, Midwestern U.S. pork producers began observing a brown, viscous foam forming on the manure surface in their deep-pit storages, with significant implications for facility management and safety, the authors explain. As deep-pit storages are anaerobic environments, the breakdown of organic matter in swine manure will occur, producing biogases. When foam is present, it traps these gases; a major safety concern for livestock and farm employees. Another challenge is that the accumulation of foam can significantly reduce the volume of the manure storage, causing producers to seek alternative acres for application during untimely seasonal windows to prevent the overflow of storage.
ManureMagic is a “dry-to-the-touch” product composed of engineered silica, a porous material, loaded with beneficial bacteria. Because of its exceptionally high density of 1011 cfu per gram, ManureMagic effectively delivers microbial blooms leading to enhanced biosolids reduction. It is easily administered by hand through the slats of a barn, or agitated into the pit, after each pumping. It is currently being used by five of the top 10 swine producers in the United States.
For more information on cutting down odors and manure foam prevention, chat with our waste handling team: 319.679.2281 | [email protected]