WOERLE and Pinzgau Milch are showing the way and reducing ammonia in agriculture
Agriculture plays a central role in reducing CO2-Emissions. In our latest research project, we are declaring war on environmentally harmful ammonia. It was started together with our cooperation partner Pinzgau Milch and implemented with the HBLA Ursprung and the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. And best of all: The method for reducing ammonia actually works!
According to the EU directive on reducing harmful emissions, ammonia emissions must be reduced by 2030% by 12 compared to the 2005 baseline. Our joint research project with Pinzgau Milch aims to do just that. To do this, we use residues such as sour whey or rinsing milk that are produced during the production and cleaning process in our cheese dairy and in the Pinzgau Milch dairy. If you add these residues to the liquid manure, you can sustainably reduce ammonia emissions.
Ammonia in Agriculture
Ammonia is a gaseous nitrogen compound which, in large quantities, can endanger people and the environment. Austria emits around 60.000 tons of ammonia per year, 94% of which comes from agriculture.
There are several ways to reduce this emission. A method that is relatively easy to implement is the acidification of the liquid manure: Dairy residues such as rinsing milk (this is produced when the pipelines in the dairy are flushed through without any chemicals) and sour whey are added to the liquid manure. Because that promotes the growth of lactic acid bacteria in the liquid manure and helps to reduce the pH value and thus the ammonia emissions.
Successful circular economy
Led by our scientific advisor, Dr. Konrad Steiner, students of the HBLA Ursprung carried out measurements with different mixing ratios of cattle manure and sour whey or dish milk as part of the project. The results were checked by external experts and scientifically confirmed. Conclusion: a complete success!
This method even has two advantages and shows how a successful circular economy can work: On the one hand, ammonia emissions are reduced and, on the other hand, the fertilizer effect is improved. This is how a “fertilizer booster” is made from the residues from the dairy and cheese dairy.
Positive prospects for our farmers
The research results of this project could be of great importance in the future. If the Federal Environment Agency also recognizes the method, more than 100 Salzburg farmers can implement the project. “The farmers are very interested in emitting as little ammonia as possible, but rather in getting the nitrogen compounds into the soil, because nitrogen is a main nutrient for plants. Any form of circular economy will be particularly important in the future, especially for agriculture,” emphasizes Dr. Konrad Steiner.
