Helping farmers reach N targets
A DairyNZ programme to help farmers in two Canterbury catchments to reduce N loss has proved highly successful.
A nutrient budget must be prepared for the area where effluent is to be applied.
This is necessary for determining many of the design specifications. The following must be taken into account in a nutrient budget:
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and any other elements of local concern must be included in the nutrient budget.
A design must state which of the above considerations have been included as part of the design process. If any of the above items are not included in the nutrient budget, the designer must explain why it was not necessary to include them. If solids separation is used, both the liquid and solid components of effluent must be considered separately in the nutrient budget.
This will require separate analysis of the liquid and solid components of the effluent. Nutrient budgets are often already completed by the farmer (or consultant) on a regular basis.
This budget is often adequate. In addition, there are several analytical tools available to effluent system designers who wish to complete an independent nutrient budget. For example, the Overseer software programme is available free of charge from AgResearch Ltd www.overseer.org.nz.
Land application
Selection of an appropriate land application depth depends primarily on the:
Range of depths
The FDE system must be capable of applying an appropriate range of depths to:
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