Composting and Value-Added Utilization of Manure From a Swine Finishing Facility

Swine manure and wood shavings used as a drying bed were removed from a High-Rise™ hog facility following two production cycles. The manure was composted in aerated pilot-scale vessels for four weeks or a mechanically turned windrow for ten weeks. Total dry matter losses during the pilot-scale studies were 30 and 32.5 % for continuously and intermittently aerated systems, respectively. Compost from both systems was stable with emission rates of 0.07-0.11 mgCO2 h−1 gvs−1. Moisture, O2, CO2 and NH3 use/losses during the process as well as chemical properties of the initial and composted manure are presented. Incorporation of the compost at a 5% amendment rate (v/v) into a standard pine bark container medium significantly (P = 0.05) increased growth of two woody plant species. Higher amendment rates were toxic to some plants due to high initial NH4+ concentrations in the medium. The compost significantly (P=0.05) increased growth and suppressed Pythium root rot of poinsettia when incorporated at 10% (v/v) into a standard sphagnum peat mix. The compost can be utilized as a value-added disease-suppressive product in the ornamentals industry.