Less polluting nutrients to the Baltic Sea as the goal of proposed manure management plan

All manure could be used as fertilizers in Kaliningrad region, Russia

7 August 2014

All the processed animal and poultry manure in Russia’s Kaliningrad Region could be used as an organic fertilizer in the region, a new study by HELCOM BASE Project concludes. Even if the animal or poultry stock would grow significantly, the produced manure will be in high demand as there is currently a shortage of organic fertilizers in the region. The report prepares for a long-term manure management plan which is ready for submission to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The study was motivated by the need to identify measures for reducing the flow of nutrients into the Baltic Sea. Experts estimate that the implementation of a manure handling plan for Kaliningrad Region will reduce the entry of nutrients into the environment from animal/poultry manure – nitrogen by 20–30% and phosphorus by 15%, which is equal to 1,100 tonnes and 210 tonnes per year, respectively. The pilot activity under BASE Project was conducted by the State Scientific Institution North-West Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Electrification (SZNIIMESH) of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences with the support of MTT Agrifood Research Finland.

Furthermore, the study identified several necessary measures to secure that the production of organic fertilizer from manure is both profitable and environmentally sustainable, to assist in the adoption and implementation of the manure management plan. For assisting each individual farm to choose the most appropriate technology, the farmers and stakeholders should use the on-line database of technologies, machines and equipment for manure processing at http://eco.sznii.ru. Decision-makers should take advantage of the decision-making guidelines developed based on nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) balance calculation, on farm level as well as on regional level. Various decoupled subsidies should be used in order to support the production of organic fertilizer.

The results of the study have been submitted to the Kaliningrad Ministry of Agriculture.