High Milk Production = High Effluent Production

For farmers like David Bennett who milks 1000 cows at Walton, making use of effluent back onto pasture has helped supply nearly all the farm’s nitrogen, potash and phosphate requirements. They also found that pH levels were rising as an extra benefit. Monthly testing of the effluent as part of their Total Nutrient Management Planning, allows them not only to understand their nutrient inputs and outputs, but also helps awareness of the effect of changes in cow diet on effluent constituents.

With two ponds, the Bennett’s system has been set up to cope with rainfall run-off from their feed pad, so the potential for flooding is prevented. The system has been added to each year with more hydrant lines, and they can now irrigate two lines at a time, with travelling irrigators and rain guns, over 75% of the farm.

David Bennett urged farmers to look at effluent as a useful farm input with a potential payback, rather than just as a waste product to be disposed of. But like the complexities of building a new farm dairy, there are many issues peculiar to each farm which must be taken into account when designing and growing an effluent management system. Advice from the experts is needed to get it right.

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High Milk Production = High Effluent Production