13 Jul How do dairy farmers manage effluent?
Posted at 04:00h
in
On many New Zealand dairy farms, a single pond is used to capture wash down liquid. Following “settling out” over several weeks or months, liquid effluent is then discharged into a “sacrifice area” or into an irrigation pond and spread over pastures as part of the usual irrigation program. It is often “shandied” with incoming irrigation water.
Although the volume and composition of effluent produced varies greatly according to the individual property and season, many single-pond systems are now incapable of handling the increased volumes of effluent generated.