IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i14p6617-d1705617.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Surface Moisture Control for Sustainable Manure Management: Reducing Ammonia Emissions and Preserving Nutrients

Author

Listed:
  • Ieva Knoknerienė

    (Department of Mechanical, Energy and Biotechnology Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy, Studentu Str. 15, Akademija, LT-53362 Kaunas District, Lithuania)

  • Rolandas Bleizgys

    (Department of Mechanical, Energy and Biotechnology Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy, Studentu Str. 15, Akademija, LT-53362 Kaunas District, Lithuania)

  • Vilma Naujokienė

    (Department of Mechanical, Energy and Biotechnology Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy, Studentu Str. 15, Akademija, LT-53362 Kaunas District, Lithuania)

Abstract

Researchers increasingly agree that livestock farming is the leading cause of air pollution with ammonia (NH 3 ) gas. The existing research suggests that 30–80% of nitrogen is lost from slurry and liquid manure in the gaseous form of ammonia. Most studies have focused on environmental factors influencing ammonia volatilization and manure composition but not on controlling the moisture level on the surface of the excreta. Applying the principles of convective mass exchange, this study was undertaken to compare different types of organic covers that mitigate NH 3 emissions and offer recommendations on how to properly apply organic covers on the surface of manure. Data was obtained from research in laboratory conditions comparing well-known coatings (chopped straw) with less commonly used organic materials (peat) or waste generated in other industries (sawdust, hemp chaff). This research demonstrated that applying bio-coatings can reduce ammonia (NH 3 ) emissions at coating thicknesses of ≥5 cm for sawdust, ≥3 cm for peat, ≥10 cm for hemp chaff, and 8–12 cm for straw. These reductions are linked to the ability of the coatings to lower manure surface moisture evaporation, a key driver of ammonia volatilization, highlighting the role of surface moisture control in emission mitigation.

Suggested Citation

  • Ieva Knoknerienė & Rolandas Bleizgys & Vilma Naujokienė, 2025. "Surface Moisture Control for Sustainable Manure Management: Reducing Ammonia Emissions and Preserving Nutrients," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-14, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:14:p:6617-:d:1705617
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/14/6617/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/14/6617/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anna Murawska & Piotr Prus, 2021. "The Progress of Sustainable Management of Ammonia Emissions from Agriculture in European Union States Including Poland—Variation, Trends, and Economic Conditions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-20, January.
    2. Martire Angélica Terrero Turbí & Melisa Gómez-Garrido & Oumaima El bied & José Gregorio Cuevas Bencosme & Ángel Faz Cano, 2024. "Preliminary Results on the Use of Straw Cover and Effective Microorganisms for Mitigating GHG and Ammonia Emissions in Pig Slurry Storage Systems," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, October.
    3. Ester Scotto di Perta & Antonio Mautone & Marco Oliva & Elena Cervelli & Stefania Pindozzi, 2020. "Influence of Treatments and Covers on NH 3 Emissions from Dairy Cow and Buffalo Manure Storage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-11, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Eleni Zafeiriou & Spyros Galatsidas & Christina Moulogianni & Spyridon Sofios & Garyfallos Arabatzis, 2024. "Evaluating Enteric Fermentation-Driven Environmental Kuznets Curve Dynamics: A Bayesian Vector Autoregression Comparative Study of the EU and Least Developed Countries," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-16, November.
    2. Lech Gałęzewski & Iwona Jaskulska & Dariusz Jaskulski & Edward Wilczewski & Marek Kościński, 2022. "Strip Intercrop of Barley, Wheat, Triticale, Oat, Pea and Yellow Lupine—A Meta-Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-21, November.
    3. Gheorghe Hurduzeu & Radu Lucian Pânzaru & Dragoș Mihai Medelete & Andi Ciobanu & Constanța Enea, 2022. "The Development of Sustainable Agriculture in EU Countries and the Potential Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals Specific Targets (SDG 2)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-24, November.
    4. Pruethsan Sutthichaimethee & Phayom Saraphirom & Chaiyan Junsiri, 2025. "Efficiency of National Governance in Managing Long-Term Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction in the Agricultural Sector Towards the Thailand 5.0 Goal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-28, April.
    5. Anna Figas & Magdalena Tomaszewska-Sowa & Mirosław Kobierski & Anna Katarzyna Sawilska & Katarzyna Klimkowska, 2021. "Hazard of Contamination with Heavy Metals in Thymus serpyllum L. Herbs from Rural Areas," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-14, April.
    6. Lubov Moldavan & Olena Pimenowa & Mirosław Wasilewski & Natalia Wasilewska, 2023. "Sustainable Development of Agriculture of Ukraine in the Context of Climate Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-17, July.
    7. Jumi Lee & Riuh Wardhani & Jinho Shin & Seunghun Lee & Yangjoon Lee & Heekwon Ahn, 2025. "Effectiveness of Floating Covers in Mitigating Ammonia and Hydrogen Sulfide Emissions from Lab-Scale Swine Slurry Pits," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-15, January.
    8. Justyna Bauza-Kaszewska & Barbara Breza-Boruta & Grzegorz Lemańczyk & Robert Lamparski, 2022. "Effects of Eco-Friendly Product Application and Sustainable Agricultural Management Practices on Soil Properties and Phytosanitary Condition of Winter Wheat Crops," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, November.
    9. Anna Murawska & Elżbieta Goryńska-Goldmann, 2023. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Agricultural and Industrial Sectors—Change Trends, Economic Conditions, and Country Classification: Evidence from the European Union," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-25, July.
    10. Anna Komarnicka & Anna Murawska, 2021. "Comparison of Consumption and Renewable Sources of Energy in European Union Countries—Sectoral Indicators, Economic Conditions and Environmental Impacts," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-24, June.
    11. Grazia Cinardi & Serena Vitaliano & Alessandro Fasciana & Ferdinando Fragalà & Emanuele La Bella & Luciano Manuel Santoro & Provvidenza Rita D’Urso & Andrea Baglieri & Giovanni Cascone & Claudia Arcid, 2025. "Preliminary Analysis on Bio-Acidification Using Coffee Torrefaction Waste and Acetic Acid on Animal Manure from a Dairy Farm," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-17, April.
    12. Maksym W. Sitnicki & Dmytro Kurinskyi & Olena Pimenowa & Mirosław Wasilewski & Natalia Wasilewska, 2024. "Strategic Formation of Agricultural Market Clusters in Ukraine: Emerging as a Global Player," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-21, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:14:p:6617-:d:1705617. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.