Phosphorus Runoff Potential and Nitrogen Flux Emissions From Compost Generated in Compost Bedded Dairy Pack Barns

The NRCS Conservation Practice Standard for Nutrient Management (Code 590) has the purpose, among several, to conserve plant nutrients, minimize nonpoint pollution of surface water and to protect air quality by reducing nitrogen emissions (ammonia, oxides of nitrogen). The dairy compost bedded loose housing (CBP) barn is intended to meet these conservation goals by reducing nitrogen emissions during storage and processing of manures and bedding under roof through the process of composting and producing an organic by-product that maintains N and P in the organic form. Good compost bed management reduces the N losses to the atmosphere conserving N for plant production and reducing release of nitrous oxide a powerful greenhouse gas compared to other dairy waste management systems. The resulting organic N and P slowly release these plant nutrients bringing about a reduction of P and N in surface runoff and losses of N through emissions of ammonia and oxides of N. In addition no P runoff data has been generated for land applied CBP compost to assess P-loss in Kentucky soils. Results will be used to demonstrate the ability of the new KY P-index for soils located in areas of concentrated dairy production for compost and liquid manures. These regions include Eastern and Western Pennyroyal and the Outer Bluegrass.