New Manure Methods May Ease Water Quality Stress

By Blake Jackson

On May 14 the Dairy Innovation Hub’s annual Dairy Symposium in Madison spotlighted the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration (DSWR) initiative, an eight‑year, multi‑state study of how soil management and manure technologies can help the U.S. dairy sector meet its 2050 sustainability goals.

A main‑stage panel featured project leader Reza Afshar of Dairy Management Inc.; Dennis Busch, senior scientist at UW‑Platteville’s Pioneer Farm; Cristine Morgan, chief scientific officer at the Soil Health Institute; UW‑Madison assistant professor Gregg Sanford; and Joshua Faulkner from the University of Vermont. UW‑Madison soil scientist Matt Ruark moderated.

The core of DSWR is rigorous, comparable data. “One of the main goals of this project was to produce scientifically robust data that farmers can use to make informed and confident decisions,” Afshar said.

Since 2021 researchers have completed a baseline survey on nearly 100 dairies and are now running field trials that explore tillage, cover crops and new manure products.

Busch, whose Platteville team tracks surface and ground water, stressed consistency: “There’s a lot of data being collected across a wide geographic area; it’s the consistency in that data collection that’s probably the most important part.” Morgan added, “Across the U.S., we have data on gas emissions, soil deep carbon, soil shallow carbon, soil health indicators, and we have agronomic data coupled with all this management data.”

Alongside liquid manure, scientists are testing evaporative and flocculated solids-drier, concentrated materials that may cut hauling costs and nutrient loss.

Early Wisconsin plots show these alternatives can maintain forage yield while boosting soil metrics. “In my mind, that’s a great positive if we can do what we can do with liquid manure but we’re doing it with a product that’s potentially much more feasible to move,” Sanford said.

Vermont’s trials remain preliminary, yet Faulkner sees promise: “I think these technologies are going to be critical to address water quality as we see watersheds start to hit this tipping point.”

Supported by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, Nestlé, Starbucks and others, DSWR keeps farmers involved through on‑farm trials and field days, ensuring findings translate into region‑specific guidance.

Photo Credit: istock-fangxianuo