With Nitrogen around $1200-$1800 / Ton, and 60% N of your open pond system evaporating to greenhouse gasses ( 8% of total green houses gasses are from your open pond system) is it not time you put a lid on it?
Storage of effluent is an ongoing matter of frustration and high cost on many NZ dairy farms. It shouldnt be... Nutrients stored properly and effluent properly stored and managed will contribute to greater farm profits as less fertiliser is needing to be obtained. The National objective strives for water quality clean to swim or drink with farm effluent being one element in the mix to achieve this objectives it makes sense we aim to contain all nutrients and where possible reuse these at every step of the way ECOBAG™ , FLEXITANK R™ are proven award winning solutions meeting the highest international standards. TIS IN THE BAG™ we say ! DNZ Open day on farm Camebridge: Mark said lots of people were impressed by it. Hopefully you get more business with it. We love it. Its a no brainer over an open pond.
Lachlan Mc Kenzie Diary Farmer Rotorua listening to the rain falling with the knowledge that it will not be filling up the pond with fresh water that I have to pump out.
Maintenance of the 2000 Cube Ecobag in two years is almost none. some weed spraying around the edge to keep place looking smart.
The major benefit of the Ecobag in our high rainfall area ( over 3 m /year) is reduction of surface rainfall collected. I our case over 2 m l /year would fall on an equivalent pond which has to be pumped. We would fill an conventional pond over twice per year with rain water.
We spraying the stored effluent onto pasture during summer/ autumn period, ensuring the bag is empty by the end of the season. Having our 2 m l bag empty at the start of the spring season is great, we can just store effluent until ground is dryer and staff have more time to irrigate. By the way we have never even looked like fulling the bag, max it has been is around the 75-80% full.
Several of the staff have young children which like to play on the farm. Ride bikes on the concrete yard moving to motor bikes etc. We have confidence with the Ecobag there is no danger to the youngsters.
Being a forestry conversion farm we can see the benefits of the nutrients from the effluent. We have not done any work on if there is any more saving of nutrients I.E. nitrogen from less gas losses.
In summary. Over the last two years minimal maintenance, significant reduction in volume pumped due to no rainwater, Staff can empty when calving pressure is reduced and finally but most significant is the improved safety.
