Lower Saxony, DE
The case study area covers two provinces in the German federal state of Lower Saxony.
- The northwestern province of Lower Saxony Süd-Oldenburg (districts Cloppenburg, Vechta and Oldenburg) is characterized by very intensive pig and poultry farming, biogas plants and very high farmland (leasing) prices. Consequently, area-based surplus of farm manure is high. Since, in the northwestern region, sandy soils with small water retention capacity dominate, nutrient leaching to the groundwater bodies is potentially high as well.
- In contrast, the southeastern province of Lower Saxony (e.g. the provinces Braunschweig and Northeim, the so-calles "wheat belt") is specialized in crop production. Soil conditions are diverse (sandy to clayey). Some farms make use of biogas residues, sewage sludge and compost; however, the area-based amount of organic fertilizers applied is generally at a low level.
In Germany, local water supply companies safeguard drinking water quality, consequently they have very high interest in meeting the legal regulations set by the German Ordinance on Potable Water (TrinkwV 2016). In the past, many attempts have been made to shape agricultural management in a way that drinking water resources are less affected.
In this context, the federal chamber of agriculture (Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachsen), which is the public advisory authority for agricultural purposes, has initiated a program that aims at closing nutrient cycles on supra-regional scale. The joint project "Farm Manure Management" (»Verbundprojekt Wirtschaftsdüngermanagement) examines the (potential) export of farm manure from surplus regions to arable farming regions.
Videos
Lower Saxony, DE
The Joint Project Farm Manure Management is investigating how much of the farm manure accumulating in the west of Lower Saxony (where husbandry dominates) can be transported to the southeast (a mainly arable area) in an environmentally-sound way, to substitue mineral fertilizers and close the nutrient cycle on a supraregional scale.
»Video also available in German
Lower Saxony, DE
Around 250 farmers in the south east of Lower Saxony were questioned about the use they make of organic manure. Because of variability in the quality of manure, most farmers prefer long-term cooperation with farmers they know in person and whom they can trust.
»Video also available in German
Infographic
Closing nutrient cycles by manure transport: analysis of potential and reported experience
In Lower Saxony the public advisory authority for agriculture has initiated a program that aims at closing nutrient cycles on supra-regional scale. "Farm Manure Management" examines the (potential) export of farm manure from regions with intensive pig and poultry farming to arable farming regions.