Focus on farm manure at the 23rd joint conference “LAND.TECHNIK für Profis

Focus on farm manure at the 23rd joint conference “LAND.TECHNIK für Profis” by DLG and VDI-MEG on 6 and 7 February 2024 – more than 200 participants and renowned speakers – discussions on directional developments – hosted by Kotte Landtechnik GmbH & Co. KG in Rieste (Lower Saxony)

The 23rd “Land.Technik für Profis” conference on 14 and 15 February 2023 in Rieste (Lower Saxony) focused on the topic of “farm manure”. The conference, organized jointly by the DLG (German Agricultural Society / Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft e. V.) and the VDI-MEG (AG Technology Division of the Association of German Engineers / Max-Eyth-Gesellschaft im Verein Deutscher Ingenieure e. V.), took place on the premises of Kotte Landtechnik GmbH & Co. KG. With over 200 participants – including a large number of practitioners – the event was almost sold out and covered all important aspects of the topic of manure. Renowned speakers provided important impulses on framework conditions, technical requirements from a practical perspective, nutrient efficiency and application technology as well as an overview of the technological trends of tomorrow and discussed these points intensively with the audience. A factory tour and various networking opportunities rounded off the für Profis conference.

Multiple influence through framework conditions

The dynamic behaviour of plants and soil during the application of farm fertilizers often stands in contrast to the rigid regulations of the legislator. Dr. Frank Lorenz from LUFA Nord-West in Oldenburg shed light on fertilization from the perspective of the needs of the plant and explained the physiological processes of manure use.

Christoph Felgentreu, from the Regensburg based “Interessengemeinschaft gesunder Boden e.V.” (Interest group for healthy soil), focused on the soil and made a passionate plea for soil biodiversity, which is strongly promoted by the use of farm fertilizers. Finally, Dr. Stephan Jung from the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture classified the various organic fertilizers, from liquid manure to sewage sludge, in the fertilizer ordinance. He noted critically that foreseeable tightening tendencies in this regard could have relatively little to do with the reality outlined in the two previous presentations.

High demands on users and technology

Gerd Dettmer from Dettmer Agrar-Service GmbH in Kettenkamp explained how high the technical requirements of practice are for farm manure and its application and that, against this background, manure more than deserves to be called “valuable material” both in terms of plant physiology and financially. He has implemented a challenging nutrient exchange with accompanying quality management in his contracting company. Hans-Jürgen Technow from the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture in Oldenburg discussed the cost side of the various options for manure processing. In his opinion, the costs are decisive for the success of these measures, but these are decisively influenced by the political and economic framework conditions.

 Avoid losses and use nutrients efficiently

Susanne Höcherl from the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture in Freising also dealt with liquid manure additives in her presentation, but against the background of reducing nutrient losses and their discharge into the environment. There is great potential here in preventing emissions from occurring in the first place. The problem with farm manure is that the ingredients and, above all, their concentration are not exactly known and the material is sometimes very inhomogeneous.

Prof. Dr. Yves Reckleben from the Kiel University of Applied Sciences gave an introduction to the determination of nutrient content in liquid farm manure using NIRS technology. The advantages and disadvantages of this technology were subsequently discussed in depth. Sjoerd Elgersma from the contracting company Hofmeijer from Voorst in the Netherlands was responsible for looking beyond the horizon to our western neighbors. He reported that, like Gerd Dettmer, advising his customers is becoming increasingly important to him and that the Netherlands has geared its system of agricultural subsidies strongly towards the use of modern technology, which can also be provided by contractors.