In an ongoing program of application of technology to the problem of hog waste, the North Carolina Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation is partnering with Phinite Inc. and North Carolina State University to process sludge from lagoons holding hog waste. The project is funded by a USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant.
Currently the supernatant liquid in lagoons is spread on fields although this has resulted in high levels of phosphorus application and runoff and nuisance from odors and flies. As an alternative, Smithfield Foods is attempting to capture methane from lagoons to be used as a biogas but leaves both liquid and solid waste in lagoons.
The system developed by Phinite uses a low-energy solar process to dry pre-digested lagoon sludge that can be blended with other ingredients to produce a balanced organic fertilizer. The Phinite system processes the equivalent of two-years accumulation of sludge over a year of operation, cleaning lagoons over a 10 to 15 year period although this may be too slow for mounting criticism and projected environmental legislation.
Dr. Steve Kulesza, Assistant Professor of Nutrient Management and Animal Waste commented, "we are conducting lab and field trials to evaluate the nutrient availability of the final product". He added, "we want to understand how this product compares to traditional inorganic fertilizer sources so we can accurately predict rate of use recommendations and how it can be best blended to meet crop nutrient needs".
From the release, it appears that a commercial entity is making use of public funds to address a long-standing problem with unproven technology. We have seen this movie before regarding "surface skimmers" offered as a quick fix for polution in Jordan Lake, Orange County. It is evident that North Carolina State University scientists who will conduct research on application of the final product have effectively conferred the image and reputation of the Land-Grant, State University to the project.
It is hoped that those responsible for assigning the USDA-NRCS grant have carefully evaluated the proposal for practical and financial feasibility and that periodic progress reports will be made public confirming the validity of projections included in the proposal.