CAFOs
The management of wastewater discharge and air emissions are among the most pressing problems confronting the CAFO industry today, and they raise significant regulatory and economic concerns.
On the regulatory side, the expanding volume of operating guidelines related to odors, ground and surface water contamination, and heavy metals in manure, among others, is a pressing issue CAFOs need to address. At the same time, the costs of disposal, environmental compliance, and the need to replace lost valuable nutrients all erode precious operating margins, resulting in a real economic impact to CAFOs.
An Environmental Solution
The introduction of St. Cloud Zeolite to the feed ration binds harmful materials in the digestive tract and minimizes their unmanaged release to the environment. In addition, laboratory test results indicate that St. Cloud Zeolite can be an effective aflatoxin binder.
This simple solution, using a unique naturally-occurring mineral product, stands in sharp contrast with many of the proposed solutions to mitigate CAFO emissions that are under study today, which rely on capital-intensive treatment technology designed to capture material deemed harmful after its volatilization and separation occurs.
Beyond the immediate impact of minimizing the release of CAFO emissions, use of St. Cloud Zeolite in livestock feed has a secondary beneficial impact on animal waste. Composting animal manures with clinoptilolite-rich zeolites can resolve both the environmental and economic concerns of CAFOs by turning a major liability of manure disposal into a valuable improved natural fertilizer.
Livestock manure from CAFOs is often spread on cultivated fields, but typically, the loss of manure nitrogen (often over 50%) through ammonia volatilization and leaching makes the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorous too low for balanced and appropriate crop application.
However, the use of St. Cloud Zeolite in livestock feed helps sustainable farming systems convert waste products into a valuable resource, by capturing key elements during the digestive process, and thereby increasing TKN:P ratios in manure. This higher quality and more balanced end product allows increased application rates, which minimizes waste disposal costs and reduces the reliance on purchased ammonia fertilizer.
Agricultural Soil Amendments
Once saturated with ammonia nitrogen, St. Cloud Zeolite has been shown to be an effective long-term, slow-release fertilizer when applied to soils and agricultural crops. Because crops can extract and desorb nitrogen attached to St. Cloud Zeolite, there are many uses for nitrogen-loaded St. Cloud Zeolite as an agriculture soil amendment.
Furthermore, St. Cloud Zeolite’s ability to absorb and release moisture without expansion of volume makes it exceptionally valuable for agricultural soils, particularly in the regions where water conservation and its efficient use are important.
Composting animal manures with clinoptilolite-rich zeolites can resolve both the environmental and economic concerns of CAFOs by turning a major liability of manure disposal into a valuable improved natural fertilizer.