Energy and Nutrient Recovery from Swine Manures

While the primary method of swine manure management in the United States is temporary storage followed by land application as crop fertilizer, there is increasing interest in recovering energy and nutrients from manures prior to land application. Insufficient nutrient assimilation capacity in nearby crop land, or interest in adding value to swine manure beyond the fertilizer value, are among the reasons that alternative management strategies may be sought. Producers who consider alternative manure uses will find many options available. This publication describes several energy and nutrient recovery processes currently available. Each process is explained and primary issues that a producer should consider with each process are discussed.