AFBI has been leading research that shows that separating slurry into solid and liquid fractions can help reduce phosphorus, improve nutrient use, protect water quality and even create new income streams.
On-farm static screwpress at AFBI Hillsborough
Northern Ireland’s agricultural sector, particularly its intensive livestock farming, plays a vital role in the region’s economy. However, this success comes with a significant environmental challenge: a persistent surplus of phosphorus (P). Put simply, more phosphorus is coming onto farms in feed and fertiliser than is leaving in crops, meat or milk. This surplus ends up accumulating in soils and, and in some cases, entering local waterways.
Phosphorus is not only an environmental issue – it is also a valuable, finite global resource. As such, capturing and managing surplus phosphorus will support improvements in water quality in Northern Ireland and could create additional opportunities.
One promising solution is slurry processing, which offers the opportunity to manage a portion of the surplus P on farms by exporting phosphorus-rich slurry solids to areas which need phosphorus in the UK, Ireland or beyond – enabling farmers to reduce local nutrient loading without cutting productivity.