Brazilian beef cattle feedlot manure management: A country survey1

Abstract

No information regarding the management of manure from beef cattle feedlots is available for Brazil. To fill this knowledge gap, a survey of 73 feedlots was conducted in 7 Brazilian states. In this survey, questions were asked regarding animal characteristics, their diets, and manure handling management from generation to disposal. These feedlots finished 831,450 animals in 2010. The predominant breed fed was Nellore, with average feeding periods of 60 to 135 d. Corn was the primary source of grain used in the feedlot diets (76% of surveyed animals) with concentrate inclusion levels ranging from 81 to 90% (38% of surveyed animals). The most representative manure management practice was the removal of manure from pens only at the end of the feeding period. Subsequently, the manure was stored in mounds before being applied to crop and pasture lands. Runoff, mainly from rainwater, was collected in retention ponds and used for agriculture. However, the quantity of runoff was not known. Manure was composted for only 20% of the animals in the survey and was treated in anaerobic digesters for only 1% of the animals. Manure from 59% of the cattle surveyed was used as fertilizer, providing a cost savings over the use of synthetic fertilizers. Overall, chemical analysis of the manure before application to fields was conducted for the manure of 56% of the surveyed animals, but the exact quantity applied (per hectare) was unknown for 48%. Feedlots representing 48% of the surveyed animals noted similar or greater crop and pasture yields when using manure, rather than synthetic fertilizers. In addition, 32% mentioned an increase in soil organic matter. Feedlots representing 88% of the surveyed cattle indicated that information concerning management practices that improve manure use efficiency is lacking. Feedlots representing 93% of the animals in the survey reported having basic information regarding the generation of energy and fertilizer with anaerobic digesters. However, only 1 feedlot implemented this technology. In conclusion, the manure management evaluated in this study represents an important indirect economic benefit that was represented by decreased use of synthetic fertilizers in crops. However, little attention was given to the specific treatments and environmental impacts of handling manure. This survey provides information that should assist in the development of better research practices and broader application of future models.

The environmental costs and benefits of high-yield farming

“…All emissions were converted to CO 2 eq units (using conversion factors from refs 32,85 and feedlot manure distribution from ref. 96) and expressed in tonnes CO 2 eq/tonne CW.…”

Pesticides Used on Beef Cattle Feed Yards Are Aerially Transported into the Environment Via Particulate Matter

“…While feed yards are well established in the USA, Canada, and Australia, they are becoming more prevalent in Mexico, China, Paraguay, and Brazil . For example, from 1990 to 2010, Brazil (the world’s largest exporter of beef) saw a fourfold increase in beef produced on feed yards (0.8 million cattle in 1990 increasing to 4 million cattle in 2010) …”

Reply to 'Emissions from cattle farming in Brazil'

“…The model also simulates feedlot finishing, and thus allows the reduction of the finishing time. It can remove a proportion of steers from exclusive grazing, inserting the animals into feedlot systems; generally only males are confined in Brazil (Costa Junior et al, 2013;Millen et al, 2009). For all cattle categories, i.e., male, female, male in feedlot and breeding females, the corresponding age cohort is associated with specific parameters: weight, mortality rate, dry matter (DM) intake, selling and purchase prices, emissions factors for CH 4 from enteric fermentation and emissions factors for N 2 O from excreta.…”