Optimization of Centralized Management of Application of Animal Excreta on Multiple Paddocks

Abstract

With the increase in scale and the division of labor in the dairy industry in Japan, the use of liquid digestate derived from livestock manure produced in biogas plants as fertilizer has been promoted. It is a challenge to optimize the location, timing, and amount of application of the digestate to pastures. Here, we developed a Web-based system to manage the application of liquid digestate fertilizer to multiple paddocks on the basis of application history. It uses an existing cloud-based system to collect and manage application history data and open satellite imagery data to calculate the Enhanced Vegetation Index of pastures, which is used to evaluate their growth in relation to the amount of digestate applied per year. By comparison with the annual average value in the district, paddocks with excess nutrient application (more digestate application but poorer grass growth) are selected as “caution” areas and are mapped in the Web application. Users can select a paddock and view its history of digestate application and grass growth. Through this system, we aim to encourage information sharing and understanding among farmers, those who manage and apply liquid digestate, and local government officials, with the goal of more efficient use of local resources.