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    Environmental Sustainability farm group - Energy and Water 

    It was highlighted in the first ES conference in 2022, for the ES farm Energy and Water group to help facilitate the goal of net-zero by 2030, the suggested topics to look into were:

    • Slurry additives
    • Improved slurry storage and handling
    • On farm bioenergy production from crop and manure residues
    • Rain water harvesting and winter rainfall storage
    • Solar photovoltaics
    • Hydrogen production
    • Buffer strips

    The group has the potential to collaborate on projects with the ES farm Land and Soil and ES farm Productivity group, such as the paludiculture project, which is an exciting opportunity to bring like minded academics together and work on a fantastic project.

    In 2022 the group had funding to conduct a slurry project, this was a one-year project to investigate changing slurry composition and volume generated. A monthly slurry sample would be taken at different sampling sites around the campus and the samples would be analysed for DM, TP, TN, TK and ammonium.

    The volume of slurry generated by Future Farm is on an incline and with a greater quantity of slurry to store, there is a larger hazard incorporated with storage and handling of slurry and the greenhouse gas emissions it would be emitting. The project has highlighted there is a lot to consider when it comes to slurry storage and handling, which has prompted the group to apply for further funding to focus on reducing water ingress and taking more measurements when sampling for slurry.


    The future for the group includes:

    Key topics for discussion

    Lead

    Slurry Working group activities and trailing of the new separator

    Scott Kirby

    Slurry Metering Project 2021/22 – move slurry meter into pig line

    Chris Ruffley

    Slurry Composition Project 22/23

    Marie Kirby

    John Deere tractor technology project

    Richard Green and Sean Lewis

    Water use and availability

    Lucy Crockford

    Slurry composition and metering for the pig unit

    Alan Stewart

    Sensor use in the farm

    Mike Gutteridge

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