Provacuno, together with the University of Mexico (UMH) and the University of the Basque Country (UPV), is developing a new method for composting cattle manure that produces fewer polluting emissions.

• The method also contributes to improving the economic profitability of cattle farms in Spain.
• The project, promoted by Provacuno, arose from the livestock sector's need to move toward knowledge-based production systems that improve efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint.

The Interprofessional Beef Organization (PROVACUNO), Miguel Hernández University (UMH), and the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) have developed an innovative composting protocol that reduces gas emissions and increases the fertilizer value of beef manure. This new protocol will contribute to improving the environmental and economic sustainability of livestock farms in Spain.

The project, promoted by Provacuno, arose from the livestock sector's need to move toward knowledge-based production systems that improve efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint.

After two and a half years of research, the method developed by the UMH-UPV and Provacuno team optimizes the composition of compost piles and their management on farms, thereby achieving a significant reduction in gas emissions and a higher concentration of nutrients in the final compost. This result offers a double benefit: on the one hand, it reduces environmental impacts and, on the other, increases the added value of compost as an agricultural fertilizer.

Two phases in agricultural innovation

In the first phase, the UPV-UMH research team conducted an exhaustive characterization of manure from different types of beef farms in Spain. "This allowed us to develop a fertilizer value calculation tool, which helps farmers accurately administer manure in the field, tailored to their agronomic needs," highlights Salva Calvet, a researcher at the Institute of Animal Science and Technology (ICTA) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia.

In the second phase, the research team designed and validated the advanced composting protocol, applying monitoring and control systems in the laboratory (UMH-CIAGRO) and on real farms throughout Spain. "The results obtained have allowed the protocol to be validated as a Best Available Technique (BAT), thus guaranteeing its economic viability and implementation on any type of farm, both newly created and existing," highlights Raúl Moral, of the CIAGRO group at Miguel Hernández University.

The guide with all the results and recommendations for farmers is available free of charge on the Provacuno website .

Three leaders in the sector

The multidisciplinary collaboration of the teams from the UPV, the UMH, and Provacuno has been key to the project's success. The CIAGRO group at the UMH, a leader in waste valorization and nutrient flows, has led the development of advanced composting technologies; meanwhile, the UPV-ICTA group, with extensive international experience in emissions measurement and mitigation, has helped ensure that the results are applicable on farms and accepted by public authorities.

Following this project, the team is working on developing tools to determine manure composition in real time—without the need for laboratory chemical analysis—and on designing new biofertilizers from the compost generated. “These actions will allow us to make progress in reducing emissions and decrease our dependence on imported fertilizers,” concludes Javier López, director of Provacuno.

About PROVACUNO

PROVACUNO is the Interprofessional Beef Organization, a private, non-profit, national entity comprised of the main organizations in the production and processing/marketing sectors, dedicated to defending the interests of the beef sector. It serves as a meeting place and forum for debate to improve the state of the sector's food chain.