The Status of Environmental and Manure Management Systems in Selected U.S. Livestock Industries

The production and disposal of manure from food animal production units, especially large size units, has become an important issue facing production agriculture. The linkage between excess manure and water quality, as well as air quality, has become a serious environmental concern to the public in the Nation. To help provide understanding about manure and its disposal, this paper presents information on current manure and environmental management systems among important livestock sectors and suggests some technologies that might lessen the impact of the problems associated with manure disposal.