Compositional Analysis of Cattle Manure During Composting Using a Field‐Portable Near‐Infrared Spectrometer

Abstract

Composting of livestock manure is an effective method for managing the nutrients for agronomic purposes and reducing environmental and human health risks. Capability to analyze the biowastes on-site at the start of, periodically during, and at the end of composting could facilitate managing the composting process and increase the value of the end products. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is well known for its capability to analyze organic substances rapidly and cost-effectively. This study was conducted to explore the capability of a field-portable NIR spectrometer to determine nutrient composition of beef feedlot manure when raw, stockpiled (not turned), and composted (windrowed and turned). Over a 2-yr period, beef feedlot manure mixed with bedding (wheat straw) was sampled annually at cleanout, after storage for some months in a large stockpile, and from windrows subjected to active thermophilic composting. Samples were dried and ground and scanned with the field-portable Corona 45 VIS NIR (visible/near-infrared) spectrometer (Carl Zeiss, Germany) from 360 to 1690 nm. NIRS was found useful in two ways. Classification analysis (Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy [SIMCA]) using the spectral data alone showed that stockpiling the manure did not change in composition significantly whereas compost was

Application of Multivariate Data Analyses in Waste Management

“…LaMontagne et al [7] applied PCA on terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (TRFLP) patterns of different composts to reveal their characteristics with respect to microbial communities. Malley et al [8] recorded near infrared spectra from cattle manure during composting. The collected spectral data were evaluated by PCA to show the relationships among samples and changes due to stockpiling and composting.…”

“…Furthermore they determined nutrient contents such as K, Ca, Mg, Fe and Zn of animal manure compost using near infrared spectroscopy and PLS1 [37]. Malley et al [8] developed prediction models for total C, organic C, total N, C:N ratio, K, S and P by means of near infrared spectroscopy and PLS1. Morimoto et al [43] carried out carbon quantification of green grass tissue using near infrared spectroscopy.…”

“…Malley et al [8] classified different decomposition stages of manures by means of near infrared spectroscopy and SIMCA. Smidt et al [12] carried out a SIMCA to classify different waste materials such as biowaste compost, mechanically-biologically pretreated waste and landfill materials based on their spectroscopic pattern.…”

“…In compost science Malley et al [8] and Smidt et al [12] carried out a SIMCA. Malley et al [8] classified different decomposition stages of manures by means of near infrared spectroscopy and SIMCA.…”

“…Malley et al [8] developed prediction models for pH, total N, nitrate and nitrite, total C, organic C, C:N ratio, P, available P, S, K and Na by means of near infrared spectroscopy and PLS2. Suehara et al [48] used PLS2 for simultaneous measurement of carbon and nitrogen content of composts using near infrared spectroscopy.…”