2 page document
Why Consider Deep Pit Treatment?
One of the largest obstacles to expansion in the livestock industry nationwide is environmental concern. One
major concern is the odor associated with manure management for all species.
Increased environmental regulation of confined feeding operations is inevitable. New regulations in some states
have even included odor specifications. It was noted at a recent Southwest Nutrition Conference, that federal, state,
and local mandates likely will control ammonia emissions in the future because they are a significant part of
emission control standards.
A statement of ‘just plain fact’
Nature has provided the very organisms necessary to break down manure, a form of natural fertilizer available to
agriculture for centuries until the advent of commercial plant stimulants in the mid 1950’s. Another event which
occurred in recent history is that of the CAFO, or the total confinement of livestock with the manure being captured
within what became ‘fermentation’ vats.
Degradation of Soils
Prior to the introduction of intense confinement of livestock, manure was spread on the soils in quantities that the
indigenous soils bacteria could break-down. However, with the advent of the confinement system, thousands of
gallons of raw manure, manure effluent that contains everything that has been introduced to the animal and
excreted as waste to include antibiotics, DDGs, various feed extenders and feed additives deemed to enhance the
digestibility of the feedstocks, anti-toxin coatings that allow the feeding of grain that has been infected with various
grain toxins, etc., are now spread on a single acre of soils. This along with any cleansing agents used to disinfect
the building proper is now introduced on the soils. We have seen a severe build-up of salts within the soils as a
result; all simply because the natural soil micro-organisms have now been overloaded and cannot cope. Add the
new GMO products which are far more resistant to microbial break-down (designed to resist various stock
degrading bacteria during the growth season), the use of anhydrous ammonia (which is toxic to living, natural
bacteria), and we have a new challenge to agriculture.
Bacteria to Turn Animal Waste into The Best Plant Stimulant
Each livestock waste containment system can be turned into a very valuable “natural plant food source”, greatly
supplementing and/or replacing the producer’s reliance on increasingly expensive commercial fertilizer inputs.
Livestock waste is primarily composed of indigestible constituents of feed carbohydrate, protein, fat, and fiber.
Natural decomposition of these organic wastes depends on bacteria. Bacteria can be divided into two
classifications: Aerobic, which demand oxygen for their biological processes, and anaerobic, which do not.
Because most manure handling systems are designed to have both the presence and absence of oxygen, both types
of bacteria are necessary for waste digestion and decomposition.
The Role of Bacteria
Waste material is primarily insoluble solids or colloidal suspensions that bacteria cannot digest. Solubilization of
solid waste must occur outside bacterial cells through the action of enzymes, which are secreted by bacteria.
Enzymes are proteinaceous biocatalysts that catalyze biochemical reactions, which convert carbohydrates, fats, and
proteins into products required for cellular metabolism. Once the cell metabolites are produced, the bacteria
multiply and secrete more enzymes, which in turn digest more waste material. In essence, a biological chain
reaction starts which can continue until all organic material is gone. In short, the bacteria provide their own
enzymes which pull apart the long molecular chains that make up the organic materials in the pit. The products
introduced into your system by this treatment program accelerate the natural biological decay of organic wastes in
manure pits, slurry stores and lagoons BEFORE you spread the effluent on the fields. THEREFORE you avoid
the overloading of the natural bacteria already in your soils. IN FACT, the spreading or injection of the preconditioned manure will greatly enhance the health of the soil web.
Commercial Fertilizers vs Manure
Our company is not advocating the complete withdrawal from commercial/chemical fertilizers when considering
the production demands placed on today’s agriculture. However it is a proven position that:





Chemical fertilizers aren’t effective unless sufficient organic matter remains in the ground.
Depletion of organic matter in soil is widespread, reducing fertility and moisture retention and increasing
emissions of carbon dioxide into the air.
The use of readily available, soluble mineral fertilizers bypasses or short circuits the biological processes
to which the plants have become adapted (or have been genetically modified) and makes the nutrients
directly available to the growing crop. This can result in luxury uptake (excessive use of nutrients [sugar
high] early in the growth season) of nutrients by the plant, and has consequences not only in terms of the
health of the growing crop and its susceptibility to pests, diseases and weather related stresses, but also in
terms of the quality of the end product (small corn kernels, light bean pods, chaffy oats/wheat).
Some soils are now suffering from dangerously low organic matter levels and could not be expected to
sustain the farming systems which have been imposed on them.
The biological activity of the soil, which depends on the availability of nutrients and energy supplied by
soil organic matter and crop and livestock residues, has declined correspondingly.
---A quick review--

It’s not magic. It’s biology – microbiology, in fact. The odor from manure pits is, in part, hydrogen
sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide occurs when organic material is decomposing or breaking down very slowly. It
takes a healthy population of micro-organisms, both anaerobic and aerobic, to do an efficient job of
digesting manure. Unfortunately, many manure pits end up with a thick surface crust that excludes
oxygen from the manure, leaving only anaerobic bacteria to do the work. [Facultative anaerobes work on
breaking down sulfur derivatives].
Our patented and patent pending products contain naturally occurring micro-organisms that thrive in both
aerobic and anaerobic conditions. As soon as they are added to a source of manure, they feed on the
organic matter and multiply rapidly, creating a living, breathing ecosystem. In days, some of these
beneficial micro-organisms (aerobic) start consuming the solids on the surface. Others go to work on the
solids on the bottom (anaerobic).

The products designed by our microbiology department break down solids, converting them to liquids and
altering the availability of nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and a host of micronutrients.

The micro-organisms convert these to “slow release” forms, less likely to be lost once applied to soils. The
nutrients are still there [some within the cell structure of the microbe/bacteria] and available to plants when
they need it. . Much of the nitrogen is tied up so it will be less likely to volatilize or leach into the
groundwater. The micro-organisms also compete with harmful bacteria, reducing the populations of E.
coli, other fecal coliform and pathogens.
Your annual crop input costs are not going to go down anytime soon, rather they
continue to increase. Your on-site, natural plant food production facility can greatly
offset many of your crop input costs.
Do We Have All The
Answers? Can We Solve
Every Problem?
Can We Do Better
Together?
Consider the numerous benefits you receive in the bioaugmentation [preconditioning]
of your manure pit: healthy pit, healthier animals, better working environment, better
nutrient retention and availability for your soils and crops, not least of all, better
relations with your urban neighbors. We are committed to assisting our clients in their
efforts to meet the demands of an ever changing and more regulatory environment with
some of the more pro-active, environmentally designed products on the market.