Management models for a sustainable use of manure in intensive livestock areas

In Lombardy Region, the recent redefinition of vulnerable zones under Directive 91/676/EEC, together with the actual consistency of farms and agricultural land use, raises serious doubts about the viability of the livestock industry in Lombardy. Indeed, in vulnerable zones, even assuming a homogeneous distribution of effluent on the surface available, the new rules require to reduce nitrogen application to the field of at least one third. The purpose of this study, funded by the Lombardy Region, is to define the possible intervention strategies in order to reduce nitrogen applied to the fields, safeguarding the competitiveness of arable and livestock farms. The spatial analysis of structural characteristics and management of livestock enterprises with regard to the production of manures and their use has highlighted the critical situations and made it possible to quantify the amount of nitrogen applied in different areas to comply with the requirements of legislation. Based on the Italian and international experience the advantages and disadvantages of various management techniques have been assessed, taking into account solutions to be implemented both in individual farms and in consortium manure management. The resulting management models are defined by their characteristics in terms of applicability, and cost effectiveness in reducing nitrogen application to fields. The developed methodology has been applied in the territory of the province of Lodi, in some study areas in order to identify and evaluate the feasibility of the proposed solutions at a more detailed scale. For this purpose a Geographic Information System based on the existing database and cartographic support of the Province of Lodi has been set up. The effectiveness of the system has been increased by implementing a more detailed scale (field level) and a multicriteria evaluation system based on criteria and objectives devised by the planning team. Using the developed methodology and tools, a detailed knowledge of the studied area and the effects of the possible changes in manure utilisation can be obtained. The results may allow the identification of appropriate solutions to handle with a common strategy the application of a law that creates a high pressure on agriculture and if not guided may lead to unsuitable investment and results not in line with expectations.