Spatiotemporal variability of dairy manure temperature during storage in earthen pits: Associations with meteorological factors.
Genedy RA, Ogejo JA
Soil Health
The compost or manure you spread on your vegetable beds releases different amounts of nutrients and greenhouse gases depending on how warm it was during storage — understanding these temperature patterns helps farmers apply it at the right time so your local food supply gets more nutrients and the atmosphere gets fewer emissions.
Scientists measured temperatures at different depths inside a big outdoor manure storage pit across the seasons. They found that the manure isn't a uniform blob — it's layered, with the bottom staying warmer than the top in winter, and the whole system warming up in summer. Outside air temperature was the main thing controlling how warm the manure got, and occasionally the layers would flip and mix, like a pot of water turning over.
Key Findings
Manure temperature showed clear vertical stratification, with differences of up to 10°C between lower and upper layers of the storage pit.
Ambient air temperature was the dominant driver of manure temperature variability, explaining 72–84% of the variation (R² = 0.72–0.84).
Periodic 'turnover events' redistribute heat throughout the manure column, occurring even when a surface crust is present.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers tracked temperatures inside a large dairy manure storage pit and found that manure behaves like a layered thermal system, with deeper layers staying warmer in winter and the whole mass shifting with the seasons. Outside air temperature was by far the biggest driver of internal manure temperature, explaining up to 84% of the variation.
Abstract Preview
Manure storage is a critical component of nutrient management in dairy systems, but it is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient losses. Temperature regulates microbial activi...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Urban Tree Canopy Reduces Heat-Related Mortality by 39% in European Cities
Trees in your local park or street aren't just pretty — they are literally keeping people alive during heatwaves, and planting even a modest number of the ri...