SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Many new technologies are rapidly entering the market with the potential to help farms better manage their environmental footprint. However, it can be hard to separate the hype from real solutions that can be affordably adopted at the farm level. Newtrient, a nonprofit research organization focused on the dairy industry, wants to help farms identify the technologies that are most effective. In a recent grant round, the NYFVI dairy review panel, prioritized a Newtrient proposal to evaluate the N2 Applied System for funding.
The N2 Applied technology is a plasma treatment that uses a two-phase process: the plasma phase and absorption phase. During the plasma stage, electricity is used to split nitrogen and oxygen molecules into individual nitrogen and oxygen atoms which form nitrogen oxides. Next, the nitrogen oxides are absorbed into livestock slurry or digestate.
The goal of the study is to learn if there is an increase in the plant available nitrogen in the slurry, a reduction or elimination of methane emissions and a removal of almost all odor following treatment. By evaluating the N2 Applied system in this manner, Newtrient seeks to understand if the system is a good option for dairy farms to reduce environmental impact, efficiently utilize manure, and identify new opportunities for marketable products.
Newtrient COO Mark Stoermann said of the project, “As an organization committed to advancing sustainable dairy farming practices, Newtrient is grateful for the opportunity to evaluate the N2 Applied technology with funding from NYFVI. This project presents a unique opportunity to showcase a small-scale solution with a first-of-its-kind technology in the United States operating on a New York dairy. There are few innovative technology options available for small and medium-sized dairy operations, and this proposed project seeks to stimulate the adoption of plasma treatment technology by thoroughly evaluating the N2 Applied system. Our aim is to demonstrate its efficient operation and economical return to dairies that apply it to their waste stream while evaluating the resulting impact on air and water quality. By studying the environmental and economic benefits of this technology, we hope to support dairy farmers in reducing emissions and improving their yields, while contributing to the adoption of sustainable farming practices across the dairy industry.”
The New York Farm Viability Institute is a nonprofit grantmaking organization. The organization runs a competitive grant program that seeks to fund agricultural research and education projects that will create and share knowledge to improve the economic viability of New York’s farmers. If you are a New York farmer and would like to get involved in our review process, please reach out to Aileen Randolph at arandolph@nyfvi.org.
–New York Farm Viability Institute