Skip survey header

Survey on practices to reduce ammonia emissions

Support your industry, provide your views on farm practices that reduce ammonia emissions and enter prize draw

Many farmers in the UK have introduced practices that reduce emissions of ammonia. However, information on the level of uptake of these practices and challenges to further uptake is lacking. If you are a farmer, land manager or contractor who uses slurry or manure, we invite you to take part in this survey to share your views on practices that reduce ammonia emissions

Ammonia has negative impacts for human health and the environment, in agriculture, it can be released from the production, spreading and storage of manure or slurries.  Practices such as:
- using slurry spreading equipment such as trailing shoe, trailing hose or injectors;
- keeping solid floors in livestock housing and yards as clean as possible; and
- covering manure or slurry stores;
not only reduce ammonia but can also have a positive impact for farming businesses. Introducing practices to reduce ammonia retains nitrogen, creating opportunities for cost savings due to the reduced need for manufactured fertilisers.

The survey lists practices that reduce ammonia emissions and asks about the costs, benefits and barriers involved. Even if you have not introduced any of these practices, we would still like to hear your views on the challenges for farmers, who need recognition for good practices and support for further uptake.

The survey is anonymous, and you are not required to answer every question or provide any identifying information unless you choose to do so.

Once you have completed the survey, you have the option of entering a prize draw for a £50 Amazon voucher. If you would like to be entered, please provide your email address at the end of the survey, only one entry per email address, the winner will be selected randomly when the survey closes in 2023. Full T&Cs are provided below.

Ricardo Energy & Environment are delivering the survey as part of wider research being undertaken by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Public Health Research (PHR) programme, with support from Defra and other stakeholders across the UK.

If you have any questions, please contact Aim-Health@ricardo.com.
1. Do you own or manage a dairy, pig or poultry business, and/or utilise livestock manure or slurry on your land?
 
2. Please select the region of the UK where the majority of your land (or land where you utilise manure/slurry) is located 
 
3. Please indicate the area of your holding in hectares (acres conversion in brackets)

 
4. Please select the main sector of your business *This question is required.
5. Please select the number of dairy cattle on your holding (milking herd, 24+ months, that have calved)
5. Please select the number of breeding pig places (sows and gilts) during a cycle on your holding
5. Please select the number of finishing pig places during a cycle on your holding
5. Please select the number of broiler or layer places during a cycle on your holding
 
5. The following questions will ask you about practices related to housing that reduce ammonia emissions 
If you have introduced it, how long has it been in place? If you have introduced it, how long do you estimate it will be before it needs substantial re-investment? Do you feel this practice is cost effective for your business? Please provide any estimates of cost or pay back periods if known
Extended the grazing season
Increased the amount of bedding material (e.g. straw, sand) for each animal
Increased washing and scraping floors in collecting yards, livestock handling areas and parlours
Increased cleaning by using automatic or robotic scrapers
Acidification of slurry (in housing with an under-floor slurry pit)
Amended livestock diet e.g. to match the N content to expected level of production and stock growth stage
Planted tree shelter belts near livestock houses
Moved livestock housing away from sensitive sites (such as SSSIs)
Reduced stocking densities on land near sensitive sites (such as SSSIs)
Other – please describe in the text box.
5. The following questions will ask you about practices related to housing that reduce ammonia emissions 
If you have introduced it, how long has it been in place? If you have introduced it, how long do you estimate it will be before it needs substantial re-investment? Do you feel this practice is cost effective for your business? Please provide any estimates of cost or pay back periods if known
Amended livestock diet e.g. to match the N content to expected level of production and stock growth stage
Planting of tree shelter belts near livestock houses
Moved livestock housing away from sensitive sites (such as SSSIs)
Installed air scrubbers to filter pollutants
Increased checking structure and water drinkers to reduce leaks
In-house poultry manure drying
Increased litter removal (e.g. by belt removal)
Sending poultry litter away to be used in a biomass plant
Other – please describe in the text box
5. The following questions will ask you about practices related to housing that reduce ammonia emissions 
If you have introduced it, how long has it been in place? If you have introduced it, how long do you estimate it will be before it needs substantial re-investment? Do you feel this practice is cost effective for your business? Please provide any estimates of cost or pay back periods if known.
Increased the amount of bedding material (e.g. straw, sand) for each animal
Increased washing and scraping floors in collecting yards and livestock handling areas
Increased cleaning by using automatic or robotic scrapers
Using a vacuum/flushing system for slurry removal at least once a week from pits under slatted flooring
Amended livestock diet e.g. to match the N content to expected level of production and stock growth stage
Improved the design of pens to keep solid parts of the floor as clean as possible
Acidification of slurry (in housing with an under-floor slurry pit)
Installed air scrubbers to filter pollutants
Planted tree shelter belts near livestock houses
Moved livestock housing away from sensitive sites (such as SSSIs)
Reduced stocking densities on land near sensitive sites (such as SSSIs)
Other – please describe in the text box
5. The following questions will ask you about practices related to storing manure or slurry that reduce ammonia emissions
How much manure or slurry is stored this way? Is acidification used? If you have introduced it, how long has it been used? If you have introduced it, how long do you estimate it will be before it needs substantial re-investment?  Do you feel this practice is cost effective for your business? Please provide any estimates of cost or pay back periods if known
Yes No
Slurry bags
Fixed solid cover (e.g. with a tank)
Impermeable floating sheet cover (e.g. with a tank or lagoon)
Permeable floating cover (e.g. chopped straw or clay balls)
Uncovered slurry tank
Uncovered lagoon
Covered manure heap on impermeable ground
Covered manure heap on permeable ground
Uncovered manure heap on impermeable ground
Uncovered manure heap on permeable ground
Other – please describe in the text box
5. The following questions will ask you about practices related to storing manure that reduce ammonia emissions
How much manure is stored this way? If you have introduced it, how long has it been used? If you have introduced it, how long do you estimate it will be before it needs substantial re-investment?  Do you feel this practice is cost effective for your business? Please provide any estimates of cost or pay back periods if known
Covered manure heap on impermeable ground
Covered manure heap on permeable ground
Uncovered manure heap on impermeable ground
Uncovered manure heap on permeable ground
Other – please describe in the text box
5. The following questions will ask you about practices related to storing manure or slurry that reduce ammonia emissions
How much manure or slurry is stored this way? Is acidification used? If you have introduced it, how long has it been used? If you have introduced it, how long do you estimate it will be before it needs substantial re-investment? Do you feel this practice is cost effective for your business? Please provide any estimates of cost or pay back periods if known
Yes No
Slurry bags
Fixed solid cover (e.g. with a tank)
Impermeable floating sheet cover (e.g. with a tank or lagoon)
Permeable floating cover (e.g. chopped straw or clay balls)
Uncovered slurry tank
Uncovered lagoon
Covered manure heap on impermeable ground
Covered manure heap on permeable ground
Uncovered manure heap on impermeable ground
Uncovered manure heap on permeable ground
Other – please describe in the text box
5. The following questions will ask you about practices related to storing manure or slurry that reduce ammonia emissions
How much manure or slurry is stored this way? Is acidification used? If you have introduced it, how long has it been used  If you have introduced it, how long do you estimate it will be before it needs substantial re-investment? (years) Do you feel this practice is cost effective for your business? Please provide any estimates of cost or pay back periods if known
Yes No
Slurry bags
Fixed solid cover (e.g. with a tank)
Impermeable floating sheet cover (e.g. with a tank or lagoon)
Permeable floating cover (e.g. chopped straw or clay balls)
Uncovered slurry tank
Uncovered lagoon
Covered manure heap on impermeable ground
Covered manure heap on permeable ground
Uncovered manure heap on impermeable ground
Uncovered manure heap on permeable ground
Other – please describe in the text box
5. The following questions will ask you about practices related to spreading manure or slurry that reduce ammonia emissions
How much manure or slurry was spread this way in the last 12-months? Is acidification used? How often do you incorporate within 12-hours of spreading? In years, please estimate how long this spreading technique has been used If you have introduced it, how long do you estimate it will be before it needs substantial re-investment?  Do you feel this practice is cost effective for your business? Please provide any estimates of cost or pay back periods if known.
Yes No
Trailing hose
Trailing shoe
Shallow injection
Deep injection
Broadcast spreader
Rotaspreader
Moving bed or rear discharge spreader
Dual purpose spreader
Other – please describe in the text box.
5. The following questions will ask you about practices related to spreading manure or slurry that reduce ammonia emissions
How much manure or slurry was spread this way in the last 12-months? Is acidification used? How often do you incorporate within 12-hours of spreading? In years, please estimate how long this spreading technique has been used If you have introduced it, how long do you estimate it will be before it needs substantial re-investment?  Do you feel this practice is cost effective for your business? Please provide any estimates of cost or pay back periods if known
Yes No
Trailing hose
Trailing shoe
Shallow injection
Deep injection
Broadcast spreader
Rotaspreader
Moving bed or rear discharge spreader
Dual purpose spreader
Other – please describe in the text box.
5. The following questions will ask you about practices related to spreading manure that reduce ammonia emissions
How much manure was spread this way in the last 12-months? Is acidification used? How often do you incorporate within 12-hours of spreading? In years, please estimate how long this spreading technique has been used If you have introduced it, how long do you estimate it will be before it needs substantial re-investment? Do you feel this practice is cost effective for your business? Please provide any estimates of cost or pay back periods if known
Yes No
Broadcast spreader
Rotaspreader
Moving bed or rear discharge spreader
Dual purpose spreader
Other – please describe in the text box
5. The following questions will ask you about practices related to spreading manure or slurry that reduce ammonia emissions
How much manure or slurry was spread this way in the last 12-months? Is acidification used? How often do you incorporate within 12-hours of spreading? In years, please estimate how long this spreading technique has been used If you have introduced it, how long do you estimate it will be before it needs substantial re-investment? In years, please estimate how long this spreading technique has been used
Yes No
Trailing hose
Trailing shoe
Shallow injection
Deep injection
Broadcast spreader
Rotaspreader
Moving bed or rear discharge spreader
Dual purpose spreader
Other – please describe in the text box.
5. What do you perceive to be the top 3 benefits to practices that reduce ammonia emissions on farm?

 
6. Please select the 3 main issues that you perceive as barriers or challenges to reducing ammonia emissions on your farm.
7. Do you intend on introducing new/further practices which aim to reduce ammonia emissions?

 
8. If there was a new grant introduced to help with the cost of introducing practices to reduce ammonia emissions, would you consider applying?

 
This question requires a valid email address.
This question requires a valid email address.
0%