Abstract
Horse operations may produce high amounts of manure per acre/ha and be less aware of recommended manure management practices than livestock farmers, leading to negative environmental impacts. This study compared the manure management practices of two populations of horse owners in the USA state of Missouri, commercial horse operations and an Old-Order Amish community, using data from a 2019 mail survey with a 50% response rate. In commercial operations, manure was more likely to be piled rather than spread directly on fields, which was the Amish practice. The Amish were more likely to use manure for crop production, to indicate that was why they had not explored markets for manure, and to test soil for nutrients. Regression results for factors affecting previous sales/transfers of manure or compost showed that selling was more likely for commercial operations, female operators, and those who had composted manure. Compared to respondents who agreed that manure management had an impact on water quality, those who did not know or were neutral about that statement were more likely to have sold manure. While both groups can improve manure management and are underserved by traditional agricultural information channels, educational efforts should be tailored to their different circumstances.
Highlights
Manure is a source of nutrients for crops, and has a variety of negative environmental consequences, including impacts on surface water and groundwater quality, local air quality, and climate change
This study examines horse manure management, which exhibits many of the same environmental problems as manure from other species [3], but from a social science perspective
An encouraging finding is that the majorities of both groups would like to receive more information about manure management practices, and this is significantly higher for commercial operation
Summary
Manure is a source of nutrients for crops, and has a variety of negative environmental consequences, including impacts on surface water and groundwater quality, local air quality, and climate change. Other data sources indicate that Amish equine operator numbers are growing, since all Amish own horses for local transportation, and their population is doubling every 20 years [6] These distinct types of operations may have different goals as well as different levels of knowledge regarding the environmental impacts of their operations. The existing research on horse manure management practices in the USA usually focuses on small-scale operations or recreational horses kept in confined and pastured settings [3,7] While this focus is important given the large number of operations where horses are kept for personal recreational use and the environmental impacts associated with them, their motivations may differ from those of equine businesses. This study was a pioneering effort to compare horse manure management practices among commercial equine operations and Amish communities, as well as their current activities and attitudes regarding value-added horse manure products. To what extent are these operators currently selling their manure and what are the barriers to value-added products, such as composted manure?
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