When we are in local communities, explaining the Fibrowatt solution, people generally feel that a plant would be a benefit for their agricultural area. They comment on odor, poultry litter stockpiles and the high concentration of poultry operations, and are supportive of a solution that would offer another option to the land application of poultry litter. Local governmental officials and business leaders likewise understand the importance of new jobs, an increased tax base, and the economic stimulus of such a large development project. But what is not always understood is how important a Fibrowatt project can be for the long term viability of the poultry industry and the soil quality of area fields.

As a source of crop and pasture nutrients, poultry litter has an important place in the overall nutrient supply chain but likely can not remain the only source of nutrients over the long term. Because of the balance of nutrients in poultry litter, either other forms of fertilizer will need to be used along with poultry litter or the application of litter will exceed the annual nutrient needs of the plants that it is being used on. One of the primary reasons that a Fibrowatt plant is important is on the basis of “Sustainability.” Because a Fibrowatt plant can utilize the excess poultry litter (litter generated above the underlying nutrient requirements of the area) we believe that our approach provides an important alternative nutrient management approach, which can provide long-term, sustainable nutrient management for a poultry growing region.

Poultry litter is a dilute source of nutrients, having a basic primary nutrient content of about 3% nitrogen (N), 3% phosphorous (as P2O5), and 2% potassium (as K2O). In terms of nutrient content, this would be characterized as a 3/3/2 (NPK) fertilizer. Based on this low concentration of NPK, it is not really viable to move litter out of the area where it is generated. As a result, litter must therefore be managed locally – on area fields and pasture land to meet local nutrient requirements. While the litter is not a concentrated source of primary crop nutrients, it is high in many of the secondary and micronutrients not typically available in commercial fertilizers. Therefore, it is not a question of whether poultry litter will be used – but how much should be used on local fields and pastures.

While litter is a good source of nutrients, it is not an ideal source of nutrients. Plants have certain annual nutrient requirements for each of the primary, secondary, and micro- nutrients; what is referred to as a crops “agronomic” nutrient requirement. In most cases, a plants agronomic nitrogen requirement far exceeds the crops agronomic phosphorous and potassium requirements. It is not unusual for a crop to require 4-5 times more nitrogen than phosphorous. Since poultry litter has equal amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous, every time litter is applied according to the crops nitrogen requirements (the normal practice and highest farmer value for litter) phosphorous is applied well above the plants agronomic requirements. Application of phosphorous at rates 4-5 times a plant’s annual needs means that these fields will steadily build up levels of phosphorous – a nutrient management practice that agricultural specialist do not consider a sustainable nutrient management practice. That is why many states are considering or have enacted manure management programs that are based on application according to phosphorous considerations rather than nitrogen requirements.

In areas where agronomic phosphorous application is considered as the basis for long-term nutrient management, the utilization of litter on area fields would have to go down significantly in the long-term. “Excess litter” according to phosphorous application requirements is going to be far greater than current excess litter quantities based only on nitrogen requirements.

One of the reasons that the poultry industry has expressed an interest in Fibrowatt is based on the flexibility they gain for addressing the regional nutrient balance over the long-term. The poultry industry understands the importance of sustainability as a key requirement for their business and recognizes that they will need an alternative approach for what can be a sizable amount of excess poultry litter in concentrated poultry regions. Without another option, the generation of litter in concentrated poultry growing regions leaves the growers and the poultry industry as a whole with a real potential challenge.

While there are a whole host of reasons that a Fibrowatt plant benefits an area, there is likely none more important in the long run that its benefit as a sustainable nutrient management solution.