While it is still at the experimental stage, if successful it could significantly reduce nitrogen loss on farms because it would help farmers better capture cow effluent before it made its way into waterways. It would improve hygiene in dairy sheds and give farmers greater control over where effluent is applied on pasture.
The average cow produces about 70 litres of effluent per day, of which 10 per cent is generated during milking. Compounding the effluent problem is the amount of water used by farmers to wash down the dairy shed after milking, which is collected and stored in effluent ponds.
