Manure Standards

The Estonian University of Life Sciences and the Estonian Crop Research Institute participated in the Manure Standards project, which aims to develop internationally harmonized guidelines for determining manure quantities and properties both on farms and for use in legislation. This will make the use of animal manure in the Baltic Sea region more efficient, as the implementation of new manure standards will improve nutrient recycling and reduce nutrient runoff into the Baltic Sea.

The project ran from October 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019.

All countries directly affecting the Baltic Sea are participating in the project, including Russia, which currently uses different methods for calculating the amounts of organic fertilizers and nutrients derived from them.

It is very important to take into account the wishes of all target groups, which is why all activities are carried out in close cooperation between the partners participating in the project, associated organizations, and other important scientific, agricultural, advisory, and policy-making organizations. The guidelines will be published in English and in the national languages of the participating countries and distributed at project events, in publications, and online. In addition, an instructional video on sampling will be produced, demonstrating the sampling procedure in practice.

The project is funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region program.