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Lagoon management can be a challenge for any feedyard. Dealing with a consistent influx of sludge and runoff makes managing lagoons a dirty job, and often a smelly one. But a device developed by Cummings & Son, Inc. in Garden City, Kansas, might make the job a little easier. "The management of lagoons is reaching a critical point," says Bill Cummings of Cummings & Son, Inc. "More people are concerned about lagoons and how they effect the environment." So about two years ago, Cummings began testing an aerator, manufactured by his company, that was designed to decrease the ammonia and nitrogen concentrations in a lagoon. 
One test conducted by Kansas State University found that using Cummings' Rotary-Oxygenator in conjunction with a microbial inoculant reduced ammonia-nitrogen concentrations in a test lagoon by a dramatic 21.1 percent. Additionally, about two months after the test began, a two-foot wide rim of clear water was present around the circumference of the lagoon. The most notable of all of the subjective observations was a reduction in the odor associated with the lagoon water.The tests really proved the effectiveness of the unit, Cummings says. The Rotary-Oxygenator de-creases the ammonia and nitrogen in the lagoon by stirring the water, and adding oxygen back to the lagoon. When the oxygen is mixed into the water, it allows the natural microbial population to break down the sludge. This results in a dramatic decrease in odor in about four or five weeks. The Rotary-Oxygenator adds oxygen by throwing the lagoon water about 10 feet into the air with its steel paddles. The paddles are partially submerged in the lagoon, resulting in an aggressive mixing/ churning action of the lagoon surface. "In the first three to five days, you will see a lot of foam on the lagoon," Cummings says. "In about a week, the nitrogen begins to release from the pond. You will see burps coming out of the bottom of the lagoon that are as big as a dining room table. There will be bubbles all around, like the lagoon is boiling." As the water is stirred, the sludge floats up off the lagoon floor and is suspended in the water. This gives the natural microbes a chance to break down the sludge. Adding a microbial inoculant like Biocharge (made by Biotal, Inc.) speeds up the break down process. 
"The Rotary-Oxygenator and an inoculant like Biocharge work together like a left and and a right hand. Each will work alone, but they compliment each other well," Cummings says.The Rotary-Oxygenator sits on floating pontoons in the middle of a lagoon and is powered by an electric motor with a hydraulic drive. The aerator is tied off on each side of the lagoon to keep it in the middle of the pond. The electric cord is floated out to the unit on small buoys. "The Rotary-Oxygenator makes the composition of the lagoon more environmentally friendly," says Cummings. "When applied to farmland, the aerated water doesn't put a high amount of concentrates on the ground. |
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