Investigating Seal Formation from Manure Infiltration into Soils

An experiment was conducted to locate and measure the extent of the seal forming as swine manure slurries infiltrate columns of sand and clay loam. The location of the sealing layers was found to vary between soil type. The sand seals developed generally within the surface manure mat while the clay loam seals developed at all of the three locations monitored, namely within the surface manure mat, within the manure soil interface and within the soil itself. The sands demonstrated significantly higher infiltration rates as well as higher seepage COD levels. These higher seepage COD levels indicate the more extensive leaching of manure solids through the sand columns. Thus, the slurry infiltration rate can be related to the extent of manure solid retention at the surface and within the soil. This retention was found to be a function of soil texture rather than soil saturated hydraulic conductivity.