Manure management remains one of the most pressing sustainability challenges in intensive livestock production. In Canada, producers face increasing constraints around manure storage, spreading, and emissions, especially in pork-producing regions such as Quebec. Traditional practices such as land application of raw slurry or basic mechanical separation, often lead to significant nitrogen losses, greenhouse gas emissions, and logistical challenges, with few economically viable alternatives available for mid-scale to large-scale farms.
This project proposes to deploy and validate a fully modular, on-farm manure treatment system developed by Circulus Agtech. The system integrates biological stabilization, solid-liquid separation, and membrane filtration to convert pig slurry into nitrate-rich biofertilizers, stabilized solids, and reusable clean water. Real-time digital sensors, cloud-based data logging, and AI process controls will optimize nitrogen capture and verify environmental performance.
Through a staged process involving lab testing, modular deployment at Ferme Danmarc, techno-economic modeling followed by full-scale operation, the project will demonstrate how farm-scale manure transformation can offer a cost-effective and scalable solution. The system aims to replace 30% of synthetic and mineral fertilizers used on the farm, reduce GHG emissions by 387 tons of CO2 equivalent, produce standardized fertilizer products compliant with agronomic and regulatory requirements while allowing clean water reuse or safe discharge.
Ultimately, this initiative will establish a digital nutrient recovery blueprint for the pork sector, bridging data-based nutrient management with real-world smart farm adoption. Outcomes will directly benefit producers, reduce Canada’s agricultural emissions, and unlock commercial value for biofertilizers in national and international markets.
