A Vermont businessman has engineered a device that will deodorize your cows’ slurry before you spread it. Two units are already in use, one by the local electric co-op and the other by the University of Vermont. ElectroCell Technologies is marketing a portable device that processes manure through a large tube charged with electrical current. The current explodes the cell walls of bacteria feeding on the manure’s phosphorous and nitrogen, which in turn neutralizes the odor. These bacteria, you see, feed on those nutrients, and they cause the offending scents. By removing the bacteria from the equation, farmers are left with an equally-valuable nutrient source with no air emission, so to speak.

While this news in and of itself is exciting to most, the good news continues. According to researchers at the University, the treated manure appears to be absorbed more efficiently by the plants in the field. Apparently the presence of the bacteria affects nutrient uptake, and their elimination may prove more useful than simple public relations. Research continues at UVM on that front.

As you can imagine, this process isn’t cheap. The basic technology runs $75,000 per unit, but the kicker may be the utility bill. An average manure pit will run $1,000 in electricity per treatment, and many farms will have to spend additional funds to upgrade their electric service before they’ll even be able to use the equipment. Nonetheless, if it works as well as advertised, it may be well worth the money.