Animal Waste Management Software

  
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Introduction
AWM is a planning/design tool for animal feeding operations. It can be used to estimate the production of manure, bedding, and process water to design storage/treatment facilities. The procedures and calculations used in AWM are based on the USDA-NRCS Agricultural Waste Management Field Handbook . AWM has traditionally been used for designing waste storage structures such as storage ponds, tanks and anaerobic lagoons for liquids; and covered and uncovered dry stacks with or without walls for solids.

In 2010 the AWM was upgraded to AWM 2.4 with the additional capability to evaluate existing waste storage structures. The results from the evaluation can be incorporated into the design processes for new facilities. The user can design the new facility for the --Total-- waste flowing into the structure or for the --Additional-- waste not handled by an existing facility. The AWM User Guide provides in-depth procedure on how to use the AWM for designing and/or for evaluating waste storage facilities. Some of the standard functions and features of AWM include:
 
1.  Manure characteristics for eight animal types with the ability to modify these characteristics
     and add animal types as necessary
2.  Accounting of bedding, wastewater, flush water and other additions to the waste stream.
3.  Tracks liquid and solid wastes produced in multiple locations through multiple waste streams
4.  Develops separation, storage, and treatment components for liquid and solid wastes that are
     defined as a 'Management Train'
5.  Estimates precipitation and runoff entering the 'Management Train'.
6.  Develops a monthly water and waste budget for each terminal treatment/storage component.
7.  Produces a gross nutrient balance from target yields and crop acreage specified for crops
     listed in the crop database
8.  Sizes storage facilities using a defined storage period or drawdown dates specified by the user
9.  Possibility of designing a new structure either for the 'Total' waste or for the 'Additional'
     waste not handled by the existing structure
10. Provides a schematic drawing for each terminal treatment/storage component
11. Generates a standard or custom report to document the system design for the 'Total'
     or 'Additional' waste
12. Evaluation of existing facilities with a color-coded on-screen report and printable paper report
13. Evaluation reports for each evaluated facility
14. Supports earlier versions of AWM project files
15. Improved 'Help' document with context sensitive links from every AWM window
16. Restricts multiple runs of AWM and the Access report generation programs to avoid
     the possibility of database corruption and slowing down of AWM operation and reporting process
17. Provides a calculator for converting units and performing computations.
 
AWM 2.4 has been developed and tested under Microsoft Windows XP. It has not been thoroughly tested under Windows 2007. However, preliminary tests indicate that it works fine if it is installed outside the 'Program Files' folder. Thus, under Windows 2007 install AWM 2.4 outside the 'Program Files' folder (Go to installation page).