AbstractPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to optimize manure allocation through nutrient budgetingstrategy to meet crop nutrient requirements under maximizing economic returns and environmentalconstraints, and then to evaluate the economic and environmental effects of different nutrient budgetingstrategies in animal excreta treatment.Design/methodology/approach – In this study, a holistic integrated “ecological-economic” model isdeveloped. It incorporates the systems of animal-crop production and waste treatment is developed fora pilot pig farm in China in order to simulate the economic and environmental effects of severalnutrient budgeting strategies in excreta treatment for resource use.Findings – The results reveal nutrient management deficiencies cause some serious environmentalproblems. The operations including biogas and composting are economically and environmentallyefficient methods for manure management through nutrient budgeting strategy in an intensive animalfarming with limited access to cropland. The nutrient budgeting strategy of constrained phosphorus,however, creates better environmental effects and brings more income from the waste treatment thanthe strategy of constrained nitrogen. The current standard of manure application in cropland whichemphasizes on crop requirements for nitrogen should be reconsidered.Originality/value – The paper is an original work and its methodology makes a meaningfulcontribution to understanding the relations between different nutrient budgeting strategies and theireconomic and environmental effects.Keywords China, Animal excreta treatment, Economic effects, Environmental effects,Nutrient budgeting strategiesPaper type Research paper