Nitrogen losses from outdoor pig farming systems

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Trichinellosis: a worldwide zoonosis

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Ammonia emission factors for UK agriculture

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Using Growing Degree Days to Predict Nitrogen Availability from Livestock Manures

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Environmental Engineering Challenges and Opportunities for the Pork Industry

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The Sask Pork Chair in environmental engineering for the pork industry was established at the Department of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan with the finacial support of SaskPork and the Prairie Swine Centre in 2000. Six different responsibilities and two major objectives were identified for that research position, the most important being the establishment and pursuit of a comprehensive research program focsued on manure management engineering. One of the main goals of the Chair position is to develop and validate a system engineering approach for issues and problems related to manure management engineering because of the increasing number of parameters that need to be considered in the selection of manure management systems. Another issue with the Chair is currently actively involved is the development and implementation of a National Standardized Environmental Management for the Canadian pork industry.

High Dietary Copper Improves Odor Charcteristics of Swine Waste

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Two experiments were conducted to determine the impact of dietary copper concentration and source on odor characteristics of swine waste. In both experiments, 192 weanling gilts an barrows were alotted 24 pens. Pen were randomly assinged to one of six dietary treatments consisting of control, 66 or 225 ppm Cu as CuSO4 or 33, 66, or 100 ppm Cu as cupric citrate. An antibiotic was added in the diets for experiment 1 but not 2. On day 28 fecal samples were randomly obtained from one pig per pen stored at -20 degrees Celsius until preparation and evaluation by an odor panel. The odor panel consisted of 10 individuals, and each panelist evaluated the odor intensity, irritation intensity, and odor quality of the air samples. In experiment 1 the odor and irritation intensity of the feces were lower from animals consuming 225 ppm Cu and 66 or 100 ppm as compared to the control. The odor quality of the waste from animals consuming diets containing and 66 or 100 ppm was impri=oved compared to the 33ppm treatment. In experiment 2, the odor intensity of the feces of the pigs receiving diets supplemented with all concentrations of Cu-citrate was lower than that of feces from the control animals. Irritation intensity of the feces was not affected by treatment. Odor quality of wase of pigs supplemented with 225 ppm Cu from copper sulfate and all concentrations of Cu-citrate was improved when compared tothat of wste of the control pigs.

Managing Manure as a Fertilizer for Prairie Agriculture

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All jurisdictions recommend manure management plans, with some requiring formal submission. This is because all manure is not created equal. Nutrient compositions vary greatly in both solid and liquid manure and are a function of livestock type, age, type of feed, composition of feed, rations climate, the presence of bedding, manure storage and manure handling. Therefore manure should be tested annually. For liquid manure (<4% solids), agitated samples should be collected as close to time of application as possible to establish nutrient levels. Solid manure (4-20% solids) samples can be taken prior to application from holding areas or manure piles. If we consider manure as a fertilizer, crop selection is unlimited. The only requirement is to balance manure nutrients against crop uptakes and residual soil N. Soil test and fertilizer recommendations should be used to calculate annual manure application rates. All fertilizers should be managed to reduce nutrient losses that occur from harvest, erosion, volatilization and denitrification. Effective manure management practices during storage, handling and application and time of application will minimize losses. Managing manure to minimize losses will indirectly address other issues like air quality, water quality, odour and human health.

Methane production by ruminants: its contribution to global warming

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Demonstration of the Performance of a Three-Stage Waste Treatment Technology. Odour Treatment Through Solids Separation with Aerobic and Anaerobic Digestion

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The project involved evaluation of a Taiwanese three-stage hog manure treatment technology under Canadian conditions. To do so, a pilot plant treatment system was designed and built. The process involves passing the manure through a solid-liquid separator to remove the larger solids; anaerobic digestion of the liquid fraction; followed by aerobic treatment. The plant did not achieve treatment levels that would permit discharge to surface waters, as is the case in Taiwan. But was very effective for flushing the barn and produced a noticeable improvement in barn air quality. This was likely due to the differences in operational temperature between Taiwan (greater than 25A

Measurements of ammonia emissions from spreading of manure using gradient FTIR techniques

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