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Prairie Swine Centre is an affiliate of the University of Saskatchewan
Prairie Swine Centre is grateful for the assistance of the George Morris Centre in developing the economics portion of Pork Insight.
Financial support for the Enterprise Model Project and Pork Insight has been provided by:
Reduction of Ammonia Emissions and Optimization of the Stable Ait Temperature by Using Earth-Tube Heat Exchanges
Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 1999 | No Comments
Near-Infrared Sensing of Manure Nutrients
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Near infared sensing has been used in the grain industry for 30 years to test moisture and protein content of grain, recentlt has been developed in order to analyze grain based on its digestible energy content. The objective of this study was to determine if near infared spectroscopy (NIRS) calibrations could effectively predict total solids, TKN, NO3-N, phosphoros and potassium in three types of manure: liquid swine pit manure, swine lagoon effluent and dry beef feedlot manure.
An NIRSystems 6500 Scanning monochromator, manufactured by FOSS NIR Systems, was calibrated against wet chemistry analysis data, using partial least squares regression analysis. This study showed that NIR is a potentially usable method to determine manure nutrient and solids concentrations in liquid and solid swine manure. Although further work will be necessary to refine procedures results are encouraging for this type of technology to accurately predict manure nutrient content.
A Sense of Swatch
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An initiative-funded strategy by Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative is gathering collection information used in collecting air samples to measure odour. Roberta York is working on a system that collects odour samples on swatches of fabric. Currently different types of fabric are being evaluated to determine which has the best structure to capture odour. According to York, ” this will give us a standardized method of objective sensory teasting.” A samll circular swatch of fabric is inserted into a cylindrical container which is attached to a hand-held pump. This pump draws air through the swatch and seals the odour sample in the container, and the odour would be quantified in the lab through olfactometry. According to York, this provided everyone an inexpensive test, researchers, engineers and others will be able to stody odour samples more easily.
Measurements of the Effect of Animals on Airflow in an Experimental Piggery
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Study of the Rapid Analysis of Available N & P in Hog Manure Amended Soils by Near Infrared Spectroscopy
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This study explored the feasibility of applying near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a rapid method for the analysis of nutrients and salts in hog manure from seven ponds in south-central Manitoba representing several stages of hog production. Manure was analyzed for nitrate-N, ammonium-N, total dissolved N, suspended N, soluble reactive P, total dissolved P, suspended P, suspended C, Na, K, Ca, Mg, conductivity, and pH. Spectral data in the near-infrared area of the electromagnetic spectrum (750-2500 nm) were recorded on the samples. Using complex statistics, relationships, termed calibrations, were developed for each constituent between the spectral data and the analytical data. Coefficient of determination, r2, between NIR-predicted concentrations and the concentrations determined by chemical analysis for the samples in this study were 0.95 to 0.99 for ammonium-N, total dissolved N, suspended N, soluble reactive P, total dissolved P, suspended P, suspended C, Na, and Mg. For K, Ca, conductivity, and pH, r2 were > 0.8. Soil samples were collected before, immediately after, and a few days after the application of manure. Soil was scanned by NIR in a field-moist state and again after drying and grinding for chemical analysis. Soils were analyzed for % moisture, % organic matter, % N, nitrate-N, ammonium-N, phosphate-P, sulfate-S, K, Na, Ca, and Mg. Calibrations achieved for soil were generally less good than for the manure., nevertheless that for % N was useful, with r2 around 0.9 for both field moist and dried soil. Results indicate that NIRS has the potential to be used to predict the nutrient and salt composition of manure samples with no sample preparation, rapidly (less than 2 min), and non-destructively. It appears to be useful also for the prediction of % N and several other constituents in field-moist or dried soil.
A Swine Integrator's Perspective on Nutrient Management Procedures
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The hog industry faces many important issues in today’s social-economic environment. Most pork producers work in a sustainable manner which includes environmental soundness, scoial acceptability and profitability. In recent years gains have been experienced in the reduction of nutrients per hog, however ecconomic forces have created concentrated areas of production which create new problems and opportunites in nutrient management.
Manure management plans incorporate the knowledge of nutrient content of soils, crop uptake of nutrients and crop removal plans to help prevent runoff or accumalation of nutrients within the soil. Existing nutrient management systems are adequate however require effective management, me cases may be not incorporated into older operations. Many of the solution to nutrient management, manure management and odour control have come from private industry as opposed to the private sector, and cost effective methods need to be developed in order to address these concerns. Advancement in nutrient management plans will aid in accelerating ongoing changes within the hog industry.
The Determination of Aereal Extent of Odour Plumes from Large Hog Facilities in Manitoba
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The study proposed to document, under various weather conditions (wind direction, velocity, temperature and humidity) and times of the year, at what distances odours from six existing larges hog operations are detectable. In addition, it was our intent to delineate the odour plume so as to provide useful information in locating future hog facilities; in providing scientific evidience to refute unsubstantiated odour complaints; and, to evaluate odour controlling effectiveness of various types of manure storages; wind screens (trees or wind break(s) or terrian features. Six (6) large facilities within the hog producing area of southern Manitoba were included in the study; two in relatively flat terrian with few or no trees; two in relatively flat terrian with considerable bush; and, two in relatively rolling terrian preferably one with few or no trees and one with considerable bush. Because olfactory senses are possibly still the best and most oftern used indicator of the relative strength of odours, we coose to use a two-person ‘odour-panel” to rate the relative strength of a particular odour on a scale of zero to ten. Public roads and municipal maps were useful in siting studies for lareg hog operations. Unfortunately, winds in Manitoba and for that matter most places can be experienced out of any direction; and, as a result odours from a large hog facility might be experienced at various strengths anywhere 360 degrees of the facility. With this in mind, however, these data combined with wind data for a particular location should be useful in explaining theprobability and frequency that neighbours might anticipate odours from a planned hog facility