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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:
Ammonia Volatilization Following Surface-Applied Pig and Cattle Slurry in France
Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 1995 | No Comments
The results presented by this experiment are very interesting. Air and soil temperatures and also dry matter content had a significant influence on ammonia emission and an increase in those values resulted in a increase in ammonia emission. The variation associated with the time of the day for spreading could be explained by the higher evaporation rate that usually occur in mid-day resulting in higher temperature and also less infiltration.
Farm Waste, Nitrogen and the Greehouse Effect
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The microbial processes occurring in the soil result in atmospheric emission of N2O as a result of nitrification and denitrification. The organic matter going through the mineralisation process is transformed to ammonium-N (NH4-N) which is than transformed by nitrification to nitrate-N (NO3-N) and the denitrification transform the nitrate to nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitrogen gas (N2). Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas and some factors are thought to control its emission for soil transformation and they are: soil type, slurry type, rate and application season. As denitrification process requires anaerobic conditions, application in dry soil conditions would result in lower N2O emissions. Lower emissions are also observed when manure application is done during the crop growing season and when plant uptake of nitrate occurs. Larger application rates will result in greater emissions of N2O. Experiments showed that the emissions were higher in clay soils than in sandy soils following the same manure and applications. And pig manure which N content is generally than dairy manure leads to more important N2O production.
The transformation occurring in the soil to nitrogen compounds can result in N2O emissions which is a greenhouse gas. Ammonia emissions following manure application have been investigated but information is also needed on the other N compounds emission as they can impact on the environment and those N losses change the N available to the plants or the N that can leach.
Understanding the Impacts of Large-Swine Production.
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This document is the result of a two year process that has been realized in Iowa in order to provide the best available scientific answers to citizen and producer questions and concerns about large scale swine production. The process started with a regional/national conference on Livestock production for sustainable rural communities and producer surveys to collect the concerns/questions. Scientific workshop were than organized to responds to the questions/concerns with representative of from Iowa’s University. An interdisciplinary scientific workshop was than held to give answesr to the concerns/questions and the proceedings were prepared. The proceedings are divided in chapters in order to discuss by many scientists chosen nationwide different aspects related to the swine industry. Those chapters are: water quality, air quality, social isues, economic development and occupational health. In each of these chapters, the concerns/questions are answered directly, conclusions are drawn and the research needs are expressed.
ASSESSMENT OF THE MAGNITUDE OF AMMONIA EMISSIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
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Evaluation of Meteorological Techniques for Measurements of Ammonia Loss from Pig Slurry
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As ammonia emissions occur shortly after spreading, the response of the equipment used to measure those emissions have also to be rapid and accurate. The new analyssing technique seems to present those two characteristics.
Pig Slurry Treatment to Manage Nitrogen
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Continuous aerobic treatment can be a mean to stabilize the nitrogen compounds in the manure or create condition for denitrification and removal of N under the form of di-nitrogen gas (N2). Aeration treatment of 3 days of less results in stabilization of the nitrogen by bounding up in the organic form. Nitrification will occur after 3 days or more and most of all the ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3, NH4) is than converted to nitrite/nitrate (NO2/NO3). With low aeration rates or with period where the aeration is stopped, denitrification will occur and up to 70% of the original N in the manure can be lost through N2 and N2O gas emissions. When the aeration is done at high temperature (50-60 C, thermophilic treatment), nitrogen losses can be done under the form of ammonia as nitrification is inhibited.
Aeration can be a mean to stabilize the nitrogen compounds (lower the possible ammonia emissions)to slower release organic forms. For longer aeration, denitrification can remove N and help in the situation where N is in excess. However, some manure nutrients other than N can than be the limiting factor.
Selling the Public Large Hog Farms – A Success Story
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A 1200 sow farrow to finish swine production unit has been welcomed in a community that had been rejecting other projects with controversy. This publication presents practical application of public involvement process following principles of renowned rural sociologist, Dr. Desmond Connor. A successful case study using is presented with the step by step public process that has been develop and is applicable to environmentally sensitive projects.
The steps presented are adapted from a more elaborated process developed by Dr. Desmond Connor. The project is presented to the public openly to the public in order to develop a trusting relationship. This case study presented is for a new production facility that is going to be operated directly by the owner (family type farm). Question arises to know if that process would be as efficient with corporate farming and with citizen groups that had time to mobilize.