Controles de materiels d'epandage des lisiers et fumiers.

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 1994 | No Comments

Testing of spreading equipment has been done by farmers to verify the transversal uniformity (considering the width of the surface spread). The spreading tank with a splash plate tested showed an important variation with smaller application rate in the center of the surface spread and higher rates toward the edges with a variation factor for 25 to 50%. Better results (variation factor of 10 to 35%) were obtained when the manure was spread with a boom fitted behind the spreader.

Minimizing Emissions of Pig Husbandry Using Low Cost Biofilter and Bioactive Deep Litter

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

Two different techniques, straw bale odour filter and deep litter of sawdust or straw were verified to evaluate their ability to minimize odour and slurry production. Two fattening periods of 21 and 19 weeks were done with 2 lots of 15 pigs to test first a 50 cm deep sawdust litter and then a 80 cm deep unchopped barley straw litter and both cycles were compared to the performances of 2 lots of 16 pigs housed on partly-slatted floor (control group). The air coming from the control section was filtered with a biofilter house made out of straw bales. The straw bale biofilter was effective in decreasing the pig smell by 50% and the deep litter were effective in controlling odour and reducing the slurry production.

The experiment done on a small scale give interesting results for the biofilter. Not enough information is given to judge on the odour reduction obtained with the deep litters. The use of a large scale biofilter is not address so it is difficult to evaluate of its capacities in reducing odour from whole swine building.

Pertes par volatilisation apres epandage de lisier sur prairies permanentes

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

Tests realized with swine manure showed that ammonium losses could be reduced from 43,2% to 12,6% and finally 3,1% respectively for conventional spreading, spreading followed by incorporation and direct injection. The other treatments were realized with cattle manure.

Gestion des engrais de ferme: comprendre les attitudes des eleveurs pour batir des actions de conseil

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

When considering the preparation of advisory programs, the mental attitude of the farmer or the manager of the farm has to be taken into account in order to adapt to the different management style. The Institut de l’Elevage (extension organization dealing with livestock) has been study the attitude phenomena and can out with 3 different profiles when it comes to manure as a whole, its role in the nutrient cycling and its relationship to water pollution. The “technical” farmers consider themselves as being modern and rational mostly consider manure as a waste; as for the “independent” farmers and the “affective” farmers, they consider manure positively but are generally not open minded toward change. This diversity has to be taken into account as well as the constraints associated with different farming systems and practices in order to prepare an effective advisory program. For the first group of farmers (“technical”), attention has to be focused on the nutrient cycling process and the mineralization evolution in the soil; for the second group (“independent”) the processes are have to be well presented and concrete results have also to be showed (demonstrations, testimoniesa

Farmer's Option to Optimize Nutrient Efficiency and to Reduce Odour and Ammonia Emissions from Landspreading of Slurries and Manures

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

Optimization of manure application can have 2 economical incentives which are to obtain optimal yields of high product quality and to save money by reducing mineral fertilizer inputs. On an ecological point of view manure application optimization can avoid ground and surface water pollution, excessive nutrient enrichment in soil and excessive ammonia and odour emissions (particularly as odour emissions related to manure application can be smell further than odour emissions from building of manure storage). The most important options to optimize nutrient efficiencies and to reduce odour and ammonia emission are the following: fertilization done according to the crop requirement for N, P, K by limiting the application rate to the first element satisfied (generally P for swine manure) and using mineral fertilizers to complete the other elements requirements, land application shortly before the time of the crop’s main nitrogen requirement, using favorable weather conditions (no frozen soil or snow cover, wet and cold), when possible rapid incorporation after spreading finally the use of application techniques which reduce odour and ammonia emissions.

General information is given on ways to optimize manure application economically and ecologically. These considerations are basic elements to be considered in landspreading. However some of the information given has to be applied to European conditions where the winter is in many areas more mild than in North America.

Reporting on Climate Change: Understanding the Science

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

The chapter 3 was consulted on Greenhouse Gases: Some Basics. The main atmospheric gases are presented and the role they play in the greenhouse effect. The changes and trends in those gases concentrations are also discussed. More information is directly available in the Internet address given.

Utilisation du lisier de porcs sur les patures de vaches laitieres en Bretagne.

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

The grazing animal also produce manure directly on the grassland and this direct supply has to be considered when the swine manure application rates are determined in order to avoid nutrients leaching. Since the swine manure did not present any problems for grass production, milk production and also cows’ behavior, swine manure could be used in place of commercial fertilizers to supplied nutrients for the most limiting element (nitrogen or phosphorus depending on the situation). The experiment has been done on two years and no difference in the health, weight and general status have been measured between the cows grazing on pasture where swine manure has been applied and the control group.

Odours from Landspreading Livestock Wastes

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

Air samples have been taken during or after manure spreading to realize olfactometry measurements and determine odour emission. The threshold value was evaluated and expressed as OU/m3. Compared to pig slurry landspreading with a vacuum tanker spreading directly on soil (VT), ploughing in manure immediately after spreading has reduced odour emission by 84%, deep injection reduced odour emission by 73%, shallow injection lower emission by 53% and low trajectory spreader with trailing hoses reduced odour emission by 38%. The following manure treatments also lowered odour emission compared to untreated manure even when using the VT application technique: 86% odour emission reduction for aerobic treatment, 84% for anaerobic treatment and 34% for mechanical separation. Crude protein-reduced diets could also have an impact on odour reduction as those diets lower the concentrations of odorous compounds in the slurry.

Odour emission can be reduced using different spreading techniques. This publication gives those reductions. No information is given on the combined effect of the spreading technique and the use of crude protein-reduced diets.

Symptoms and mechanisms: Inflammation of the lung.

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

L'injection de lisier dans les prairies; quelques resultats experimentaux en Belgique

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

As the livestock density is considerably high in Belgium, particularly in the Flounders, important excesses of manure can be obtained in numerous farms. In order to verify if manure injection could bring solution to the surpluses by the better nutrient utilization and lower impact on neighbouring populations compared to broadcast application, a study was carried out at the Research Station of Merelbeke. Experiments were done with manure from cattle, pig or poultry production units and mineral fertilizers were added to those manure in order to obtain a uniform nutrient content and the application was done through spreading and injection (to compare both). The herbage yields were not affected by the application system however the nitrogen content of the herbage was higher when the manure was injected.
Nitrogen in the manure is better utilized as less nitrogen volatilization occur when injection is made compared to broadcast application. The application rates can be lowered providing that a good evaluation of the nutrients balance is done and that the spreading equipment allows for precise application rates. Injection also the odour emissions at the time of spreading.