Nitrogen balances at the crop and farm-gate scale in livestock farms in Italy

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2007 | No Comments

Managing Nitrogen Contaminated Soils: Benefits of N2–Fixing Alfalfa

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Nutritional and environmental consequences of dietary fibre in pig nutrition: a review

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The second half of the XXth century has seen a sharp increase of the world pork (Sus scrofa) production, which reaches nowadays a herd of 964 million pigs (FAO, 2006). Intensification of the rearing techniques, breeding programs and genetic progresses has resulted in lower production costs. However, intensive production systems have caused nitrate leaching and phosphorus accumulation in the soils receiving pig manure. These systems also induced animal welfare concerns such as stereotypies in gestating sows and human health problems such as the development of a gut microflora resistant to antibiotics (Manero et al., 2006). All these issues seriously question the social and environmental sustainability of intensive pig production (Basset-Mens et al., 2005). During the last 15 years, different solutions have been proposed to cope with these problems. Efforts have been spent to formulate diets that better meet the pig’s requirements or contribute to reduce odour and pollutant excretion. In particular, attention is paid to dietary fibre (DF), for its capacity to reduce ammonia emission (Nahm, 2003; Aarnink et al., 2007) and to improve gut health (Williams et al., 2001; Montagne et al., 2003) and pig welfare (Meunier-Salaun, 1999; Courboulay et al., 2001).
Increasing fibrous ingredients provided by the food industry are now incorporated in rations for pigs, despite the negative impact of DF on performances due to lower digestibility of dietary energy and protein (Noblet et al., 2001) and fatter carcasses. The use of forages, rich in DF, is also envisaged in more extensive systems such as herbage in outdoor production systems (Rivera Ferre et al., 2001; Blair, 2007) or in tropical countries where alternative feeding systems are studied, developed and extended (Pérez, 1997; Leterme et al., 2007) because grains are needed for human consumption. The present review examines the influence of DF fermentation in the pig intestines on the digestive processes. Their consequences on pig protein and energy nutrition, health concerns and environmental issues in intensified and in more extensive tropical production systems are also discussed. Dietary fibre is defined as the plant polysaccharides that are resistant to digestive secretions and are potentially available for bacterial fermentation in the intestines of single-stomached animals. Resistant starch is also considered as a dietary fibre. The short-chain fatty acids released by bacteria contribute to the host energy supply and both regulate the composition of the flora and the growth of epithelial cells, especially in the case of butyrate. The bacterial growth supported by the fermentation induces a shift of N excretion from urine to faeces. Beside the fermentability, the physical properties of dietary fibre such as the water-holding capacity, the viscosity and the solubility influence the digestion, the satiety and the transit time. In relationship with the mechanisms of dietary fibre interaction with the digestive processes exposed in this review, the opportunities and treats of dietary fibre inclusion in swine rations for intensified and for more extensive tropical production systems are discussed. Dietary fibre is indeed a possible means to reduce nitrogen losses of production units and to improve pig intestinal health and animal welfare. Finally, the potential role of in vitro fermentation methods to investigate the fate of dietary fibre in the digestive system is discussed.

Nutrition, key factor to reduce environmental load from pig production

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Gaseous Emissions (NH3, N2O, CH4 and CO2) from the aerobic treatment of piggery slurry—Comparison with a conventional storage system

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Gaseous emissions from biological aerobic treatment (using an intermittent aeration) were
compared with traditional manure management (based on 6 months storage before
spreading). The results show a large decrease
of the greenhouse gases (methane and nitrous oxide) and ammonia (NH3) when a biological
treatment is compared to using storage alone.

Supplementing corn or corn–barley diets with an E. coli derived phytase decreases total and soluble P output by weanling and growing pigs

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The efficacy of an E. coli derived phytase on phosphorus (P) digestibility and excretion, on the form of the P excreted, and the optimal dietary calcium (Ca):P ratio was examined.
In experiment 1, 63 barrows (40.4 ± 1.9 kg) were assigned to receive one of 21 treatments arranged as a 3 × 7 factorial. Treatments consisted of three Ca levels (0.50, 0.60 and 0.70%) and seven phytase treatments [0, 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 FTU kg–1 of an E. coli-derived phytase and 500 FTU kg 1 of an A. niger phytase added to a P deficient (0.37% P) diet or 0 FTU phytase kg–1 added to a P adequate (0.53% P) diet].
In experiment 2, 144 pigs (6.52 ± 0.75 kg), received a P adequate (0.60% P) diet or a P deficient (0.44% P) diet supplemented with 0, 250, 500, 1000 or 2000 FTU phytase kg–1 for a 28-d trial. A subset of 36 barrows was then fed the same diets in a balance trial.
In experiment 3, 36 barrows (7.1 ± 0.75 kg) were assigned to one of six treatments arranged as a 2 × 3 factorial (0 or 500 FTU of phytase kg–1; 1.0, 1.6 or 2.2 Ca:P ratio).
In experiment 1, P digestibility improved from 21 to 54% with increasing phytase (quadratic; P < 0.05). Supplementing the diet with 500 FTU phytase kg–1 decreased the output of total and soluble P by 25% in experiment 2 and to a similar extent in experiment 3 at the lowest Ca:P ratio (P < 0.05). The effect of phytase on total P digestibility was mitigated as the dietary Ca:P ratio increased in exp. 3. Supplementation of swine diets with an E. coli derived phytase decreases output of total and soluble forms of P, but this effect is reduced at high dietary Ca:P ratios.

Reducing Energy Costs in Swine Barns

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Swine production involves energy intensive tasks. With increasing energy prices, reducing energy use is imperative to reduce overall cost of production in swine operations. The goals of the current phases of this study are to gather benchmark information on current energy usage in swine barns, to conduct energy audits to document energy use practices in various types of swine barns, and to evaluate different applicable energy-saving measures using computer simulation. Twenty-eight (28) different swine facilities participated in the energy survey conducted in February 2007. From each barn, information was obtained on barn energy use and pig production numbers over the past 3 years. Based on the results of the survey, four barns were selected on which an energy audit and detailed energy use monitoring were conducted. Two of the barns were among the highest energy users (per animal) and the other two were among those that used the least energy per animal. Results of the survey and energy audits showed that within each barn type, some barns used significantly higher energy than the overall mean for all barns of the same type while others used substantially less than the mean, indicating that there are significant opportunities for improving energy use practices in some barns to reduce overall energy costs. Understanding the patterns of how energy is utilized in each barn is valuable in determining energy conservation strategies that would work best for each particular operation. The outcome of this project is expected to help guide pork producers in managing the use of energy in their operations more efficiently, thereby reducing overall energy costs. The next step would be to use computer simulation to evaluate different energy saving measures and to quantify the reduction in energy costs that can be achieved from implementation of these strategies.

ODEURS

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Comment les humains perçoivent-ils les odeurs?
Le sens de l’odorat joue un rôle important dans la sensation de bien être des humains. L’odorat est unique
à chaque humain et varie dans le temps selon la condition physique de l’individu, les conditions
d’émission d’odeur et la mémoire olfactive et le vécu de l’individu. La réponse olfactive est le résultat de
stimuli créés au niveau du bulbe olfactif (situé dans la partie supérieure de la cavité nasale) qui vient en
contact avec des molécules d’odeur. Des signaux sont envoyés au centre olfactif du cerveau par des
fibres nerveuses où une impression d’odeur est créée et comparée avec celles déjà emmagasinées dans la
mémoire olfactive personnelle qui est elle constituée de perceptions individuelles et de valeurs sociales
(Berglung et al. 1988). Comme l’odeur a un caractère très personnel, certaines personnes ont un bon nez
(très sensible) et certaines autres ont un mauvais nez (moins sensible ou insensible) (Hermia, 1997).
Berglund et al. (1988) mentionne aussi que l’odorat est très utile car il considère ou évalue l’odeur comme
un tout même si celle -ci est composée de plusieurs mélanges de gaz complexes plutôt que d’analyser les
différents composés chimiques séparément.
Quelles peuvent être les réactions humaines possibles aux mauvaises odeurs?
Les réactions aux odeurs reliées à la production porcine peuvent apparaître très subjectives pour certaines
personnes et elles sont susceptibles d’être différentes d’une communauté à une autre. Une anecdote
populaire en Iowa porte sur une personne résidant à proximité d’un bâtiment d’élevage porcin vide et qui
se plaignait des mauvaises odeurs qui, selon elle, en émanaient. Toujours en Iowa, on rapporte le calvaire
subi par une famille agricole aux prises avec les odeurs qui proviennent d’un élevage porcin situé à
environ un kilomètre de leur ferme (Thu, 1996).
Selon cet auteur, la problématique globale des odeurs associées aux élevages repose généralement sur un
problème plus profond de frustration des personnes affectées. Celles-ci auraient souvent l’impression de
ne pas avoir accès aux canaux de communication qui pourraient permettre la résolution des problèmes
interreliés découlant du développement et de l’intensification de la production porcine. Schiffman et al.
(1995) ont découvert que de tels sentiments de perte de contrôle, par rapport à la problématique des
odeurs par exemple, peuvent constituer un élément déclencheur important dans le développement de
problèmes psychologiques pour les personnes affectées. Les résultats qu’ils ont obtenus à la suite d’une
étude portant sur les effets d’un voisinage rapproché à de grands établissements de production porcine ont
démontré que l’attitude générale des voisins de ces établissements était grandement affectée par les
odeurs qui pouvaient en émaner. Des problèmes accrus de tension, de dépression, de colère,
d’épuisement et de confusion de même qu’une vitalité réduite des personnes ainsi affectées ont été
rapportés par Schiffman et al. (1995).
Les réactions ne sont pas dues à la seule intensité des odeurs; elles dépendent également de la fréquence
d’exposition des personnes, de la durée de ces expositions et du caractère hédonique des odeurs. Il
importe donc de pouvoir quantifier certaines de ces caractéristiques si l’on veut s’attaquer efficacement à
la résolution des problèmes associés aux odeurs (Sweeten, 1997; Nicell et Tsakaloayannis, 1997).

The Transformation of Spain’s Pork Sector: Can It Continue?

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Unless otherwise stated, the term EU refers to the 15 member countries prior to the 2004 enlargement. Also, it is worth pointing out, that in general the pigmeat processing sector in the EU is much less concentrated than in the United States. One notable exception is in Ireland, where the sector is dominated by two firms. The largest exporters of pigmeat in the EU are Denmark and the Netherlands, whereas the largest importers are Germany and Italy. In 2002, pigmeat exports by Denmark and the Netherlands were almost three and two times larger, respectively, than Spain’s pigmeat exports, and pigmeat imports by Italy and Germany were about ten and eight times greater, respectively, than Spain’s pigmeat imports. Spain has achieved enviable success in modernizing and expanding its pork sector, but its producers and processors will need to continue along the path of rapid transformation to remain competitive.

A concrete slatted floor system for separation of faeces and urine in pig houses

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In the experiments, four concrete slatted floors with one of two slat profiles and one of two gap
widths, and a steel wire slatted floor were studied to estimate their manure separation
performance under practical conditions. It was found that a slope gradient of 201 with a surface coated with fine cement performed best and is recommended for the slope bottom design in the concrete slatted floor system.