Near-Infrared Sensing of Manure Nutrients

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 1999 | No Comments

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.

Control of a swine manure treatment process using a specific feature of oxidation reduction potential

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Survival Strategies Checklist

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Poor immunity from a strep. Suis autogenous bacterin

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Streptococcus suis is a major cause of death and disease losses, especially among recently weaned pigs. While it may respond to antibiotics, it remains difficult to control since there are many strains that cause sickness. This study was conducted to measure the amount and variation in the antibody response of pigs vaccinated. Vaccination can be very cost effective if the vaccine is designed to control the type of bacteria causing disease. A custom-made vaccine called an autogenous bacterin can be produced from bacteria that are isolated from an untreated sick pig. In this situation the protection from disease depends on the presence of antibody in the serum of vaccinated pigs. This study was conducted in a herd experienced to disease due to S. suis. The difficulty was that the S. suis causing disease in the herd were resistant to penicillin. An autogenous bacterin was developed and pigs were vaccinated at weaning. The autogenous bacterin failed to increase antibody levels in vaccinated pigs and was not economically justified.

PMU ranching demonstrates benefits of self-regulation.

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Assessment of pain during locomotion and the welfare of adult male turkeys with destructive loss of the hip joint.

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Frustration of goal-directed behaviour in swine.

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Frustration can result when expectations about the environment cannot be fulfilled. This causes the animal to become motivated to engage in problem solving behaviour in order to achieve its goals. If the goals are not attained, general frustration responses are likely to result. The objective of this study was to induce frustration over a six-week period. By removing the feeders, single and pair-housed pigs were fasted for 1, 2 or 3 hours every morning. On training days (Monday and Tuesday), full feeders were returned. On test days (Wednesday and Thursday), non-functional were returned. Two types of non-functional feeders were used: non-lidded (empty feeders) and lidded (full feeders with lids bolted down to prevent access to feed). For two hours following the return of the feeders, the behaviour on the test and training days was compared. Frustration caused an increase in general activity for both single and pair-housed pigs. Single-housed pigs increased oral manipulation of the lidded feeders during the first hour, but this decreased during the second hour of observations. This difference was not observed for non-lidded feeders, which indicates an increase in activities related to problem-solving behaviour. Frustration also caused an increase in general oral activity (including increased oral manipulation of other pigs and objects). Based on serum cortisol concentration, lidded feeders caused more stress than non-lidded feeders during the final week of the study. Although general activity levels decreased over the six-week study and returned to normal, frustration was still evident by the higher levels of oral activity, which were maintained throughout the study.