Delivering Climate Forecast Products to Farmers: Ex Post Assessment of Impacts of Climate Information on Corn Production Systems in Isabela, Philippines

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 0000 | No Comments

Corn production is the principal source of family income for about 24 million Filipinos.
Isabela Province, located in one of the most depressed regions in northern Philippines,
is considered the top corn-producing province in the country contributing
17% or 536 353 tons of the total yellow corn production in the country. Corn is grown
rainfed in Isabela. Monocropping of corn is predominantly practiced in Isabela and
there are two cropping seasons per year a

Site Development for Hoop Barns

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In discussing site development, we must understand how to determine and find a
good location for the development of hoop structures. In a typical hog barn the
buildingsa

Will Voluntary and Educational Programs Meet Environmental Objectives? Evidence from a Survey of New York Dairy Farms

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BIOFILTER MEDIA MIXTURE RATIO OF WOOD CHIPS AND COMPOST TREATING SWINE ODORS

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Dealing with the Aftermath of a Pig Barn Fire

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Farm fires are always devastating events – and livestock on those farms increases the challenge. According to the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, farm fires pose a special threat. Farms tend to be isolated and rarely have access to well-equipped urban fire departments or to large quantities of water. Barns are highly flammable and can quickly burn out of control. As a result, economic losses due to fires in farming are severe and out of proportion to the number of fires that
occur. No amount of precaution will entirely rule out the chance that a fire may start, so ita

Composting: An Alternative Method of Deadstock Disposal

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Manitoba Conservation regulates the disposal of deadstock under the Livestock Manure and
Mortalities Management Regulation, MR 42/98 amended by MR 52/2004. Under this regulation:
15(1) No person shall keep mortalities in or at an agricultural operation unless the mortalities are kept
(a) in a secure storage room, covered container or secure location; and
(b) continually frozen or refrigerated, if not disposed of within 48 hours after death.

The approved mortality disposal options in Manitoba are:
1. Burial
2. Incineration
3. Composting
4. Rendering

Unfortunately, burial is not suitable for light, sandy soils and is impractical in the winter. As well, large operations (300 or more animal units) are not permitted to bury deadstock on the operation property without written approval from the director. Incineration can be quite expensive, particularly for larger carcasses, and the incinerator must be licensed and operated in accordance with the Incinerators Regulation. Finally, due to the BSE crisis, renderers will no longer handle ruminant (cattle, sheep, goat) material. This leaves on-farm composting as the only viable alternative in many situations.

This website provides an overview of on-farm composting mortalities. It includes interactive screens to assist in planning your composting site. For more information on carcass composting, please contact
your local Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives office or click here to find an agricultural office near you.
Diseased animals should be reported to your local veterinarian and disposed of accordingly!

Energy Use in Pig Farming

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AMMONIA EMISSION FACTORS FROM SWINE FINISHING OPERATIONS

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Use of Intra-Uterine Insemination of Pigs: Pros, Cons & Economics

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Many pork producers are told that reproductive performance will be enhanced when multiparous sows are
inseminated by the intra-uterine procedure. However, many questions about intra-uterine inseminating procedures,
reproductive performance and economic aspects have not been answered with an abundance of scientific data. The
purpose of this manuscript is to discuss pros, cons, results of available research data, and economical aspects
relating to intra-uterine insemination. It was found that some of the claims stated as advantages for the intra-uterine insemination procedure are: (1) less back-flow will occur during and after insemination, (2) fewer sperm cells per dose are needed, (3) a smaller volume of semen is needed, (4) less time is needed to infuse semen after placing the catheter into the uterine body, (5) paternal genetic cost will be lower per dose because less sperm cells are inseminated, and (6) as a result of less sperm cells per dose fewer boars will be needed to produce superior semen. Some of the disadvantages for implementing the use of intra-uterine insemination are: (a) cost
per insemination catheter is increased, (b) time has to be spent to train people on how to effectively use the new
style of catheter, (c) the catheter is not recommended for use with gilts and some Parity 1 females, (d) it takes more
time to carefully insert the catheter, (e) there is an increase in risk of injuring the cervix and uterine body, and (f) a
higher level of catheter sanitation is required because the inner cannula is placed into the uterine body.

Facts for First Responders: Barn Fires Involving Livestock

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Barn fires are one of the more challenging structure fires for first responders. Barns are
highly flammable buildings that are often filled with highly combustible items. These structures
go up quickly and burn fast. The vast majority of barn fires occur late at night or early morning
hours, often going undetected until flames are showing. Due to the locations of barns, by the
time the fire department arrives, the barn is quite often fully involved.
Adding to the challenge of a barn fire is that many of these structures house animals. Depending on the type of animal and barn design, some animals can be quickly removed, while others are impossible to evacuate.
Fire departments in areas with barns should hold barn fire education nights for farmers and livestock-related facility owners. Along with providing the basics of barn fire prevention, you should encourage the owners to invite your department out to tour their facilities and barns to become aware of the location of hazards and water sources, and provide you with information about the animals on their farm and the design of the barns.
By educating your department on what to expect at a barn fire and giving them some basic guidelines, you will be able to more effectively respond to a barn fire and keep your crew safer.