Microarthropods as Bioindicators of Soil Health Following Land Application of Swine Slurry


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*Purpose 

As producers of livestock and agricultural crops continue to focus significant efforts on improving the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of their systems, increasing the utilization of livestock manure in cropping systems to offset inorganic fertilizer use benefits both sectors of agriculture. However, promoting manure based purely upon nutrient availability may not be sufficient …

Talking Climate with Animal Agriculture Advisers


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Purpose             

The Animal Agriculture in a Changing Climate (AACC) project was established to leverage limited Extension expertise across the country in climate change mitigation and adaptation, with the goal of building capacity among Extension professionals and other livestock advisers to address climate change issues.

What did we do? 

The Animal Agriculture in a Changing Climate …

Determining Causes of Deep‐pit Swine Manure Foaming Issues and Potential Mitigation Strategies

Substantial new of information has been learned about the foaming process, its potential causes, and the different methods of addressing it. This presentation was originally broadcast on March 16, 2018. More…

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The embedded videos can be viewed full screen by clicking on the icon in the lower right …

Nutrient Recovery Membrane Technology: Best Applications and Role in Conservation


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Purpose 

Animal manure contains nutrients and organic matter that is valuable to crop producers if it can be efficiently applied to nearby fields, however this can be a significant source of environmental contamination if managed incorrectly. In most cases, concentrated animal production facilities are rarely close to sufficient cropland to fully utilize these resources and …

Nutrient Recovery Membrane Technology: Pilot-Scale Evaluation


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Purpose 

Animal manure contains nutrients and organic matter that are valuable to crop production.  Applying manure to nearby fields can be a significant source of environmental contamination, however, if managed incorrectly. In many cases, concentrated animal production facilities are not close enough to sufficient cropland to fully utilize these resources and management of manure becomes …

Manure Treatment and Natural Inactivation of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus in Soils


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Purpose 

The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) outbreak in North America has substantially impacted swine production, causing nearly 100% mortality in infected newborn piglets. Because manure may remain a source of reinfection, proper manure management practices to limit outbreaks need to be developed and evaluated. Two laboratory studies simulating manure pit treatment with increasing amounts …

What Is an Environmental Foot Print? (Ecological Footprint)

green stylized pig logoThe Cambridge dictionary defines environmental footprint as:

the effect that a person, company, activity, etc. has on the environment, for example the amount of natural resources that they use and the amount of harmful gases that they produce

Also referred to as an ecological footprint, this is a measure that attempts to consider multiple impacts of an activity rather than …

Carbon Footprint, Life Cycle Assessment and the Pork Industry

green stylized pig logoAnimal agriculture in the U.S. contributes approximately 3.5% of all man-made greenhouse gases (GHGs). If you look at pork production, it accounts for just 0.34% of all emissions. (Source: U.S. EPA Greenhouse Gas Inventory released April, 2015).

When you total up all the GHG emissions from a particular activity or process, it is called a carbon footprint. The procedure used …

PEDV Survivability in Swine Mortality Compost Piles


*Purpose

PEDv has caused significant losses in the Nebraska pork industry and mortality can approach 100%. Disposal of these carcasses is a challenge as they serve as a source of tremendous amounts of infectious virus. Current alternative methods of disposal include rendering, incineration and burial. Rendering trucks may serve as a farm-to-farm vector. Incineration is not feasible for the significant …

Time-Temperature Combinations for Destruction of PEDv During Composting


*Purpose

The purpose of this project was to determine the appropriate time-temperature combinations required for inactivation of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) in composting material as a basis for evaluation of composting for disposal of swine mortalities and/or other PEDv-positive biological material.

What did we do?

In vitro propagation of PEDv for laboratory survivability assays was conducted using a …

Analyses of Microbial Populations and Antibiotic Resistance Present in Stored Swine Manure from Underground Storage Pits


Why Study Antibiotic Resistance in Manure?

Antimicrobial compounds have been commonly used as feed additives for domestic animals to reduce infection and promote growth. Recent concerns have suggested such feeding practices may result in increased microbial resistance to antibiotics, which can have an impact on human health. As part of our research project we have been studying the commensal microbial …

Technologies for Anaerobic Digestion of Flushed Swine Manure

Hog farmers face a unique challenge to implement digestion — namely the low volumetric methane yield of wet swine manure.  The most common digester used on hog farms using flushing systems is the covered lagoon.  This presentation explores the technical feasibility of high rate reactors for low solids swine manure.  Systems compared are Contact Stabilization Reactors, Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket …

Calculating Carbon Footprints for the UGA Dairy And Swine Farms Using Selected Models


Why Examine Carbon Footprints of Farms?

World Agriculture is currently faced with the challenge of feeding a rapidly increasing global population, predicted to peak at 9.2 billion by 2075, while meeting an obligation to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The emission of GHG can cause many serious problems, such as global temperature rise, sea level rise and ocean acidification.

Satellite map of university of georgia dairy farmAgriculture …

The Natural Farming Concept: A New Economical Waste Management for Small Family Swine Farms


Why Look at Inoculated Deep Litter Systems?

The most critical issue facing livestock and other small family operations nationwide is the development and implementation of cost effective pollution prevention technology. Our livestock producers, especially swine, continue to seek a best management practice (BMP) that is effective, economical, and practical, and in compliance with new US EPA laws. The Department of …

Composting Swine Slurry to Reduce Indicators and Antibiotic Resistance Genes


Purpose 

Over the last twenty years there have been considerable increases in the incidence of human infections with bacteria that are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. This has precipitated concerns about the use of antibiotics in livestock production. Composting of swine manure has several advantages, liquid slurries are converted to solid, the total volume of material is reduced and the …

Inhibition Of Total Gas Production, Methane, Hydrogen Sulfide, And Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria From In Vitro Stored Swine Manure Using Condensed Tannins

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Abstract

Management practices from large-scale swine production facilities have resulted in the increased collection and storage of manure for off-season fertilization use.  Odor produced during storage has increased the tension among rural neighbors and among urban and rural residents, and greenhouse gas emissions may contribute to climate change.  Production of these compounds …

Combination of Borax and Quebracho Condensed Tannins Treatment to Reduce Hydrogen Sulfide, Ammonia and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Stored Swine Manure

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Abstract

Livestock producers are acutely aware for the need to reduce gaseous emissions from stored livestock waste and have been trying to identify new technologies to address the chronic problem.  Besides the malodor issue, toxic gases emitted from stored livestock manure, especially hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) are environmental and health …