Land spreading of animal manures, farm wastes and non-agricultural organic wastes - end of project report part 1 Manure (and other organic wastes) management guidelines for intensive agricultural enterprises

ISBN as quotedSIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:8052.461350(no 19) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Response of silage yield to land application of out-wintering pad effluent in Ireland

Out-wintering pads (OWPs) are a low capital-cost cattle housing system gaining popularity in Ireland and other countries. OWPs consist of a layer of timber residue over an artificially drained surface that separates solid and liquid excreta created during animal confinement. Residues from OWPs that require management include liquid effluent (urine and water) and spent timber residue (timber soiled with manure). The current strategy for on-farm management of effluent and spent timber residue is to apply them to grassland used for the production of silage. The objective of this study was to determine the dry matter (DM) yield response of first and residual cut silage to three rates of OWP effluent applied to grassland. These results were compared to silage crop response to inorganic N fertilizer and to cattle slurry (manure and urine) from a conventional livestock housing system. In four out of five trials, application of OWP effluent of up to 29 kg ha-1 of total N input resulted in a significant DM yield response compared to control treatments for first cut silage. The efficiency of OWP effluent ranged from 74 to 90% at the highest application rate (29 kg N ha-1) compared to inorganic fertilizer for first cut silage DM yield. Cattle slurry N efficiency was 16-50% at a similar N application rate (27.9 kg N ha-1) for first cut silage DM yield.

The composition of dirty water on dairy farms in Ireland.

Considerable quantities of dirty water, composed of milking parlour wash-water, milk spillages, runoff from cattle yard areas and, possibly, effluent from silage and manure, are produced on dairy farms. In Ireland, dirty water from dairy farm facilities is normally managed by spreading on, or irrigation to, land. It has considerable potential to cause water pollution due to its high pH, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand and its N and P concentrations. The objective of the present study was to contribute to better management of dirty water on dairy farms by providing estimates of its composition using rapid methods that can be easily used on farms. During the experiment, 34 samples were collected from the facilities on the dairy farm at Teagasc, Johnstown Castle (Wexford), between 27 January and 1 May, 2006. Dry matter and specific gravity provided the best indicator of biochemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen and phosphorous, and micro and macro nutrients. The nutrient concentration of dirty water can be determined rapidly using either dry matter concentration or specific gravity, enabling farmers to include this information in the nutrient management plan for their farm

The influence of diet crude protein level on odour and ammonia emissions from finishing pig houses

Feed trials were carried out to assess the influence of crude protein content in finishing pig diets on odour and ammonia emissions. Eight pigs (4 boars and 4 gilts), average initial weight 70.8 kg (s.e. 3.167) were housed in two pens that were isolated from the rest of a pig house at University College Dublin Research Farm, Newcastle, Dublin, Ireland. Four diets containing 130, 160, 190 and 220 g kg−1 crude protein were fed during six four-week feeding periods (one treatment per room). The first week of the feeding periods served to allow odour build up in the pens and as a dietary adjustment period. The pens had partially slatted floors that were cleaned and had all the manure removed after each four-week period. Odour and ammonia concentrations were measured on days 9, 14, 16, 21 and 23 of each trial period. Odour samples were collected in Nalophan bags and analysed for odour concentration using an ECOMA Yes/No olfactometer. The odour threshold concentration was calculated according to the response of the olfactometry panel members and was displayed in OuE m−3, which referred to the physiological response from the panel equivalent to that elicited by 40 ppb v−1n-butanol evaporated in 1 m3 of neutral gas. Ammonia concentrations in the ventilation air were measured using Dräger tubes. The odour emission rates per animal for the 130, 160, 190 and 220 g kg−1 crude protein diets were 12.1, 13.2, 19.6 and 17.6 OuE s−1 animal−1, respectively (P0.05). Manipulation of dietary crude protein levels would appear to offer a low cost alternative, in relation to end-of-pipe treatments, for the abatement of odour and ammonia emissions from finishing pig housesSB. 21/5/201