Ammonia volatilization, nitrogen in soil, and growth of barley after application of peat manure and pig slurry

Peat is added to manure, because its low pH and capacity to adsorb ammonia (NH3) give it potential to reduce nitrogen (N) loss. Peat manure was prepared by mixing pig slurry with moderately humified Sphagnum peat. Less than 1% of applied ammoniacal N was volatilized as NH3 from peat manure and pig slurry within 8 h of surface application on clay loam soil according to JTI method. Incorporated manures showed even smaller N loss. The low volatilization was due to the adsorption of manure ammoniacal N by peat, and the infiltration of slurry into harrowed, moist clay soil. In another experiment, peat manure was applied on polypropylene fabric without soil contact. Within the first 3 days there was only 9% reduction in the ammoniacal N of peat manure, but the major part of it was lost during several weeks of dry and warm weather. Peat manure did not cause any major improvements on the growth and N uptake of spring barley in spring and early summer as compared with slurry. Moisture deficit limited the availability of ammoniacal N of manures. As compared with surface application, incorporation of manures increased nitrification of ammonium in the soil, and dry matter mass (19–73%) and N uptake of barley. Supplementing manures with inorganic NPK fertilizer increased both dry matter mass (40–98%) and N concentration of barley stand

Spring barley yield and nitrogen recovery after application of peat manure and pig slurry

The effectiveness of peat manure, manufactured of pig slurry and moderately humified Sphagnum peat (slurry:peat ca. 1:1.5 v/v), as nitrogen (N) source for spring barley was investigated in a four.year field experiment on a clay loam soil in south-western Finland. Pig slurry, NPK fertilizer and plain peat were used as references. Manures were incorporated before sowing or surface-applied after sowing in spring at an ammoniacal N rate of.54.106 kg.ha-1 with or without supplementary NPK fertilizer (40.kg N.ha-1). Soil moisture conditions were varied by different irrigation treatments. Peat manure produced 5.15% higher grain yields than pig slurry, with the largest difference after surface application. Incorporation was more important for slurry than for peat manure in increasing N uptake and yield. Soil moisture deficit in spring and early summer limited the availability of manure N. Part of the manure N that was not available in the early growing period was apparently taken up by the crop later. Consequently, N concentration tended to be higher with lower yields, and differences in the recovery of manure N were smaller than the differences in grain yield. Supplementation of manures with inorganic fertilizer N increased yield by 37%, on average, and improved the N recovery

Using Games, Mobile and Wireless Environments to Construct Meaningful and Motivating LearningTwo Cases: Adventure in the Castle of Oulu (1651) and Virtual Snellman (1822)

The traditional notion of a learning environment has expanded to cover virtual spaces. Today, these virtual learning environments are often network-based and readily wireless accessible to a certain group of students. Virtual meeting places are extremely popular among young people. Their very popularity can occasionally even present problems in everyday schoolwork. Thus, attempts to harness these new tools and environments for learning purposes are worth undertaking. These considerations have inspired the present project that has produced a 3D virtual learning environment with the aim of providing a space for learning activities. The space itself and its virtual inhabitants in these cases are based on historical data. The players who enter this environment learn by interacting with the characters and each other. The game offers challenges the players try to solve as a team. It emphasizes group work skills, group interaction, and cooperation in various conflict situations that have to be negotiated inside the virtual world. Historical information plays a key role in game play and thus the learning experience is integrated to the events of the game, making learning fun. The environment utilizes both verbal and non-verbal communication and it does not contain violent or destructive elements and therefore it is suitable for children of all ages and both sexes. One of the important goals of realizing the Snellman game is to make sure the application can be transported to other networks and is able to utilize different learning environments through, for instance, mobile devices. The use of mobile technology raises a number of questions in terms of production. How central a role should mobile devices assume in game play? In what way should information acquired via mobile devices mesh with the virtual environment

Management of investment processes on Finnish farms

Structural change in agriculture means a continuous need for investing in farm production. It is essential for the sustainable operations and the economy of the farm that such investments are successful. In this research, different stages of the investment process of farms were studied as well as the use of information and the success perceived during the investment process. The study was carried out with mail surveys and telephone interviews on the Finnish Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) farms. The most challenging investments were in animal husbandry buildings and, as to these investments, the comparison of alternatives was the most challenging stage. For most investments, the planning phase was considered more challenging than the implementation. Before making the decision, farmers acquired information from many sources, of which the opinion of the main customer and the experiences of fellow farmers were the most valued. Some of the products considered were so new on the market that it was not easy to get adequate information and, furthermore, the information given by suppliers was not always accurate. Decision-making was supported by calculations, but qualitative factors had a dominating role. Large basic decisions were made relatively quickly, while details needed a longer time to process. In general, farm managers were satisfied with their investments. Improvements in work quality and quantity were especially mentioned and generally qualitative factors were the ones first in mind when evaluating the successfulness of the investment

Nitrogen losses from grass ley after slurry application - surface broadcasting vs. injection

As the livestock numbers on Finnish dairy farms have increased and most fields on dairy farms are under grass, it has become common to spread cattle slurry over grasslands. To estimate environmental effects of recurrent slurry applications, a 5-year field study was performed to compare nitrogen (N) losses to water and ammonia losses to air by volatilization, when cattle slurry was either surface broadcast or injected into clay soil after grass cuttings. Slurry was spread on the grass in summer (1996–1997) or both in summer and autumn (1998–2000). Biomass N uptake before grass harvesting and amount of soil mineral N in spring and autumn were measured and field N balances were calculated. Despite cool weather, up to one third of the ammonium N of broadcast slurries was lost through ammonia volatilization after application in autumn, but injection effectively prevented losses. The mean surface runoff losses of total N were negligible (0.3–4.6 kg ha-1 yr-1) with the highest loss of 13 kg ha-1 yr-1 measured after slurry broadcasting to wet soil in autumn and followed with heavy rains. A substantial part (24–55%) of the applied mineral N was not recovered by the foregoing measurements

Ammonia emissions from pig and cattle slurry in the field and utilization of slurry nitrogen in crop production

Volatilization of ammonia (NH3) from animal manure is a major pathway for nitrogen (N) losses that cause eutrophication, acidification, and other environmental hazards. In this study, the effect of alternative techniques of manure treatment (aeration, separation, addition of peat) and application (broadcast spreading, band spreading, injection, incorporation by harrowing) on ammonia emissions in the field and on nitrogen uptake by ley or cereals was studied. The effect of a mixture of slurry and peat on soil properties was also investigated. The aim of this study was to find ways to improve the utilization of manure nitrogen and reduce its release to the environment. Injection into the soil or incorporation by harrowing clearly reduced ammonia volatilization from slurry more than did the surface application onto a smaller area by band spreading or reduction of the dry matter of slurry by aeration or separation. Surface application showed low ammonia volatilization, when pig slurry was applied to tilled bare clay soil or to spring wheat stands in early growth stages. Apparently, the properties of both slurry and soil enabled the rapid infiltration and absorption of slurry and its ammoniacal nitrogen by the soil. On ley, however, surface-applied cattle slurry lost about half of its ammoniacal nitrogen. The volatilization of ammonia from surface-applied peat manure was slow, but proceeded over a long period of time. After rain or irrigation, the peat manure layer on the soil surface retarded evaporation. Incorporation was less important for the fertilizer effect of peat manure than for pig slurry, but both manures were more effective when incorporated. Peat manure applications increase soil organic matter content and aggregate stability. Stubble mulch tillage hastens the effect in surface soil compared with ploughing. The apparent recovery of ammoniacal manure nitrogen in crop yield was higher with injection and incorporation than with surface applications. This was the case for leys as well as for spring cereals, even though ammonia losses from manures applied to cereals were relatively low with surface applications as well. The ammoniacal nitrogen of surface-applied slurry was obviously adsorbed by the very surface soil and remained mostly unavailable to plant roots in the dry soil. Supplementing manures with inorganic fertilizer nitrogen, which adds plant-available nitrogen to the soil at the start of growth, increased the overall recovery of applied nitrogen in crop yields.Merkittävä määrä typpeä kulkeutuu ympäristöön karjanlannasta haihtuvana ammoniakkina. Ammoniakkipäästöt aiheuttavat rehevöitymistä, happamoitumista ja muita ympäristöhaittoja. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin erilaisten lannankäsittelytekniikoiden (ilmastus, separointi, imeyttäminen turpeeseen) ja levitystapojen (hajalevitys, nauhalevitys letkulevittimellä, sijoittaminen, multaaminen äestämällä) vaikutusta ammoniakin haihtumiseen pellolle levitetystä lannasta sekä nurmen ja viljojen typenottoon. Myös turpeeseen imeytetyn lietelannan vaikutusta maan ominaisuuksiin tutkittiin. Tavoitteena oli löytää menetelmiä, joilla voidaan lisätä lannan typen hyväksikäyttöä ja vähentää typpipäästöjä ympäristöön. Lietelannan suora sijoittaminen maahan ja pintaan levitetyn lietelannan multaaminen äestämällä vähensivät ammoniakin haihtumista selvästi enemmän kuin pintalevitys pienemmälle alalle nauhalevityksen avulla tai lannan kuiva-aineen vähentäminen ilmastuksella tai separoinnilla. Pintalevityksen ammoniakkipäästöt olivat pienet, kun sian lietelantaa oli levitetty muokatulle savimaalle tai kevätvehnäkasvustoon varhaisissa kasvuvaiheissa. Nurmella sen sijaan pintalevitetyn naudan lietelannan liukoisesta typestä haihtui noin puolet. Pintalevitetystä turvelannasta ammoniakin haihtuminen oli hidasta mutta jatkui kuivalla säällä pitkään. Sateen tai sadetuksen jälkeen turvelantakerros hidasti haihtumista ja edisti näin kosteuden säilymistä maassa. Multaaminen ei ollut turvelannan typen hyväksikäytön kannalta yhtä tärkeää kuin lietelannan, mutta kumpikin lanta vaikutti voimakkaammin mullattuna. Toistuvasti käytettynä turvelanta parantaa maan rakennetta lisäämällä maan eloperäistä ainesta ja murujen kestävyyttä. Sänkimuokkaus nopeuttaa vaikutusta pintamaassa kyntöön verrattuna. Sijoittaminen ja multaaminen lisäsivät kasvien typenottoa sekä nurmella että viljoilla, vaikka viljapellosta ammoniakin haihtuminen oli vähäistä myös lannan jäädessä pintaan. Viljapeltoon pintalevitetyn lannan liukoinen typpi ilmeisesti sitoutui kuivaan pintamaahan ja oli pääosin kasvien juurten ulottumattomissa. Karjanlannan täydentäminen väkilannoitetypellä, mikä lisää kasveille käyttökelpoisen typen määrää kasvun alussa, edisti viljelykasvien kasvua sekä lannan ja väkilannoitteen typen hyväksikäyttöä

Ammoniakkipäästöt sian ja naudan lietelannasta pellolla ja lannan typen hyväksikäyttö kasvintuotannossa

Volatilization of ammonia (NH3) from animal manure is a major pathway for nitrogen (N) losses that cause eutrophication, acidification, and other environmental hazards. In this study, the effect of alternative techniques of manure treatment (aeration, separation, addition of peat) and application (broadcast spreading, band spreading, injection, incorporation by harrowing) on ammonia emissions in the field and on nitrogen uptake by ley or cereals was studied. The effect of a mixture of slurry and peat on soil properties was also investigated. The aim of this study was to find ways to improve the utilization of manure nitrogen and reduce its release to the environment. Injection into the soil or incorporation by harrowing clearly reduced ammonia volatilization from slurry more than did the surface application onto a smaller area by band spreading or reduction of the dry matter of slurry by aeration or separation. Surface application showed low ammonia volatilization, when pig slurry was applied to tilled bare clay soil or to spring wheat stands in early growth stages. Apparently, the properties of both slurry and soil enabled the rapid infiltration and absorption of slurry and its ammoniacal nitrogen by the soil. On ley, however, surface-applied cattle slurry lost about half of its ammoniacal nitrogen. The volatilization of ammonia from surface-applied peat manure was slow, but proceeded over a long period of time. After rain or irrigation, the peat manure layer on the soil surface retarded evaporation. Incorporation was less important for the fertilizer effect of peat manure than for pig slurry, but both manures were more effective when incorporated. Peat manure applications increase soil organic matter content and aggregate stability. Stubble mulch tillage hastens the effect in surface soil compared with ploughing. The apparent recovery of ammoniacal manure nitrogen in crop yield was higher with injection and incorporation than with surface applications. This was the case for leys as well as for spring cereals, even though ammonia losses from manures applied to cereals were relatively low with surface applications as well. The ammoniacal nitrogen of surface-applied slurry was obviously adsorbed by the very surface soil and remained mostly unavailable to plant roots in the dry soil. Supplementing manures with inorganic fertilizer nitrogen, which adds plant-available nitrogen to the soil at the start of growth, increased the overall recovery of applied nitrogen in crop yields.Merkittävä määrä typpeä kulkeutuu ympäristöön karjanlannasta haihtuvana ammoniakkina. Ammoniakkipäästöt aiheuttavat rehevöitymistä, happamoitumista ja muita ympäristöhaittoja. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin erilaisten lannankäsittelytekniikoiden (ilmastus, separointi, imeyttäminen turpeeseen) ja levitystapojen (hajalevitys, nauhalevitys letkulevittimellä, sijoittaminen, multaaminen äestämällä) vaikutusta ammoniakin haihtumiseen pellolle levitetystä lannasta sekä nurmen ja viljojen typenottoon. Myös turpeeseen imeytetyn lietelannan vaikutusta maan ominaisuuksiin tutkittiin. Tavoitteena oli löytää menetelmiä, joilla voidaan lisätä lannan typen hyväksikäyttöä ja vähentää typpipäästöjä ympäristöön. Lietelannan suora sijoittaminen maahan ja pintaan levitetyn lietelannan multaaminen äestämällä vähensivät ammoniakin haihtumista selvästi enemmän kuin pintalevitys pienemmälle alalle nauhalevityksen avulla tai lannan kuiva-aineen vähentäminen ilmastuksella tai separoinnilla. Pintalevityksen ammoniakkipäästöt olivat pienet, kun sian lietelantaa oli levitetty muokatulle savimaalle tai kevätvehnäkasvustoon varhaisissa kasvuvaiheissa. Nurmella sen sijaan pintalevitetyn naudan lietelannan liukoisesta typestä haihtui noin puolet. Pintalevitetystä turvelannasta ammoniakin haihtuminen oli hidasta mutta jatkui kuivalla säällä pitkään. Sateen tai sadetuksen jälkeen turvelantakerros hidasti haihtumista ja edisti näin kosteuden säilymistä maassa. Multaaminen ei ollut turvelannan typen hyväksikäytön kannalta yhtä tärkeää kuin lietelannan, mutta kumpikin lanta vaikutti voimakkaammin mullattuna. Toistuvasti käytettynä turvelanta parantaa maan rakennetta lisäämällä maan eloperäistä ainesta ja murujen kestävyyttä. Sänkimuokkaus nopeuttaa vaikutusta pintamaassa kyntöön verrattuna. Sijoittaminen ja multaaminen lisäsivät kasvien typenottoa sekä nurmella että viljoilla, vaikka viljapellosta ammoniakin haihtuminen oli vähäistä myös lannan jäädessä pintaan. Viljapeltoon pintalevitetyn lannan liukoinen typpi ilmeisesti sitoutui kuivaan pintamaahan ja oli pääosin kasvien juurten ulottumattomissa. Karjanlannan täydentäminen väkilannoitetypellä, mikä lisää kasveille käyttökelpoisen typen määrää kasvun alussa, edisti viljelykasvien kasvua sekä lannan ja väkilannoitteen typen hyväksikäyttöä

Maan multavuus huomioitava säilörehunurmen typpilannoituksessa

Maan multavuus pitäisi pystyä huomioimaan nykyistä paremmin nurmien typpilannoituksessa, varsinkin toisessa sadossa. Nurmen typpilannoitus runsaasti orgaanista ainesta sisältävillä mailla kannattaa tehdä kevätpainotteisesti. Kesän jälkimmäisen sadon typpilannoituksen täydennystarve voisi puolestaan perustua säätietojen perusteella laskettuun maakuntakohtaiseen ennusteeseen.vokmk

The incidence of pelvic fractures and related surgery in the Finnish adult population: a nationwide study of 33,469 patients between 1997 and 2014

Background and purpose - Information on the epidemiological trends of pelvic fractures and fracture surgery in the general population is limited. We therefore determined the incidence of pelvic fractures in the Finnish adult population between 1997 and 2014 and assessed the incidence and trends of fracture surgery.Patients and methods - We used data from the Finnish National Discharge Register (NHDR) to calculate the incidence of pelvic fractures and fracture surgery. All patients 18 years of age or older were included in the study. The NHDR covers the whole Finnish population and gives information on health care services and the surgical procedures performed.Results and interpretation - We found that in Finnish adults the overall incidence of hospitalization for a pelvic fracture increased from 34 to 56/100,000 person-years between 1997 and 2014. This increase was most apparent for the low-energy fragility fractures of the elderly female population. The ageing of the population is likely therefore to partly explain this increase. The annual number and incidence of pelvic fracture surgery also rose between 1997 and 2014, from 118 (number) and 3.0 (incidence) in 1997 to 187 and 4.3 in 2014, respectively. The increasing number and incidence of pelvic fractures in the elderly population will increase the need for social and healthcare services. The main focus should be on fracture prevention.Peer reviewe