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Manure 'Smells Like Money' As Energy Costs Rise

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Bianca
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« on: December 31, 2008, 11:13:31 am »


              

              Tommy Bass, MSU Extension livestock environment associate specialist,
              stands atop a pile of manure.

              (Credit: MSU photo by Kelly Gorham)
« Last Edit: December 31, 2008, 11:17:13 am by Bianca » Report Spam   Logged

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« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2008, 11:16:51 am »









                                    Manure 'Smells Like Money' As Energy Costs Rise







ScienceDaily
(Sep. 10, 2008)

— With energy prices driving the cost of agricultural inputs up, nutrient-rich manure is getting another look.

"Calls to Extension offices from people looking for manure and manure compost have increased in recent months," says Tommy Bass, Montana State University Extension livestock environment associate specialist.

Bass said that this shift in perception is good for water quality, too.

"As manure gains value, it is likely to be used more efficiently and effectively. There's a potential for increased revenue for animal feeding operations," he said.

Though MSU Extension and conservation professionals have taught for years that manure can be a valuable asset, it's often written it off as a difficult-to-manage byproduct with cumbersome regulations.

Now, with fertilizer prices hovering at $1,000 per ton, the nitrogen and other nutrients in manure look more gold than brown.

Bass said that a ton of manure contains between $30 to $40 dollars worth of nutrients for the soil, though they're not all available the first year.

"Expect a quarter to a half of the nitrogen to be available in the first season," he said, "The remainder is partially available the next year and partially lost to the atmosphere."

Fresh scraped and stacked dairy and beef manure can have a total nitrogen content ranging between 12 and 25 pounds of nitrogen per ton of manure, while the same ton may also have 9 to 18 pounds of phosphorus fertilizer equivalent.

"The nutrient content of manure varies for different species and different manure management systems, but it is all valuable," he said.

Nitrogen and phosphorus are not the only valuable nutrients in manure. Potassium and a variety of micro-nutrients are also present.

In addition to specific nutrients, the high organic content of manure and manure compost improves soil quality, and its improved texture improves its water and nutrient holding capacity.

About 70 to 90 percent of phosphorus and potassium can be available the first year. Phosphorus not used by the plant persists longer in the soil and will remain available if erosion and run-off are controlled.

When applying manure based on the nitrogen needs of a crop, phosphorus will inherently be over applied or exceed the crop's annual use of phosphorus, however it can be taken up by crops in subsequent years. Fields with significant residual soil test phosphorus may need a rest from manure applications. In that case only a commercial nitrogen product needs to be applied to meet nutrient requirements and production goals.
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« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2008, 11:18:59 am »









Considering possible variation associated in nutrient availability from manure, careful consideration should be given to how it is incorporated into an overall fertility plan.

"Attempting to replace all the nitrogen required by a high value wheat crop with manure sources carries a risk of lost production, if all the projected nutrients do not become available to the plant," Bass said. However, he recommends using manure strategically as a nutrient source in conjunction with commercial fertilizer.

The cost of applying manure also needs to be considered, he said, along with other costs such as renting or hiring of spreading equipment, fuel and an operator's time.

Using manure wisely can offset some commercial fertilizer purchases, while providing additional micronutrients and valuable organic matter to the soil.

As with any fertilizer, application rates should be based on a recent soil test and the particular crop's nutrient needs. An overall nutrient management plan is needed to meet production goals and protect natural resources. For some animal feeding operations such a plan is required as part of their permit.

With recognition of the increased fertilizer value of manure, it is being sold or traded for different services or goods around the country. Historically manure usually was only used or shipped within a few miles of its source. In some cases, it is now economically feasible to ship it increased distances. Manure hauling and brokerage businesses have popped up in which the company will clean out manure storage facilities in exchange for the product; they in turn sell it to another party. Other producers sell and trade with neighbors or build partnerships with commercial nurseries and compost manufacturers. Animal feeding operations with their own forage or crop production can benefit greatly from their onsite manure resources.

Manure is also being used to create energy through digesters that produce bio-gas capable of generating electricity or heat for farm and ranch buildings. Whether it is used for fertilizer, as an ingredient in compost or for energy production, the value of manure is being recognized for a variety of beneficial uses.

"To people making a living off the land, manure smells like money," Bass said.


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Adapted from materials provided by Montana State University.
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 MLA Montana State University (2008, September 10). Manure 'Smells Like Money' As Energy Costs Rise. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 31, 2008, from



http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/09/080908225153.htm
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« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2008, 11:20:29 am »




               

The water on the left collected in a solids-separation basin at the low end of the feedlot pen (on the right) after a rain. After the solids settle, the water in the basin will be distributed throughout the vegetative treatment area.

(Credit: Photo by Stephen Ausmus)
« Last Edit: December 31, 2008, 11:21:20 am by Bianca » Report Spam   Logged

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« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2008, 11:23:35 am »









                                           New Option For Managing Manure






ScienceDaily
(Nov. 26, 2007)

— A typical 1,000-head beef feedlot produces up to 280 tons of manure in just one week. That's a lot of manure—and for hundreds of U.S. cattle feedlots, disposal is an important management issue.

Fortunately, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in the Environmental Management Research Unit at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) at Clay Center, Neb., have developed and tested a new method of runoff control.

In the United States, feedlot runoff is often stored in a large pond or basin. From there, it is either distributed as nutrient-rich irrigation water or processed for safe disposal. This method is approved by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but is far from perfect. Over time, nutrients can percolate through the soil into groundwater. Also, pond maintenance is expensive and difficult.

Research leader John Nienaber worked with agricultural engineers Roger Eigenberg and Bryan Woodbury to design an alternative system, in which runoff containing manure solids enters temporary storage basins at the base of the sloped feedlot.

The basin is large enough to hold runoff for several hours to allow the solid waste to settle to the bottom. The remaining liquid is then drained through distribution tubes that provide even dispersal over a grassy field or "vegetative treatment area" (VTA).

The VTA system, conditionally approved by EPA, has many benefits. It requires minimal management, significantly reduces waste storage time, eliminates the need for costly runoff pumping, and removes standing water.

This manure-disposal technology could also be applied to other livestock. The system should be less expensive to construct and maintain than the traditional system, though the cost and suitability would vary with topography, climate and animal type.


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Adapted from materials provided by US Department of Agriculture.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2007/11/071126153250.htm
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« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2008, 11:26:09 am »









                    Minimal Composting Of Beef Cattle Manure Greatly Reduces Antibiotic Levels







ScienceDaily
(Oct. 14, 2008)

— Composting beef cattle manure, even with minimal management, can significantly reduce the concentrations of antibiotics in the manure, according to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) pilot study. The scientists found that composting manure from beef cattle could reduce concentrations of antibiotics by more than 99 percent.

Osman Arikan, a visiting scientist from Istanbul Technical University, and ARS microbiologists Patricia Millner and Walter Mulbry at the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, in Beltsville, Md., looked at varying levels of manure management, including plain manure piles, and manure piles with straw added. They found that adding straw to manure piles tends to result in higher temperatures that speed up the process of degrading antibiotics as well as pathogens.

The use of antibiotics as therapeutic agents is widespread in the animal production industry. Scientific studies have shown that, depending on the antibiotic and type of animal, between 20 to 75 percent of antibiotics administered to animals is excreted via urine and feces. So it's important that these residues are broken down during composting to prevent their release into the environment.

Arikan, Millner, and Mulbry evaluated the efficacy of a series of minimal-management options for on-farm manure composting to reduce concentrations of the antibiotics oxytetracycline and chlorotetracycline. The treatments were designed to span a range of management options from simply piling up the manure to mixing it with an equal volume of straw (to increase aeration within the compost pile) and adding insulating layers of straw.

Results show that manure-only pile temperatures and the concentrations of antibiotics were significantly influenced by treatment over a 28-day period. Concentrations of oxytetracycline and chlorotetracycline incubated at ambient temperature decreased 75 percent and 90 percent, respectively.

Oxytetracycline and chlorotetracycline concentrations in samples incubated for 28 days within an amended manure pile decreased 91 percent and 99 percent, respectively. Although manure piles amended with straw attained higher temperatures and more rapid decreases in antibiotic concentrations, there is currently no compelling justification for producers to expend additional resources needed to achieve the more rapid rates of antibiotic removal. Pathogen reduction in manure piles requires careful and consistent management to ensure all parts of the pile are treated.


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Adapted from materials provided by USDA/Agricultural Research Service.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/10/081013200632.htm
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« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2008, 11:28:42 am »









              Manure Management Reduces Levels Of Antibiotics And Antibiotic Resistance Genes






ScienceDaily
(Dec. 3, 2007)

— Antibiotic resistance is a growing human health concern. Researchers around the globe have found antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals to be present in surface waters and sediments, municipal wastewater, animal manure lagoons, and underlying groundwater. Researchers at Colorado State University (CSU) describe a study to find out if animal waste contributes to the spread of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARG), and if they can be reduced by appropriate manure management practices.

In the study researchers investigated the effects of manure management on the levels of antibiotics and ARG in manures. The study was conducted at two scales. In the pilot-scale experiment, horse manure was spiked with the antibiotics chlortetracycline, tylosin, and monensin and compared to horse manure that was not spiked with antibiotics to determine the response of ARG in unacclimated manures. In the large-scale experiment, dairy manure and beef feedlot manure, which were already acclimated to antibiotics, were monitored over time.

The manures were subjected to high-intensity management (HIM-amending with leaves and alfalfa, watering, and turning) and low-intensity management (LIM-no amending, watering, and turning) for six months. During this time, the levels of antibiotics were monitored using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). In addition, two types of ARG that confer resistance to tetracycline, tet(W) and tet(O), were monitored using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR).

In the pilot study, chlortetracycline, tylosin, and monensin all dissipated more rapidly in the HIM-manure than in the LIM-manure. In the large-scale study, feedlot manure initially had higher concentrations of the several tetracycline antibiotics than the dairy manure. After four months of treatment, tet(W) and tet(O) decreased significantly in dairy manure, but two more months of treatment were necessary for similar reductions of ARG in the feedlot manures.

The results showed that HIM was more effective than LIM at increasing the rate of antibiotic dissipation, but it was not a significant factor in reducing the levels of ARG. The length of treatment time was the main factor in reducing the levels of both antibiotics and ARG. For manures with initially high levels of antibiotics, treatment times of at least six months may be necessary for a significant reduction in levels of antibiotics and ARG. The results also provided evidence that ARG may be present for extended time periods even after antibiotics have fully dissipated.

Scientists at Colorado State University are continuing research in this area by examining full-scale local on-farm waste management practices. Together this research will lead to a better understanding of possible ARG mitigation strategies so that best management practices can be developed to reduce the effects that animal waste may have on the spread of ARG.

This research was published in the November-December issue of Journal of Environmental Quality. Funding was provided by the USDA Agricultural Experiment Station at CSU and the National Science Foundation (NSF).


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Adapted from materials provided by American Society of Agronomy.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2007/11/071128163244.htm
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« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2008, 11:31:28 am »










                          Microbes In Manure Can Minimize Potential Pharmaceutical Pollution







ScienceDaily
(Feb. 1, 2006)

— Bacteria are usually viewed as “the enemy” and targeted with potent antibiotics to curb their ability to cause infection. But according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists, microbes--including several types of bacteria--can be a farmer’s ally when it comes to reducing the risk that antibiotic-containing manure may pose to the environment.

Livestock and poultry producers rely on antibiotics to treat a host of diseases and infections. In fact, more than 21 million pounds of antibiotics were administered to U.S. farm animals and pets in 2004. Such treatments help promote animals’ health and well-being, in addition to ensuring a safe food supply for consumers.

The trouble is, when animals excrete in their waste antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals that their bodies don’t use, the compounds may linger in the environment. This so-called pharmaceutical pollution can encourage bacteria to mutate and form strains that are resistant to current antibiotics.

Scott Yates, a soil scientist with ARS’ George E. Brown, Jr. Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, Calif., wanted to find out what happens to antibiotic-laced manure once it’s mixed with soil, as typically happens when livestock manure is spread onto farm fields as a fertilizer.

Yates and colleague Qiquan Wang studied one commonly administered veterinary antibiotic, sulfadimethoxine, which is used to combat a number of diseases in livestock and pets.

They developed a mathematical model which revealed that thriving manure microbes play an important role in determining how quickly sulfadimethoxine degrades. Some microbes in manure can digest and inactivate the excreted antibiotic.

According to Yates and Wang, farmers should try to create a hospitable environment for these tiny helpers. They should store waste from treated animals in a warm, moist place for as long as possible before spreading it onto fields. This gives the beneficial soil microbes an opportunity to act on an antibiotic, before it has the chance to leach into soils and waterways.

ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific research agency.


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Adapted from materials provided by USDA/Agricultural Research Service.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2006/02/060201201046.htm
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