Manure Piles Research Articles

Санитарно-паразитологическая и экономическая оценка методов обеззараживания стоков и навоза на свинокомплексах

Objective of research: the sanitary-veterinary and economic evaluation of the disinfecting effect of different technologies applied for decontamination of livestock manure and sewage from invasive pathogens of pigs as well as for conversion of these wastes. Materials and methods: The degree of contamination of liquid manure from pig farms with eggs and helminth larvae, cysts and oocysts of parasitic protozoa, was studied on the samples collected once a month at farms of the Moscow region, and once every two months at farms of the Republic of Mordovia. Sampling, transportation and investigation of samples were carried out by the method of A. Cherepanov (1972). Samples were taken in the morning at 3-5 points using IMOP sampler 1000. At the sampling point, an inventory was created where the date, location, selection point and its sample volume were indicated. To prevent the development of microflora in the samples, a certain amount of preserving agent was added. When sampling solid manure fraction from the surface, middle and lower level, manure mass was selected horizontally at each level from 3-5 points, thoroughly mixed, then the averaged sample (1.0 kg) was placed in a plastic bag. To confirm the viability of helminth eggs detected by coproovoscopic examinations, eggs were transferred with a micropipette into Petri dishes and cultured in an thermostat at a temperature 26˚C in a humid environment, periodically aerating and observing the development of the embryo. Comparative assessment of the effectiveness of the treatment facilities in selected pig farms was performed by comparing the number of invasive elements in 1 liter of liquid manure entering and flowing out of the treatment facilities. Results and discussion: at all three selected pig farms, the most intense infections with helminth eggs, cysts and oocysts parasitic protozoa were found in raw sewage, what indicates a lack of effectiveness of anti-parasitic measures at the farm. JSC “Mordovia bacon” with 54 thousand pig heads a year is the only one of three inspected farms, where liquid manure is separated into fractions, followed by disinfestation of solid fraction on concrete pads with further application of manure as an organic fertilizer. Due to mechanical separation of liquid manure into fractions applied at this farm, the number of parasitic elements of internal parasites of pigs (eggs of Ascaris, trihotsefal, esophagitis, coccidia oocysts and cysts balantidiums) in 1 kg solid fraction was 586 ind. The efficiency of decontamination of liquid manure from parasitic elements, taking into account this treatment method was 53,6-73,4%. Biothermal decontamination of solid fraction of manure piles is achieved within 3-5 months (100%), depending on the season and used in fields as organic fertilizer.

Using airborne technology to quantify and apportion emissions of CH4 and NH3 from feedlots

A novel airborne approach using the latest technology in concentration measurements of methane (CH4) and ammonia (NH3), with quantum cascade laser gas analysers (QCLAs) and high-resolution wind, turbulence and other atmospheric parameters integrated into a low- and slow-flying modern airborne platform, was tested at a 17 000 head feedlot near Charlton, Victoria, Australia, in early 2015. Aircraft flights on 7 days aimed to define the lateral and vertical dimensions of the gas plume above and downwind of the feedlot and the gas concentrations within the plume, allowing emission rates of the target gases to be calculated. The airborne methodology, in the first instance, allowed the emissions to be qualitatively apportioned to individual rows of cattle pens, effluent ponds and manure piles. During each flight, independent measurements of emissions were conducted by ground-based inverse-dispersion and eddy covariance techniques, simultaneously. The aircraft measurements showed good agreement with earlier studies using more traditional approaches and the concurrent ground-based measurements. It is envisaged to use the aircraft technology for determining emissions from large-scale open grazing farms with low cattle densities. Our results suggested that this technique is able to quantify emissions from various sources within a feedlot (pens, manure piles and ponds), as well as the whole feedlot. Furthermore, the airborne technique enables tracing emissions for considerable distances downwind. In the current case, it was possible to detect elevated CH4 to at least 25 km and NH3 at least 7 km downwind of the feedlot.

Taming Manhattan: Environmental Battles in the Antebellum City by Catherine McNeur

Reviewed by: Taming Manhattan: Environmental Battles in the Antebellum City by Catherine McNeur Kate Mulry (bio) Taming Manhattan: Environmental Battles in the Antebellum City. By Catherine McNeur. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2014. Pp. 320. $29.95. Catherine McNeur’s excellent book examines the interconnected environmental, social, and economic transformations of a precipitously expanding New York City from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the Civil War. During this turbulent period, the residents of Manhattan were caught up in the throes of an urbanizing city, radically remade by rapid population growth and by capital flowing into the city after the completion of the Erie Canal. McNeur furnishes her text with a range of fascinating stories, emphasizing the diversity of voices engaged in debates over the changing shape and character of the city. Residents disagreed about what belonged on the city’s streets and how to divide its resources. The chapters are roughly chronological and chart an overlapping story of the halting, though ultimately incomplete, acquisition of power by the municipal government over New Yorkers and their city in the name of progress, public health, and profit. Over the course of several decades officials and private citizens attempted, often ineffectively, to wrest control of the shared spaces of the city and its seemingly ungovernable residents. They battled to reform both the urban environment and human behavior in the process. According to McNeur, her monograph illuminates “the inextricable ties between social control and environmental control, and the desperate impulse to seize … power during times of overwhelming change” (p. 5). Indeed, reformers grew even more ambitious in the aftermath of cholera epidemics in 1832 and 1849 due to the culture of fear the disease aroused; sanitation officials extended their reach into private homes. McNeur’s causal explanation for the “sweeping changes” made to [End Page 670] the structure of authority of New York in the wake of these health crises will interest historians of public health (p. 130). The strength of Taming Manhattan lies in the many remarkable lives and stories unearthed by McNeur. She begins by examining the haphazard efforts by the municipal government to clear the streets of roaming hogs and potentially rabid dogs. Elite New Yorkers turned up their noses at the urban poor for defying their visual and olfactory bourgeois sensibilities and dismissed the city’s poorer residents as the “swinish multitude,” equating the owners of hogs with their animals (p. 193). Their disdain stemmed from the lower classes’ use of the urban commons for survival, whether by scavenging ma-terials from street waste or allowing their hogs to forage for their own food. New York’s poor, especially recent immigrants and African Americans, recognized that campaigns to control loose hogs would result in their disinheritance. They fought back, often successfully, by ignoring legislation or circulating petitions. Sometimes they fought with fists. Chapters 3 and 4 track evolving concerns about living conditions. Reformers prevailed on officials to clean streets, manage waste, and regulate the production of corrupt foodstuffs like swill milk. In response, officials defined certain smells, sights, and sounds as “nuisances,” pushing offending establishments, including bone boilers and piggeries, to the edges of the city and beyond. McNeur convincingly argues that the actions of city government both reflected and produced ethnic and class divisions. If some New Yorkers battled over what properly belonged on city streets, others sought to cultivate elite enclaves. City officials enabled landowners and developers to create parks in the 1830s; they beautified sections of New York and benefited from a corresponding rise in property values. It was not until later in the century that reformers embraced city parks as spaces that might benefit all New Yorkers. McNeur’s final chapter examines the construction of Central Park. It was designed to promote public health by functioning as the “lungs” of the city. Strict rules regulated visitors’ behavior while green vistas instilled “rural virtues” (p. 176). While McNeur maintains a tight focus on the island of Manhattan and its residents, she intermittently gestures to Manhattan’s expanding ecological footprint. For instance, new technologies enabled water to flow into the city via the Croton Aqueduct system. Piles of animal manure were carted from city streets...

Modelling nitrogen and carbon interactions in composting of animal manure in naturally aerated piles

Composting animal manure with natural aeration is a low-cost and low-energy process that can improve nitrogen recycling in millions of farms world-wide. Modelling can decrease the cost of choosing the best options for solid manure management in order to decrease the risk of loss of fertilizer value and ammonia emission. Semi-empirical models are suitable, considering the scarce data available in farm situations. Eleven static piles of pig or poultry manure were monitored to identify the main processes governing nitrogen transformations and losses. A new model was implemented to represent these processes in a pile considered as homogeneous. The model is based on four modules: biodegradation, nitrogen transformations and volatilization, thermal exchanges, and free air space evolution. When necessary, the parameters were calibrated with the data set. The results showed that microbial growth could reduce ammonia volatilization. Greatest nitrogen conservation is achieved when microbial growth was limited by nitrogen availability.

Nutrient loads of small-scale swine manure composting to groundwater and its prevention by covering: a case study.

Small-scale composting is applied to recycle manure and biomass around the globe. Piles frequently site outside near field where bio-waste comes or compost goes within developing rural regions. However, little equipment or policy besides cover of common materials addressed concerns about its exposure to rainfall and subsequent leachate towards groundwater. In addition, little is known about its nutrient load to groundwater and covers' effect on nutrient unloading. Differently covered swine manure piles were composted outdoors with exposure to rain, then columns consisted of resultant compost of varying maturing age and soil were leached by simulated rainfall. Leachate TN, NH4 (+)-N, NO3 (-)-N, TP, and DP were modeled by regression analysis, and further, integral of quadratic curve or nutrient load index (NLI) was designated as proxy for nutrient load. Log response ratio was employed to qualify covers' effect on nutrient unloading. This case raised higher concern about leachate NH4 (+)-N than NO3 (-)-N for former's lower category in groundwater quality standard. The integrated NLIs or general nutrient load for six intervals, averagely divided from composting day of 60-120, decreased by 31, 37, 45, 56, and 73 % consecutively. Covers could unload nutrient to underground and function better to prevent P than N from leaching. Capabilities of piles covered by rice straw (CR) and soil (CS) to unload respectively are 77 and 72 % of by film (CF).

Greenhouse gas emissions from dairy manure management: a review of field-based studies.

Livestock manure management accounts for almost 10% of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture globally, and contributes an equal proportion to the US methane emission inventory. Current emissions inventories use emissions factors determined from small-scale laboratory experiments that have not been compared to field-scale measurements. We compiled published data on field-scale measurements of greenhouse gas emissions from working and research dairies and compared these to rates predicted by the IPCC Tier 2 modeling approach. Anaerobic lagoons were the largest source of methane (368 ± 193 kg CH4 hd(-1) yr(-1)), more than three times that from enteric fermentation (~120 kg CH4 hd(-1) yr(-1)). Corrals and solid manure piles were large sources of nitrous oxide (1.5 ± 0.8 and 1.1 ± 0.7 kg N2O hd(-1) yr(-1), respectively). Nitrous oxide emissions from anaerobic lagoons (0.9 ± 0.5 kg N2O hd(-1) yr(-1)) and barns (10 ± 6 kg N2O hd(-1) yr(-1)) were unexpectedly large. Modeled methane emissions underestimated field measurement means for most manure management practices. Modeled nitrous oxide emissions underestimated field measurement means for anaerobic lagoons and manure piles, but overestimated emissions from slurry storage. Revised emissions factors nearly doubled slurry CH4 emissions for Europe and increased N2O emissions from solid piles and lagoons in the United States by an order of magnitude. Our results suggest that current greenhouse gas emission factors generally underestimate emissions from dairy manure and highlight liquid manure systems as promising target areas for greenhouse gas mitigation.

Pathogen reduction in minimally managed composting of bovine manure

Spread of manure pathogens is of considerable concern due to use of manure for land application. In this study, the effects of four static pile treatment options for bovine manure on die-off of a generic Escherichiacoli, E. coli O157:H7 surrogate, Salmonella Senftenberg, Salm. Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes were evaluated. Bovine manure spiked with these bacteria were placed in cassettes at the top, middle, and bottom sections of four static pile treatments that reflect minimal changes in pile construction with and without straw. Temperatures were monitored continuously during the 28day self-heating period. E. coli and salmonellae were reduced from 8 to 9log10 CFUg−1 to undetectable levels (<1.77log10MPNg−1) at 25–30cm depths within 7days in all pile sections except for the manure-only pile in which 3–4 logs of reduction were obtained. No L. monocytogenes initially present at 6.62log10CFUg−1 were recovered from straw-amended piles after 14days, in contrast with manure-only treatment in which this pathogen was recovered even at 28days. Decline of target bacterial populations corresponded to exposure to temperatures above 45°C for more than 3days and amendments of manure with straw to increase thermophilic zones. Use of straw to increase aeration, self-heating capacity, and heat retention in manure piles provides producers a minimal management option for composting that enhances pathogen die-off and thereby reduces risk of environmental spread when manure is applied to land.

Fate of Naturally Occurring Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Other Zoonotic Pathogens during Minimally Managed Bovine Feedlot Manure Composting Processes

Reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in livestock manures before application to cropland is critical for reducing the risk of foodborne illness associated with produce. Our objective was to determine the fate of naturally occurring E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogens during minimally managed on-farm bovine manure composting processes. Feedlot pen samples were screened to identify E. coli O157:H7-positive manure. Using this manure, four piles of each of three different composting formats were constructed in each of two replicate trials. Composting formats were (i) turned piles of manure plus hay and straw, (ii) static stockpiles of manure, and (iii) static piles of covered manure plus hay and straw. Temperatures in the tops, toes, and centers of the conical piles (ca. 6.0 m(3) each) were monitored. Compost piles that were turned every 2 weeks achieved higher temperatures for longer periods in the tops and centers than did piles that were left static. E. coli O157:H7 was not recovered from top samples of turned piles of manure plus hay and straw at day 28 and beyond, but top samples from static piles were positive for the pathogen up to day 42 (static manure stockpiles) and day 56 (static covered piles of manure plus hay and straw). Salmonella, Campylobacter spp., and Listeria monocytogenes were not found in top or toe samples at the end of the composting period, but E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria spp. were recovered from toe samples at day 84. Our findings indicate that some minimally managed composting processes can reduce E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogens in bovine manure but may be affected by season and/or initial levels of indigenous thermophilic bacteria. Our results also highlight the importance of adequate C:N formulation of initial mixtures for the production of high temperatures and rapid composting, and the need for periodic turning of the piles to increase the likelihood that all parts of the mass are subjected to high temperatures.

Pest Management Perceptions and Practices for Equine Farms in North and Central Florida

Equine facilities have unique pest management problems due to facility structure and horse husbandry practices. In Florida, homes on small equine farms are generally located in close proximity to pastures, stalls or run-in sheds, manure piles, and other fly breeding habitats. So, homeowners have a high risk of exposure to pathogens that can be transmitted by filth flies to humans. Integrated pest management for equine farms requires accurate diagnosis of pest problems and the coordinated use of science-based management practices, but a recent survey shows that many equine property owners don’t know enough about the identification, biology, and presence of filth fly pests on their properties to develop successful IPM programs. This 7-page fact sheet was written by Erika T. Machtinger, Norman C. Leppla, and Cindy Saunders, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, March 2013.&#x0D; http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in983

ASSOCIATION OF &lt;i&gt;ESCHERICHIA COLI&lt;/i&gt; WITH THE PREVALENCE OF FLIES POPULATION

Mass releases of house fly Musca domestica (L) and stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans (L). Produced by manure piles accumulated nearby horse stables and dairy farm village in Abu-Graib provide continuous threat to inhabitants west of Baghdad. Timing of fly’s mass release in association with the presence of Escherichia coli in manure piles was examined at these locations. Experimental result indicated that flies survived during cold period of December and January in form of larvae deep in manure piles where temperature was around 15-17°C. Once the population of fly’s larvae started to increase by the second week of February, the concentration of E. coli was up to 80×106 CFU mL-1 in manure suspension. Later when larval population reached to a maximum number by the last week of April, the concentration of E. coli in manure sample dropped down to 38×102 CFU mL-1. Similar trend was observed with the proportion of E. coli to general bacteria present in manure samples where the percent decreased from 89% in early season to 1.5% when maximum number of larvae was recorded. The correlation coefficient (R) between the number of larvae and coli form bacteria was = -0.73657. These results suggest the association of larval development with the consumption of E. coli. Thus manipulation of bacterial community in manure piles may lead to possible eradication of fly’s seasonal release.

Dispatches

Dispatches

The Influence of Mineral and Organic Fertilisation on Production Capacity in a

This paper is an analysis of the influence of organic fertilizers, mineral and organo-mineral on the production of green mass obtained on a permanent pastures low hills , used as hay. Paper studies the evolution of green mass production under the influence of fertilization. Work data are collected for two years, 2011 and 2012 respectively at the first stitch. This paper intends to be a first step towards determining the optimal dose of fertilizers, which provides a larger production capacity correlated with economic profitability. Most green mass production was obtained from chemically fertilized variant N150 + P50 + K50 (V9). Thus, in 2011 we obtained 16.8 t / ha and in 2012 it achieved a production of 23.2 t / ha. Fertilization practices have ancestral Origins: Homer (850 BC) mentioned That Ulysses, while Reaching Troy, was Recognised by HIS dog who was playing on a pile of animal manure Taken out of the stable by the slaves and spread on the field to get better crops (Fard et Colomb, 2001). Experimental field is located in the village FIBIS which in turn lies in northern Timis County, 30 km northeast of the city of Timisoara, Timisoara county road DJ691 - Lipova. It is bordered to the northeast by Masloc, east of Remetea Minor Bencecu south, with Pischia southeast, west and northwest Seceani with Firiteaz and tax (Arad county).

The Story of Charlotte's Web: E. B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic (review)

Reviewed by: The Story of Charlotte's Web: E. B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic Miriam Janechek (bio) The Story of Charlotte's Web: E. B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic. By Michael Sims. New York: Walker, 2011. Michael Sims's The Story of Charlotte's Web offers an intimate account of the life of one of the most revered American writers. He artfully navigates the creative waters between factual account and inviting story, and skillfully accomplishes both. Sims traces the life of Elwyn Brooks White (Andy, as he was known as an adult) from his childhood in the quiet town of Mount Vernon, New York, through his college years at Cornell University, to finding his way as a writer in New York City. The book is a satisfying read, in large part because Sims never loses the rhetorical thread established in his subtitle, E. B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic. From the opening pages to the end of Andy's life, Sims uses biographical evidence to demonstrate the author's lifelong love of animals, particularly spiders; the evidence builds an artfully told story of how E. B. White's Charlotte is the result of a life spent watching and documenting the animals of his world. It is clear in every chapter, and therefore in every moment of White's life, that the quiet and reserved man loved both nature and writing, combining the two passions in his canonical children's stories, of which Charlotte's Web stands at the forefront. Part one of Sims's project concentrates on White's childhood adventures in New York, and his yearly family trips to the serene landscape of Maine. And as E. B.'s biography unfolds, so do the beginnings of his children's story. The opening paragraph of Sims's book is reminiscent of a well-known Charlotte's Web scene: "The coachman said the eggs would never hatch. They were infertile, he insisted, as he tossed them onto the manure pile outside the stable" (1). Just as Fern watches Templeton scurry away with the goose's rotten egg, so Elwyn's story begins with him watching the animal world around him; and, when the manure-pile eggs do hatch, Sims channels the excitement [End Page 505] the young child felt watching the impossible. Young White's life included far more than animals and nature, and Sims takes his readers through that childhood full of family, travel, and writing. White, who was an unusually reserved child, exhibited his writing skills at an early age with a poem inspired by an animal friend, published in a lady's magazine. Sims takes great care to establish Andy not just as a nature enthusiast turned writer, but also as a participant in the American literary world, starting from his youth. He describes White's rich reading history, which included nature books and literary magazines. Sims's description of E. B.'s formative reading habits works well for his overarching narrative because it connects directly to White's adult life, and in part two it is clear how invested his career was in American magazines. Andy's tenure at The New Yorker begins almost as early as the magazine itself, as does his relationship with his wife, New Yorker editor Katharine Angell. Sims never strays far from the topic of nature, because White never did; he consistently included animals in his writing, even though (or particularly because) he was surrounded by the city. Sims juxtaposes the writer's eye trained on the sparrows, flowers, and parks with the bustling metropolis, and the contrast makes clear Andy's longing for a life surrounded by nature. Part three begins with White happily married and situated on a farm in upstate New York. Sims's description of the farm in Allen Cove evokes feelings of quiet and charm. It accommodated White's longing for animals, barns, and physical work. It was here, surrounded by piles of books to be edited and articles to be written, that Andy found enjoyment in his cows, lambs, chickens...

Dietary and Manure Management Practices on Equine Farms in Two New Jersey Watersheds

Equine farms are increasing in number in Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. These farms may influence environmental quality owing to manure collection, storage, spreading, and disposal practices. A manure management survey was mailed to 700 New Jersey equine farms during the winter of 2009-2010 (these farms were located in two watersheds). Two hundred forty-two surveys were returned; 10% were training or performance farms, whereas the remainder (90%) were breeding, boarding, or pleasure farms. There were differences between the two watersheds in turnout time, pasture acreage, use of drag harrows, and income. Respondents answered questions about diet and environmental management on farms. Seventy-eight percent had bunk management plans. Forty-seven percent disposed of waste feed in a manure pile, 35% left it on fields or paddocks, and 18% put it in a dumpster. Twenty-six percent engage a professional for feeding advice (21% veterinarians, 2% extension, 3% nutrition consultants). Most respondents did not have a regular feed management plan. Sixty-two percent of all farms spread manure on-farm. Of those who spread, 29% have >8.09 hectares (20 acres) for spreading. Ninety-six percent of respondents stored manure >100 ft from water or wetlands. Comparison of cross-tabulations indicates a strong relationship (P < .01) between rotational grazing and the use of a sacrifice or exercise area. Eighty-eight percent of respondents using sacrifice areas also rotationally graze. Results indicate future outreach programs should focus on feed management, manure storage location, rotational grazing, and the use of sacrifice areas as part of a pasture management program.

Lab-Scale Assessment of Ammonia Emissions from Solid Swine Manure Piles of Different Heights

Solid manure storage before land application is a common manure management method in China. Swine manure may be a source of noxious gases and the magnitude of their emissions to the atmosphere may be affected by storage practices. This study quantifies relative ammonia (NH3) emissions from solid swine manure piles of different heights in the lab. Nine dynamic emissions vessels (DEVs) housed inside an environment-controlled chamber (at 25C) were used to quantify the emissions (three replicates per pile height treatment). The cylindrically shaped manure pile (300-mm diameter) had a height of 100, 200, or 400 mm and the study duration was 42 d. An infrared photoacoustic multi-gas analyzer along with a multi-channel sampler was used to measure gas concentrations in the exhaust from the DEVs receiving the respective treatments. Manure weight, moisture content, and total nitrogen content of the piles were also determined before and after the study. Daily average NH3 emissions (mean SD) over the 42-d study period for manure piles with heights of 100, 200, and 400 mm were 2.890.36, 2.810.34, and 3.850.39 g d-1 per m2 manure surface area, respectively, or 31.03.89, 15.31.86, and 12.41.28 mg d-1 per kg initial manure weight, respectively. Reduction in cumulative NH3 emission on the basis of per kg initial manure weight, over the 42-d storage by the 400-mm pile, as compared with the 100- and 200-mm piles, was 59.9% and 18.5%, respectively. Thus, higher manure piles offer possible means to reduce on-farm NH3 emissions.

Temporal and spatial trends in adult nuisance fly populations at Australian cattle feedlots

AbstractA comprehensive trapping program to determine the species composition, seasonality and distribution of adult nuisance fly populations at a southern Queensland feedlot was conducted from 2001 to 2003. Short‐term information on nuisance fly populations was also collected from two feedlots located in other climatic regions. Twenty‐five species of Diptera were identified. The more commonly trapped species were the house fly, Musca domestica L. (Muscidae) (38%), the hairy maggot blowfly, Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) (Calliphoridae) (27%) and the bush fly, Musca vetustissima Walker (Muscidae) (15%). Seasonal effects were the major determinant of fly populations. All commonly trapped fly species had low abundance during the coldest winter months, July and August. Musca domestica had one annual, broad peak in abundance starting in spring and extending over about 8 or 9 months. Musca vetustissima had a major abundance peak in October/November and a smaller peak around April. Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (stable fly) (Muscidae) showed two annual peaks in abundance, with the major peak in May. Chrysomya spp. were most abundant during spring, summer and autumn, whereas the highest numbers of Calliphora augur (F.) (blue‐bodied blowfly) (Calliphoridae) were trapped in winter.The sites within the feedlot with the highest catches of M. domestica were the feed mill, cattle pens and the hospital area and of S. calcitrans the manure piles, silage pits and the feed mill. The lowest catches of M. domestica and S. calcitrans were obtained in the traps situated a few kilometres outside the feedlot. In contrast, M. vetustissima and blowfly catches were higher in outside traps and traps near the manure piles than any other feedlot site.There was a correlation between the animals' number of fly avoidance movements and M. domestica catches and between the number of leg stomps and stable fly catches, respectively.

Diurnal and nocturnal ranging behaviour of Stone‐curlews Burhinus oedicnemus nesting in river habitat

Studying a species under a range of conditions is essential for fully understanding its ecology and for predicting its response to human impacts on the environment. We investigated the spatial behaviour and the habitat characteristics of foraging areas of Eurasian Stone‐curlews breeding in an important but poorly investigated habitat, gravel riverbed, throughout the full 24‐h cycle. The data collected for 17 radiotagged birds nesting in the Taro River Regional Park (Parma, Italy) showed a clear split between diurnal and nocturnal spatial behaviour. Almost all diurnal fixes and about two‐thirds of nocturnal ones were located in the gravel riverbed, which not only provided suitable breeding territories but probably part of the food resources needed for reproduction. Nocturnal excursions from breeding sites to feeding areas (mostly farmland), sometimes of a few kilometres, indicated that these resources do not cover all of the birds’ needs. Night spotlight counts of foraging birds in the agricultural area indicated that Stone‐curlews preferred recently harvested crops (mainly forage and wheat) and piles of farmyard manure. These habitat preferences are closely linked to the predominant agricultural activity of the study area, which is characterized by a high density of dairy farms for the production of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It seems likely that the proximity of gravel riverbed and farmland habitats is one of the main causes of the high breeding density recorded in the study area. We propose that the conservation of Stone‐curlews at this site could potentially be achieved only by a synergistic management of both natural and agricultural habitats.

우분 야적시 암모니아 휘산량과 강우에 의한 질소 및 인산 유출량 평가

For the reduction of ammonia () volatilization from the cow manure composting process, a cow manure pile was covered with vinyl (white polyethylene) and the ammonia emissions were evaluated using the dynamic chamber system for 47 days. Nitrogen and phosphorus loss from cow manure pile by rainfall was also measured in this study. In the cow manure pile without covering, the amount of emission was 0.78 N kg/Mg which accounted for 9.4% of total nitrogen contents in the cow manure. Eighty nine percent of the total emission during experimental period from the cow manure pile without covering was emitted for the first 21 days. The vinyl covering of cow manure pile reduced 91% of emission compared to the pile without covering. The amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus loss by rainfall from cow manure pile without covering were 1.27 N kg/Mg and 0.23 P kg/Mg for 47 days, respectively. Results from this study demonstrated that vinyl covering of cow manure pile could reduce emission and loss of nitrogen and phosphorus by rainfall during composting.

Minimally managed composting of beef manure at the pilot scale: Effect of manure pile construction on pile temperature profiles and on the fate of oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline

Oxytetracycline (OTC) and chlortetracycline (CTC) are broad-spectrum antibiotics used in livestock production. Although laboratory-scale studies have shown that extractable concentrations of these compounds decrease over time within treated and untreated manures and soils, there is relatively little information from farm-scale experiments. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different levels of management on manure pile temperature profiles and on the fate of OTC and CTC in manure from therapeutically treated calves. Four treatments were designed to span a range of management options – from simply piling up the manure to amending it with straw to increase aeration and adding insulating layers of straw. Replicate samples of antibiotic-containing calf manure were held at ambient temperature or placed in three locations within replicate 3 m 3 piles of beef manure. During the 28-day incubation period, concentrations of buffer-extractable OTC and CTC/ECTC (the summed concentrations of CTC and its epimer 4-epi-chlortetracycline (ECTC)) in manure samples incubated at ambient temperature (11–24 °C) decreased 75% (from 18 to 4.6 mg kg −1 dry weight (DW)) and 90% (from 192 to 16 mg kg −1 DW), respectively. Concentrations of the CTC metabolite iso-chlortetracycline (ICTC) decreased 90% (from 37 to 3 mg kg −1 DW). OTC and CTC/ECTC concentrations in samples incubated for 28 days within a non-amended manure pile decreased 91% and >99%, respectively. During that period, the manure pile temperature ranged from 36 °C to 45 °C. Manure piles insulated with a blanket of straw and/or amended with straw (3:1, v/v) attained temperatures up to 70 °C and contained very low levels of OTC, CTC/ECTC, and ICTC (ranging from <0.1 to 0.4 mg kg −1 DW) after 28 days.

Co-composting of poultry manure with low quantities of carbon-rich materials

To study the feasibility of co-composting poultry manure with low quantities of high-value, carbon-rich materials experiments to characterize three pilot-scale piles were carried out. The piles comprised poultry manure (pile 1), poultry manure and straw (pile 2) and poultry manure and sawdust (pile 3), using wood chips as bulking agent. Pile 1 presented the highest losses of organic matter and nitrogen contents (> or = 92.9% and 92.0%, respectively). Although a thermophilic phase (temperature > 40 degrees C) was not verified for this pile, the final compost was stable (class IV) and free of pathogen indicator micro-organisms but it was the most phytotoxic, and presented a humic and fulvic acids ratio (HA/FA) that was less than 1. In contrast, piles 2 and 3 sustained thermophilic phases and produced stable (class V) and mature (HA/FA > 1) composts. Pile 2 showed the lowest loss in nitrogen content (88.9%) and produced the final compost with the highest C/N ratio (14.7) and the lowest value of electrical conductivity (3.9 mS cm(-1)). This study showed that it is possible to reduce the costs of poultry manure composting, namely the costs associated with the use of carbon-rich materials, given that the final co-composts presented parameters within the range of those recommended by the Second Draft Proposal for compost quality.