Manure Production Research Articles

12 Tools for Climate-Smart Decision Making for the Stocker/Feedlot Sector

Abstract There is an increased interest in the use of climate-smart practices and technologies to be more effective in climate change mitigation. These practices include grazing management, pasture management, animal and herd management, animal disease and health, animal breeding, and supplemental feeding during the stocker phase. In the feedlot sector, climate-smart practices range from supply chain challenges including climate smart adaptation by crop producers, cattle type, manure management, health management, and use of growth promoting technologies. There are certainly other technologies not mentioned and are not meant to be marginalized. During the stocker phase, grazing management is highly variable and dependent on climatic conditions and variability, plant species and plant health, water management, soil health, and cattle type. A correct balance among the different land managers, government agencies, and recommendations from university researchers and Extension personnel should optimize these practices. For instance, there is a focus on rotational grazing to increase the efficiency of grazing management. However, in the southwestern U.S. this practice may not be practical given the vast area and landscape used in production. In certain geographical areas, pasture management is becoming increasingly important as decreasing water sources (particularly aquafer levels) are apparent. Some data suggests that now is the time to change from cereal crop production to perennial forages while water is still available to establish the forages. This, in turn, may improve soil health and carbon sequestration. However, as with all mitigation strategies, this may decrease supply of cereal grains available to small feedlot producers, albeit a significant amount of cereals are transported to the cattle feeding sector. Animal breeding programs to improved production, heat tolerance, disease resistance, and improved reproduction is important. As with any production practice, supplementation programs may become necessary under certain situations. It is well known that cattle treated for respiratory disease have poorer performance and carcass characteristics than cattle not treated. Use of growth promoting technologies improve animal performance and decreases total methane produced. No doubt manure production from feeding operations produce methane. Dairy and swine operations can harvest the methane and with use of biogas collectors flare off the methane or produce energy for electric generators, however, this is not practical under feedlot situations; however, application of manure to land may improve soil organic matter. Building resilience in evaluating climate-smart practices will satisfy multiple objectives including impacting food security without many constraints to adoption.

Mixed sowing of Feed rape and Vicia villosa can substitute nitrogen fertilizer to improve soil multifunctionality in the Hetao irrigation District

Soil multifunctionality (SMF) and crop production of continuous green manure returning is crucial for sustainable agricultural development. Multiple cropping of green manure after wheat harvest is a typical planting pattern in the Hetao Irrigation District, and maybe substitute nitrogen (N) fertilizer. However, information is scarce about how the green manure affected SMF and crop production under limited nitrogen inputs. A 7-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of green manure types (Feed rape (FR), Vicia villosa (VV), Feed rape, and Vicia villosa mixed sowing (FR + VV)) on soil properties, enzyme activities, SMF, and rotated wheat yield under different N application rates (150 kg N ha−1, N150; no nitrogen, N0). The results showed that FR and FR + VV increased soil active carbon (C) and N fractions by 4.0 %-499.3 % and 11.3 %-147.8 % compared to VV, respectively. Enzyme activities with FR + VV were significantly increased by 13.7 %-82.9 % compared to FR and VV. SMF and CCI (carbon cycling index) were significantly affected by N fertilizer and green manure types, with N0 higher than N150 by two times and FR + VV higher than FR by 1.4–4.3 times and VV by 1.0–6.6 times in 0–20 cm soil layer. Spring wheat yield was significantly affected by N fertilizer and green manure types, with N0 significantly higher than N150 by 5.8 % and FR and FR + VV higher than VV by 8.0 % and 12.5 % under N150, respectively. Partial least squares path model detected that returning of multiple green manure had a significant positive and indirect effect on SMF through enhancing soil enzyme activities, and ultimately contribute to the improvement in wheat yield. In conclusion, the mixed sowing of FR and VV increased soil active C and N fractions and associated enzyme activities, and has the potential to improve the SMF and rotated wheat yield, thereby providing an effective approach to reduce N fertilizer.

Analysis of cassava farming efficiency as a supporter of post-COVID-19 rural economic changes in wonogiri regency

Cassava farming, as an important commodity in agriculture in Wonogiri Regency, is necessary for structural changes in the rural economy of Wonogiri Regency in postCOVID-19 conditions. This study aims to determine the level of efficiency and analyse the elasticity of cassava farming. The Data Envelopment Analysis is used in analysing the efficiency of cassava farming, while multiple linear regression analysis is used in analysing production elasticity. The results of Data Envelopment Analysis with an inputoriented model in the study show that farmers have a level of technical efficiency of 64.6%, allocative efficiency of 47.1%, and economic efficiency of 30%. Farmers who are not efficient can increase their efficiency value by using cassava farming inputs. The elasticity of the production of seedlings, manure, SP36 fertilizer, Phonska fertilizer, urea fertilizer, pesticides, and labour is positive. The scale of business results show that farming is in a condition of increasing returns to scale. The addition of production factors has a positive effect on cassava production. However, if production factors are not considered, it will result in additional inputs, decreasing yields. Optimal use of inputs can increase the production scale of cassava farming and increase efficiency. This study can be helpful for the farmers to increase the efficiency level through the efficient use of inputs. They can be helpful for the government in the formulation of rural development plans with farming development and implementing policies to increase the efficiency

Numerical and experimental investigation of co-combustion of chicken manure and lignite blends in a CFBB with novel compact combustion chamber

Increasing worldwide demand for chicken and chicken products has led to increased production of chicken manure. Therefore, chicken manure has an important application potential in the energy industry. This study aims to dispose of chicken manure, which is harmful to soil and groundwater, for thermal energy purposes and to reduce the emissions of lignite coal. For this purpose, it concerns the design and manufacture of a Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler (CFBB) with a novel combustion chamber for burning chicken manure (CM) and lignite (L) fuels and their mixtures. The combustion behaviors and contaminating emissions of the mentioned fuels in such a CFBB are investigated experimentally and numerically. Emissions of major gaseous pollutants, including CO, SO2 and NO, and the temperature distribution throughout the combustion chamber are measured during the tests. Experimental results show that increasing the amount of CM in the mixture increases CO and reduces SO2. For this condition, NO emission either increases or decreases. According to the numerical results, the temperature of the combustion chamber decreases with the increase of the CM fraction. In the CFBB, the CO emission decreases in the CM fraction up to 25 %, while it increases in the CM fraction above 25 %. For increasing CM fraction, NO emission decreases in the cyclone while it increases in the evaporator. In the experimental and numerical results, the CO2 emission for the L, CM and CM fractions are observed to be equivalent to each other. In conclusion, this study clearly shows that in situ burning of chicken manure or lignite and chicken manure mixtures reduces lignite emissions and meets the heat requirement and disposal of waste in chicken processing plants.

Impacts of lignite and biochar addition on anaerobic digestion of and fertilizer production from dairy manure

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the most popular technologies to convert organic residues into renewable energy. The use of additives has been shown to increase the process stability and degradation efficiency during AD. However, little attention has been paid to the associated fertilizer production. Thus, this study aims to simultaneously investigate the impact of biochar and lignite on AD and fertilizer production of dairy manure in semi-continuous experiments. Results show that compared to the biogas production rate (BPR) of the reference (394.01±0.39 lN/(kgVS∙d), lignite can increase BPR by 4.98%, whereas no impact on BPR was detected due to biochar addition. This indicates that higher O/C and H/C ratios attributed to lignite are a dominant factor influencing BPR, while high specific surface area is not beneficial. Nitrogen yield in the solid phase was increased by 19.47% (lignite) and 14.65% (biochar), significantly promoting the utilization of digestate as solid nitrogen fertilizer.

Integrated Use of Manure and Urea Fertilizer Economically Improve Wheat Production and Nitrogen Indices in a Range of Tillage Practices

Integrated Use of Manure and Urea Fertilizer Economically Improve Wheat Production and Nitrogen Indices in a Range of Tillage Practices

Effect of participation in goat keeping on household food security:A case study of Dowa district, Malawi

Goat keeping is a common practice among rural farmers due to the adaptability of goats to harsh environments, their efficient forage conversion and rapid growth, and their multiple benefits, including the production of manure and high-quality milk. However, limited research has been done on the direct effect of participation in goat keeping on food security in Malawi. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of participation in goat keeping on household food security in Dowa district in Malawi using the propensity score-matching technique. The results reveal a positive correlation between goat farming and household food security. This was evident from the significant average treatment effect on the treated (ATT), which indicated a lower value of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) for goat keepers compared to non-keepers. These findings highlight the potential of goat farming to enhance food security among rural households, emphasising the importance of promoting this type of farming at the household level.

Exploring hostel kitchen waste as feedstock for bioethanol and biogas production in a biorefinery setup

Waste to wealth is today’s need, as waste generation has become humongous challenge for mankind now. In the present study kitchen waste from the Institute, hostel mess is used as raw material for ethanol, biogas, and manure production in a bio-refinery system. In the first step of the biorefinery the kitchen waste, which contains approximately 35% carbohydrates, was pretreated with 0.5 % H2SO4 to release sugars required for fermentation and 3.6 mg/ml of reducing sugars, and 0.46 mg/ml of pentose sugar. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the un-hydrolyzed biomass remnant after acid pretreatment at 30 °C with crude amylase (enzyme activity: 45.36 U/min/ml) obtained from Aspergillus niger followed by hydrolysis at 55 °C with crude cellulase (enzyme activity: 36.25 U/min/ml) and xylanase activity (activity: 11.25 U/min/ml) obtained from Trichoderma reesei produced 1.64 mg/ml and 1.66 mg/ml hexose and pentose sugar, respectively. Fermentation of the hydrolysate with S. cerevisiae and Pistia stipitis produced a 2.43% (v/v) ethanol yield. Anaerobic digestion of the unutilized solid biomass produced 270 ml/Kg biogas and 63.35 gm/Kg dry soil nutrient enhancer. The study suggested that the kitchen waste-based economically viable bio-refinery setup can be developed for the eco-friendly management and production of various valuable products from kitchen waste.

The input reduction principle of agroecology is wrong when it comes to mineral fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa

Can farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) boost crop yields and improve food availability without using more mineral fertilizer? This question has been at the center of lively debates among the civil society, policy-makers, and in academic editorials. Proponents of the “yes” answer have put forward the “input reduction” principle of agroecology, i.e. by relying on agrobiodiversity, recycling and better efficiency, agroecological practices such as the use of legumes and manure can increase crop productivity without the need for more mineral fertilizer. We reviewed decades of scientific literature on nutrient balances in SSA, biological nitrogen fixation of tropical legumes, manure production and use in smallholder farming systems, and the environmental impact of mineral fertilizer. Our analyses show that more mineral fertilizer is needed in SSA for five reasons: (i) the starting point in SSA is that agricultural production is “agroecological” by default, that is, very low mineral fertilizer use, widespread mixed crop-livestock systems and large crop diversity including legumes, but leading to poor soil fertility as a result of widespread soil nutrient mining, (ii) the nitrogen needs of crops cannot be adequately met solely through biological nitrogen fixation by legumes and recycling of animal manure, (iii) other nutrients like phosphorus and potassium need to be replaced continuously, (iv) mineral fertilizers, if used appropriately, cause little harm to the environment, and (v) reducing the use of mineral fertilizers would hamper productivity gains and contribute indirectly to agricultural expansion and to deforestation. Yet, the agroecological principles directly related to soil fertility—recycling, efficiency, diversity—remain key in improving soil health and nutrient-use efficiency, and are critical to sustaining crop productivity in the long run. We argue for a nuanced position that acknowledges the critical need for more mineral fertilizers in SSA, in combination with the use of agroecological practices and adequate policy support.

Ammonia mitigation measures reduce greenhouse gas emissions from an integrated manure-cropland system

Increasing use of manure nutrients in crop production and decreasing the input of chemical fertilizers, is a promising way to achieve a more circular economy and more sustainable food systems. The integrated effects of amended composting manure with additives and a 50% substitution of chemical fertilizer nitrogen (N) input by amended manure N input to cropland were proved to halve ammonia (NH3) emissions from an integrate manure-cropland system. However, the accompanied impacts of these measures on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the integrate manure-cropland system have not been well quantified. Here, we examined the effects of improved manure storage and treatment and its usage at field on GHG emissions from a system perspective, based on a two-year experiment in the North China Plain (NCP). Manure storage and treatment included natural storage (NS) and composting with straw, with or without amendment by zeolite (Z) and superphosphate (SP). Manure products were applied as basal fertilizer for both crops. Results showed that CH4 was the dominant GHG source in the natural storage treatment, whereas N2O dominated in the manure composting treatments. Amending manure with straw, Z and SP stimulated 15–48 times N2O emission and decreased CH4 emissions by 82%–91% during storage and treatment. Replacement of 50% synthetic fertilizer N by manure N decreased total system GHG emissions by 25%–34%. Differences between composted manure treatments in total system GHG emissions were relatively small, although comparatively higher in amended manure treatments; however, they promoted greater soil organic carbon sink activity, resulting in no significant difference in net global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI). Application of amended manure produced high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in the integrated crop–manure system. The NH3 mitigation approach of replacing 50% of synthetic fertilizer N by amended manure N synergistically decreased total GHG emissions, increased system NUE and also increased the net economic benefit by 5%–11% over the 2 years of the experiment.

Agro-Forestry – A Crop Diversification Strategy for Adaption and Mitigation of Climate Change

The biggest challenge the world is currently experiencing is the impact of climate change on agriculture. Developing nations like India will be particularly affected because of their growing populations, water shortages, declining soil fertility, and loss of biodiversity. Agroforestry system is a major component in sustainable agricultural production under climate change situation as inclusion of agroforestry system ensures the production of food, fuel, fodder, timber, manures and fibre even under adverse climatic situations. The issue of ecologically sound and commercially viable strategies for adaptation and mitigation of climate change is being addressed by agroforestry, which is intensive, integrated, intentional, and interactive. This is done through carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, microclimate improvement, and a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. Modern, effective agroforestry techniques enable farm activity diversification and improved stewardship of the environment. There are three ways that agroforestry helps to mitigate climate change. Sequestering carbon in biomass and soils, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing energy consumption on farms to minimize emissions are all ways to reduce emissions. This review highlights successful adoption of agroforestry as an crop diversification option for mitigating climate change effects.

Zinc/carbon nanomaterials inhibit antibiotic resistance genes by affecting quorum sensing and microbial community in cattle manure production

This study used metagenomic sequencing to examine the effects of carbon-based zinc oxide nanoparticles (CZnONPs) and graphene-based zinc oxide nanoparticles (GZnONPs) on quorum sensing (QS), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and microbial community changes during cattle manure production. The manure zinc content was significantly reduced in GZnONPs group. In the QS pathway, the autoinducer gene increases significantly in Control group, while the transporter and repressor genes experience a substantial increase in CZnONPs group. These results contributed to the significantly decreased the abundance of ARGs in GZnONPs group. The co-occurrence network analysis revealed a correlation between core ARGs and QS-related KEGG Orthology or ARGs’ hosts, indicating that the selective pressure of zinc influences microbial QS, forming a unique ARG pattern in in vivo anaerobic fermentation. These findings suggest that implementing nutritional regulation in farming practices can serve as a preventive measure to mitigate the potential transmission of ARGs resulting from livestock waste.

Distribution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Tetracycline Antibiotics (TCs) in Soil-Vegetable System with Soil Fertilized with Animal Manure

The effects of antibiotic contamination on vegetable safety and the ecological risks of soil after returning livestock and poultry manure to the land require sufficient future attention. Tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) are often detected at high concentrations in livestock manure and vegetable production soils. Recently, pot experiments and field investigation methods have often been used to understand the effects of TCs contamination on the vegetable safety and ecological risks of soil, whereas field experiments are employed less frequently. This study investigated the distribution characteristics of TCs in the soil-vegetable system following manure application using a combination of pot and field experiments. The human health risks of the edible parts of Chinese flowing cabbage were assessed using the health risk quotient method based on the acceptable daily intake (ADI-HQ), and the ecological risks of TCs-contaminated soils were evaluated using the risk quotient method associated with the species sensitivity distribution model (SSD-RQ). The results showed that oxytetracycline (OTC) was the major type of TCs in Chinese flowering cabbage based on both the pot and field experiments. The maximum contents (dry weight) of OTC in the aboveground parts of the Chinese flowering cabbage for the pot and field experiments were 29.25 μg·kg-1 and 45.03 μg·kg-1, respectively, whereas those of their underground parts were 87.32 μg·kg-1 and 135.44 μg·kg-1, respectively. Meanwhile, higher contents of TCs were detected in Chinese flowering cabbage collected from the field experiment than those from the pot experiment. OTC was also the major type of TCs in soil from both the pot and field experiments, with their contents up to 604.30 μg·kg-1 and 1013.68 μg·kg-1, respectively. Higher residual contents of three TCs were detected in soils collected from the field experiment than those from the pot experiment. Under the experimental conditions, with the except that OTC in Chinese flowering cabbage from the field experiment would pose medium health risks (HQ>0.1) to children, the contents of three TCs in other treated Chinese flowering cabbage would pose low health risks (HQ ≤ 0.1) to adults and children. In the pot experiments, three TCs present in Chinese flowering cabbage would pose low health risks (HQ ≤ 0.1) to adults and children. Additionally, the TCs in soils with manure application from the pot and field experiments may have posed both moderate or high levels of ecological risks (HQ>0.1 or HQ>1). Therefore, the effects of antibiotic contamination on vegetable safety and their potential ecological risks on soil following manure fertilization need to be given special attention.

The Ruminant Farm Systems Model: A decision-support tool for whole farm efficiency and sustainability

Sustainable dairy production requires methods to quantify the environmental footprint of dairy farms that can inform management decisions. Impact inventories can provide some insight for policy, but are not suitable to inform decisions at the farm level. Decision-support tools like the Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) model represent farm management and esti-mate environmental impacts with enough detail and flexibility to compare the effect of management practices and guide farm management decisions. For example, RuFaS can be used to compare the environment impacts of reproduction protocols. The RuFaS model estimates that improving the reproductive performance of a 1,000-cow herd from a low performance to a baseline performance scenario reduces manure and enteric methane production and the emissions intensity of milk pro-duction for that herd. The expected annual enteric emissions reduction alone is equivalent to removing over 70 gas powered cars from the road for one year.

Analysis of Manure Separation Technology Efficiency into Fractions Followed by Liquid Fraction Rectification

Introduction. There is not enough data on the used intensive technologies of processing pig manure into organic fertilizer to accurately calculate the content of nutrients in the final products and, accordingly, their doses of application. Aim of the Article. To determine the efficiency of pig manure processing technology, which includes liquid fraction rectification, by the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of manure and final products, and to trace the redistributing total nitrogen between the final products on the example of a pilot pig breeding complex production. Materials and Methods. For the study, there was chosen a typical pig-breeding complex, where the pig manure processing included slurry acidification, flocculation, separation into fractions in a decanter centrifuge, rectification of liquid fraction, passive composting of solid fraction, and long-term storing of liquid fraction. The technology allows producing three types of end products: solid organic fertilizer, concentrated liquid (ammonia water), and fertilizer solution. Quantity and quality of pig manure and the end products were calculated by the known methods. Experimental studies were performed to compare the results. Samples were analyzed in the analytical laboratory of Institute for Engineering and Environmental Problems in Agricultural Production in 2022. Three replications were carried out for each sample. The experimental data were statistically analysed in MS Excel. Results. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of pig manure, its solid and liquid fractions, and end products were calculated. The difference between the calculated and actual values does not exceed 10.2% that indicates the reliability of calculations. Discussion and Conclusion. The introduction of a new technology at the pig-breeding complex has reduced atmospheric emissions by 10% due to the nitrogen conservation, has reduced operating costs for transporting organic fertilizer by 47% due to the concentration of nutrients in a smaller volume and has improved soil fertility through fertilizer irrigation.

Lactic Acid Production from Cow Manure: Experimental Process Conditions Analysis

The production of cow manure far exceeds the quantity that can be utilized in primary applications such as fertilizer or for the generation of biogas. As a result, alternative value-added applications are being investigated. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the production of lactic acid, using cow manure as the raw material. The methodology involved the implementation of thermochemical pretreatment for the cow manure, followed by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation for lactic acid production. Response surface methodology based on a central composite design was employed to analyze the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process. The factorial design of the experiments was carried out with three factors, cow manure concentration, temperature, and enzyme concentration, with 80 g·L−1, 50 °C, and 212.5 IU/gCMDry Matter as central point values, respectively. Following the addition of Bacillus coagulans DSM2314 inoculum to enzymatically hydrolyzed cow manure at pH 5.0, after a 24 h period the concentration of lactic acid was recorded at 13.65 g·L−1, with a conversion efficiency of 33.1%. Studies were conducted until 48 h to analyze time impact. Characterization studies for native cow manure and that pretreated using acid reagent were conducted. Sugar content and by-product formation were analyzed, resulting in 23.24 g·L−1 of sugar remaining as the maximum after fermentation, while low values of furfural (1.04 g·L−1), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (1.35 g·L−1), and acetic acid (1.45 g·L−1) were found. Optimal conditions were calculated at 24 and 48 h with R software, obtaining the lactic acid, with yields of 13.4 g·L−1, 36.28% (for 24 h) and 15.27 g·L−1, 32.76% (for 48 h), respectively. Experimental and statistical studies of enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation stated that cow manure was a feasible substrate for the production of lactic acid.

Simple Composting House for Production of Cassava Skin Compost and Cow Manure at Pendawa 1 Farmers Group in Candi Rejo Village

Simple Composting House for Production of Cassava Skin Compost and Cow Manure at Pendawa 1 Farmers Group in Candi Rejo Village

Contribution of Poultry Farming Products on Farmer’s Socio-Economic Well-Being in Rwanda: A Case of Cooperative of Murambi Poultry Farming “COMUPOFA”

The Rwanda's economy is largely based on agriculture, but many farmers remain distressed due to low productivity, small family land ownership, rapid population growth, and the use of local farming systems. Poultry production, as one part of livestock production, has a difficult toward miss benefit to add to the poultry sector and poultry are kept within rural areas for consumption and marketing. The objectives of the study were the following: to determine the contributions of poultry farming products, to examine the level of social wellbeing and its correlation. The methodology comprised of a descriptive research design, quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. Target population was 103 farmers of COMUPOFA and all of them were our sample. Sampling techniques used was purposive and census sampling techniques. Data collection instruments were questionnaires and interview guide. The findings revealed that poultry farming products contributed to the social wellbeing after joining the cooperative COMUPOFA as respondents said that eggs, meat and manure contributed to improve food and nutrition security (62.1%) and increased earning and savings (46.6%), increased job opportunities (51.5%), increased harvested crops (41.7%), paying school fees (44.7%), health insurance (41.7%) and poultry products contribute to gain of land, buildings, and equipment (40.8%). The challenges encountered by the farmers were identified: Vaccine, non-Quality and Accessibility (48.5%), large poultry feed prices (57.3%), presence of adulterated poultry food flooding at the market (40.8%), high start-up capital (45.6%), the issues of inclusion of antibiotics (50.5%) and the problem of inadequate water supply (43.7%). In addition, there was correlation between production of eggs, meats and manure and socio-economic wellbeing of farmers characterized by payment of health services, payment of education services, contribution to food and nutrition security and increased income demonstrated by increased of earning and savings. Therefore, since the results of the study showed that there is a significant and positive correlation between poultry products (eggs, meat, and manure) and socio-economic wellbeing among farmers. It is very paramount to conclude that the production of poultry products is positively associated with the ability to pay for health and education services, contribute towards food and nutrition security, and increase earnings and savings. Therefore, the study suggests that investing in poultry farming may have positive socio-economic impacts on the livelihoods of farmers. It is in this regard, the cooperative staff, NGOs, and Government agents should continue mobilizing the young people to join or create the cooperative for better improving the level of well-being and continue influencing the community to invest in livestock farming to improve their well-being. Keywords: Poultry Farming Products, Farmer’s Socio-Economic Well-Being, Cooperative of Murambi Poultry Farming, COMUPOFA, Rwanda

The Indian Situation of Livestock Farming & Planetary Boundaries

The crucial thing about livestock farming is that it should not affect local, regional and global human life and environment in any way. The planetary boundaries (PB) that affect us all are – ozone depletion, loss of biosphere integrity, chemical pollution, release of novel entities into the atmosphere, climate change, ocean acidification, freshwater depletion, changes in global hydrological cycle, and the land system change. Scientists note that beyond these PB, we cannot push earth systems. In India, the situation is not yet that alarming, but steps need be initiated now to control them, as the local/regional entities affect the global PB. For India, crucial are lowering per capita consumption and achieving a more equitable distribution of access to resources among people. With respect to livestock farming important aspects are land use pattern, drinking water, greenhouse gas production, climate change and bio-physical consumption. And there are worrying aspects of costs of achieving this. Some suggested steps needed with respect to livestock farming are – resorting to soil and eco friendly farming that puts less demands on resources; use of indigenous livestock breeds and varieties with higher capacity to withstand harsh conditions; interventions to reduce enteric emissions by ruminants; improved quality of dry fodders using modern technologies; better use of dung, urine and left-over fodder; use of time-tested manure products like Panchagavya; encouraging mixed, diversified and integrated farming systems to reduce wastes; reduce water usage by and on livestock farms; and many-fold improvement of health care, extension, supplies and marketing to benefit small farmers..

Institutional Solid Waste Management Practices: Case Study of Agriculture University in Kashmir

This study was carried on solid waste management in Sher-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology Kashmir. It is noted that the advantages in managing solid waste at institutional level such as university because of its unique characteristics also influences the waste management needs and strategies. This paper outlines findings from a yearlong study through surveys, field investigations, including on-site waste measurements and questionnaire on institutional solid waste management. It was discovered that the waste's content was primarily organic in content, suggesting a strong disposing potential in terms of organic manure or biogas production through scientific digestion and composting. The study revealed that maximum contribution to organic waste in the form of food waste was from messes of the hostels (53.32 T). That can be biodegradable managed and properly disposed, hence make a significant change in the waste management system. Hostels also generate 17.77T of plastic waste annually that needs processing through scientific recycling techniques on sustainable basis. The study found that scientific segregation of trash might significantly improve solid waste management at other universities with a comparable environment.