OCAMM odds & ends
Click on 'OCAMM odds & ends' above to find out what's new in manure management and composting.
From the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center;
Free webinar: Manure sampling considerations in different animal species | November 16 @ 2:30 pm (EST) | Speakers will discuss manure sampling challenges and provide recommendations to reduce sampling error. | Program and registration details
From CFAES News:
Livestock Mortality Composting Certification Course | December 14 | Canfield, Ohio | Composting dead animals is an environmentally friendly and cost effective disposal method. Ohio livestock producers must attend a course for certification or complete the online training. | Details
New study will track ways to cut runoff from elevated phosphorus fields | Led by Jay Martin, OSU, a team of researchers and other collaborators will implement nutrient management practices on ~14 farms, with elevated P levels, to evaluate their potential to reduce P runoff. | Article
From Manure Manager:
Winterkill by manure application | Applying manure on frozen ground should be avoided, but it is good to have a contingency plan in case heavy rains or a late harvest affect storage capacity. While application on winter crops is an option, salts in the manure may harm the crop because soil infiltration is limited. | Article
Is iron oxide the answer for manure gas safety? | Recycling gypsum waste as bedding has benefits, but also contains sulfates which can be converted to hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a deadly gas. Penn State researchers found that the addition of iron oxide to gypsum-laden manure, at an equivalent chemical ratio, reduced H2S levels. | Article
New technology a game changer for Wisconsin dairy | A system installed at a 1,400 head dairy produces distilled water and nutrient rich compost by first removing larger solids from the sand bedding, further cleaning the sand, and then treating the liquid stream via centrifugation, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. | Article
From Dairy Herd Management via John Smith (OSU):
FDA approves first animal drug for reduction of manure gas emissions | The new drug has been approved for use in cattle and shown to partially reduce ammonia in the manure. | Article
From Nuu:
Cow poop fabric could be yucky answer to fashion’s sustainability problem | A Netherland company has patented a process to turn the cellulose ‘harvested’ from cattle manure into fibers that can be used in place of cotton. | Article