News
MLMMI looking for manure research proposals

April
13, 2011 – The Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative (MLMMI) is
currently inviting individuals, partnerships, companies, and/or research
organizations to submit an application to, first, conduct a literature review
in the area of pathogens and their presence and longevity in manure, soil and
surface water runoff.

April
13, 2011 – The Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative (MLMMI) is
currently inviting individuals, partnerships, companies, and/or research
organizations to submit an application to, first, conduct a literature review
in the area of pathogens and their presence and longevity in manure, soil and
surface water runoff.

Livestock
may carry pathogens (viruses, parasites, and bacteria) in their bodies and can
excrete them in manure. As a result, pathogens may be present in manure applied
to land and pose a risk of moving into groundwater, surface water, or being
transmitted to other animals grazing on those lands.

Currently,
there are no comprehensive federal or provincial guidelines or recommendations
for pathogen reduction in animal manures that are to be applied to land as
fertilizer. However, Manitoba recommends implementing a 30-day delay between
the time of application of manure to a pasture and the time livestock are
allowed to graze on the field in order to reduce transmission of pathogens to
livestock.  

Some
pathogens applied to land via manure spreading may survive for 30 days or more.
This could pose a risk to water quality if these pathogens are transported to
surface or ground water.  Injection
or incorporation of the manure into the soil after spreading will reduce the
risk to surface waters because the pathogens are less likely to be transported
off the land in surface water runoff, however, incorporation into soil may
extend the life of the pathogens.  

The
MLMMI is interested in receiving an application for conducting a detailed,
critical and unbiased literature review covering pathogen presence and
longevity in manure, in manure-amended soils, and in water supplies. The
application should address the following questions and objectives:

• What
  types of pathogens exist in various livestock manure by animal species?  
• Which
  of these pathogens pose the greatest risk to human health and/or the
  environment?
• What
  is the nature of the risks to human health and the environment? 
• How
  long do manure pathogens persist in manure and in soil after manure application
  including deposition in winter sites and grazing?
• What
  are the methods of transport of pathogens off field under varying environmental
  conditions?
• Consider
  the Manitoba environment/climate and all environments/climates similar to
  Manitoba when conducting the literature review.
• Identify
  gaps in existing research and make recommendations on how to address those
  gaps.

The
deadline for application submissions in response to this request is as follows:

Deadline
for submission: June 15, 2011

Notification
of approval: TBA, 2011

It
is important that applicants of approved projects be willing to assist the
MLMMI in communicating project findings to industry stakeholders and the
public, and should clearly demonstrate how they plan to do so in the
communications plan section of
the project application form.

Interested
parties are encouraged to contact Judy Roeland, administrative officer, prior
to the submission deadline, by phone at (204) 945-2122, or by email at
mlmmi@gov.mb.ca for assistance in setting up their project application.  

Application
forms and information on how to submit a proposal are also available on the
MLMMI website at www.manure.mb.ca/projects. Project proponents will be notified of their project’s
approval/decline by mail or by email.