News
Pork Checkoff and Iowa State University announce tool to address air quality practices

The newly designed Air Management
Practices Assessment Tool, a Web-based decision tool, is now available
to pork and other livestock producers who have an interest in learning
more about air quality practices.

The newly designed Air Management Practices Assessment Tool, a Web-based decision tool, is now available to pork and other livestock producers who have an interest in learning more about air quality practices. The Web tool is designed to assist producers in identifying manure storage, animal housing or land application practices to address air quality concerns on their farm.

The decision-making tool was designed in the animal science department at Iowa State University. Pork Checkoff funding was used to support development and delivery of the Web-based tool. 

“The site is a resource for all producers,” said George Pettus, chairman of the Environment Committee of the Pork Checkoff.  “In it, producers can find out which odor mitigation practice or technology is best suited to their type of operation and which one could best address their goals. The Pork Checkoff’s Environment Committee funded the project after identifying the need for a user-friendly resource to make informed decisions with regard to air quality or emissions.”

With the Air Management Practices Assessment Tool, producers can select the emission they are concerned about and follow a decision tree. The decision tree will lead them to practices in the areas of manure storage, animal housing or land application through which they can reduce this type of emission. Each option contains information on the practice, how the practice reduces or controls each emission, the percent effectiveness of the control and relative cost of the control practice. 

Producers can access the tool on the Web at:  http://www.extension.iastate.edu/airquality/practices/homepage.html.