December 11, 2009 –
The
Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative (‘Manure Initiative’) Board
of Directors recently approved two new projects that will soon be underway.
December 11, 2009 –
The
Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative (‘Manure Initiative’) Board
of Directors recently approved two new projects that will soon be underway:
“Dried
distillers grains with soluble (DDGS) in poultry diets and “Dried distillers
grains with soluble (DDGS) in poultry diets and manure phosphorus
content – implications for feeding strategies to decrease phosphorus
loading.” Dr. Rodriguez-Lecompte, Department of
Animal Science, University of Manitoba.
“Development
of dispersion-based [odour] setback distance guidelines for Manitoba.” Dr. Qiang Zhang, Department of Biosystems Engineering,
University of Manitoba.
Dr.
Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Lecompte, an Assistant Professor and Animal Scientist
from the University of Manitoba, will head up a project set to examine
the extent that including corn- and wheat-based dried distillers grains
with solubles (DDGS) in poultry diets will influence manure phosphorus
concentrations. DDGS are important
Canadian feed resources, but
have been documented to contain high and variable phosphorus levels.
As
a result, there is potential that DDGS may increase manure-phosphorus content,
thus leading to phosphorus loading in soils when this manure is land
applied.
The
Manure Initiative has partnered with the Manitoba Chicken Producers to fund
the project, which piggy-backs onto a larger, more comprehensive study
supported by the Canadian Poultry Research Council, the Poultry Industry
Council, Canadian Bio-systems Inc. and NSERC focusing on the implications
of DDGS inclusion in poultry diets on animal productivity, well being,
immunity and food safety. Dr.
Rodriguez-Lecompte’s project will get underway
this month.
Dr.
Qiang Zhang, a Professor with the Department of Biosystems Engineering
at the University of Manitoba, will seek to improve the current guideline
for odour-mitigating setback distances from livestock operations.
The
project idea evolved from a recommendation made by the Manitoba Clean
Environment Commission that a dispersion-based odour setback guideline
be established. At present, most
existing setback guidelines in the world
are based on experience. To
establish a dispersion-based odour setback
guideline, Dr. Zhang will a) develop odour impact criteria for defining
acceptable odour exposure, b) develop models for quantifying odour emission
rates from typical livestock operations in Manitoba, c) evaluate and select
dispersion models for predicting the odour distribution surrounding livestock
operations, and lastly d) combine those findings to form the dispersion-based
setback guideline.
The
Manure initiative has paired Manitoba Pork Council funds with funds available
under the new Canada-Manitoba Growing Forward Initiative to support
Dr. Zhang’s project, which is set to get underway this January.
