Engineering Commons^™

Soil Health Effects And Stakeholder Perceptions Of Manure And Woody Biomass Application To Cropland In Nebraska, Linda R. Schott

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Organic products that have historically been viewed as waste products may improve soil health by adding carbon (C) and nutrients to soil. Two such products are woodchips, generated from forest or rangeland management activities, and livestock manure. In Nebraska, eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) is a native but invasive tree species inhibiting rangeland productivity. Livestock manure that is underutilized while inorganic fertilizers are imported for crop production presents a water quality risk by contributing to local- and regional-scale nutrient imbalances. Increasing the responsible use of livestock manure in crop fertility programs to improve sustainability of both livestock and crop farms …

Effects Of Biochar Treatment Of Municipal Biosolids And Horse Manure On Quality Of Runoff From Fescue Plots, Rachel Williams, Dwayne R. Edwards

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Land-applied horse manure and municipal biosolids can increase nutrient and bacteria concentrations in runoff. Biochar has been demonstrated to have beneficial impacts on nutrient retention and runoff quality when used to treat other land-applied organic soil amendments (e.g., poultry manure). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochar addition to horse manure and municipal biosolids on runoff concentrations of nutrients and fecal coliforms. Biochar was added at 5% to 8% (wet basis) to horse manure and biosolids that were applied to 2.4 m x 6.1 m fescue plots followed by application of simulated rainfall (102 mm …

Annual Swine Manure Applications To Soybean Under Corn-Soybean Rotation, Allah Bakhsh, Rameshwar S. Kanwar, James L. Baker, John E. Sawyer, Antonio P. Mallarino

John E. Sawyer

The response of a corn-soybean rotation system receiving fall manure application to both corn and soybean is not well understood in terms of its impact on nitrate leaching to subsurface drainage water and crop yields. This field study was conducted from 2001 through 2005 with the key objective of determining the effects of manure application to both corn and soybean on NO3-N concentrations in subsurface drainage water and corn-soybean yields. The study was conducted on 0.4 ha plots instrumented with state-of-the-art subsurface drainage monitoring systems at the Iowa State University research center, Nashua, Iowa. Nitrogen application rates from liquid swine …

Ammonia And Hydrogen Sulfide Flux From Beef Cattle Pens: Implications For Air Quality Measurement Methodologies And Evaluation Of Emission Controls, Jacek A. Koziel, David B. Parker, Bok-Haeng Baek, Kevin J. Bush, Marty Rhoades, Zena Perschbacher-Buser

Jacek A. Koziel

Ammonia (NH 3 ) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) are emitted from beef cattle feedlots with NH 3 being greater by nearly three orders of magnitude. Nearly 30% of the U.S. beef cattle are fed in the High Plains of Texas. Earlier research indicates that abatement technologies may be needed to significantly reduce NH 3 emissions. To date, little is known about the appropriate measurement methods to evaluate the effectiveness of NH 3 emission controls. In this research, we determined the (a) variability of NH 3 and H 2 S fluxes within a single pen and (b) the relationships …

Application Rate And Timing Effects On Urease Inhibitor Performance For Minimizing Ammonia Emissions From Beef Cattle Feedyards, David B. Parker, Syam Pandrangi, L. Wayne Greene, Lal K. Almas, N. Andy Cole, Marty B. Rhoades, Jacek A. Koziel

Jacek A. Koziel

A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate how rate and timing of urease inhibitor application affects ammonia emissions from simulated beef cattle feedyard surfaces. The urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) was applied at rates of 0, 1 and 2 kg/ha, at 8, 16, and 32 day frequencies, and with or without simulated rainfall. Synthetic urine was added every 2 days to the manure surface. Gaseous NH3 was trapped in a sulfuric acid solution using a vacuum system and analyzed for nitrogen using automated procedures. NBPT applied every 8 days was most effective, with the 1 and 2 kg/ha NBPT treatments …

Estimations Of Ammonia And Hydrogen Sulfide Fluxes From Cattle Feedlot Surfaces In Texas High Plains, Bok-Haeng Baek, Jacek A. Koziel, Jarett P. Spinhirne, David B. Parker, Nolan A. Cole

Jacek A. Koziel

A dynamic flow-through chamber system and continuous analyzers were used for on-site measurements of ammonia-nitrogen (NH 3 -N) and hydrogen sulfide-sulfur (H 2 S-S) fluxes from commercial feedlot surfaces in northwestern Texas during two week period in the summer of 2002. Ambient air and air inside chamber temperatures, and manure pack temperature were measured continuously. Manure pack moisture content, pH, and TKN were measured daily to characterize its correlation with NH 3 -N fluxes. The preliminary average NH 3 -N flux from the feedlot surface for the entire measurement period was 1,669 ± 1,212 NH 3 -N µ g/m 2 …

Assessment Of Moisture Control And Additives For Odor Reduction From Open-Lot Feedyard Surfaces, Jocelyn D. Buchanan, David B. Parker, Marty B. Rhoades, Jacek A. Koziel, William J. Rogers

Jacek A. Koziel

Amendments for reducing odor from open-lot beef cattle feedyards were evaluated in the laboratory. Manure was placed in small Tupperware® containers. Water and amendments were added to the manure surface and the containers were attached to a vacuum pump that continually passed 2.5 L/min of carbon-filtered air over the surface. Eleven different amendments were tested, at two different concentrations, in a series of five experiments. Odor samples were collected 3 times during a 10-day period in each experiment and were analyzed by trained panelists for detection threshold (DT), intensity and hedonic tone. None of the amendments showed any overwhelming evidence …

Estimation Of Ammonia And Hydrogen Sulfide Emissions From Cattle Feedlots In Texas, Bok-Haeng Baek, Jacek A. Koziel, Jarett P. Spinhirne, David B. Parker, Nolan A. Cole

Jacek A. Koziel

A dynamic flow-through chamber system and continuous analyzers were used for on-site measurements of ammonia-nitrogen (NH 3 -N) and hydrogen sulfide-sulfur (H 2 S-S) fluxes from commercial feedlot surfaces in northwestern Texas during two week period in the summer of 2002. Manure pack moisture content, pH, and TKN were measured daily to characterize its relation with NH 3 -N fluxes. The preliminary average NH 3 -N and H 2 S-S flux from the feedlot surface were 1,669 ± 1,212 NH 3 -N µ g/m 2 /min and 1.884 ± 1.497 H 2 S-S µ g S/m 2 /min. Manure pack …

Estrogen Concentrations In Dairy And Swine Waste Storage And Treatment Structures In And Around Tennessee, D. Raj Raman, Elizabeth L. Williams, Robert T. Burns, Alice C. Layton, Adam S. Daugherty, Michael D. Mullen

D. Raj Raman

Naturally occurring estrogens in animal wastes may cause negative environmental impacts in some watersheds. However, there is little published data regarding the concentrations of these estrogenic compounds in full-scale animal waste treatment and storage structures, thus making risk assessment difficult. To address this knowledge gap, the research described in this paper explores estrogen concentrations in 19 animal waste storage and treatment structures at dairy and swine production facilities in and around Tennessee.

Samples have been collected from eight dairy and eleven swine facilities, representing a range of waste storage and treatment structures typical of Tennessee, and much of the southeastern …

Evaluation Of Fabric Swatch Types For Relative Odor Intensity At Beef Cattle Feedyards, Sean D. See, David B. Parker, Brent W. Auvermann, Jacek A. Koziel, John Sweeten

Jacek A. Koziel

A research project was conducted to determine which type of fabric swatch was best suited for on-site sampling of odor intensity at open-lot beef cattle feeding operations. Five different types of fabric were tested: cotton flannel, cotton muslin, acetate, polyester and polyester felt. Square swatches (20 × 20 cm) were suspended 1 m above the ground surface downwind of cattle pens for 24 hours. The swatches were placed in glass jars and presented to 8-10 human panelists who were asked to rank the swatches based on relative odor intensity. Five trials were conducted at 3 feedyards. Sums of ranks and …

Quality Of Runoff From Plots Treated With Municipal Sludge And Horse Bedding, Elizabeth L. Busheé, Dwayne R. Edwards, Philip A. Moore Jr.

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Land application of horse stall bedding and municipal sludge can increase runoff concentrations of nutrients, organic matter, and bacteria as well as steroidal hormones such as estrogen. Concentrations of materials in runoff from sites treated with animal manure can be reduced by aluminum sulfate, or alum [Al₂(SO₄)₃•14H₂O] treatment. The objectives of this study were to assess plots treated with horse stall bedding or municipal sludge for: (a) runoff quality [concentrations of nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N), ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N), orthophosphate-phosphorus (PO₄-P), fecal coliform (FC), chemical oxygen demand (COD) …

Vegetative Filter Strip Removal Of Metals In Runoff From Poultry Litter-Amended Fescuegrass Plots, Dwayne R. Edwards, P. A. Moore Jr., Tommy C. Daniel, Puneet Srivastava, D. J. Nichols

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Runoff from land areas amended with poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus) manure can contain elevated concentrations of metals such as Cu, Fe, and Zn. Vegetative filter strips (VFS) can reduce runoff concentrations of animal manure components, but reported studies have typically focused on nutrients and solids rather than metals. This experiment assessed the impact of VFS length (0 to 12 m) on concentrations and mass losses of Cu, Fe, K, Na, Ni, and Zn in runoff from fescuegrass (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) plots (1.5 m wide × 6 and 12 m long) treated with poultry litter. The runoff was produced from simulated …

Quality Of Runoff From Four Northwest Arkansas Pasture Fields Treated With Organic And Inorganic Fertilizer, Dwayne R. Edwards, Tommy C. Daniel, John F. Murdoch, Philip A. Moore Jr.

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Long-term land application of animal manures, even at agronomic rates, can promote accumulation of soil phosphorus (P) which can, in turn, contribute to increased P loadings to downstream waters. The objective of this study was to assess the soil and runoff effects of replacing animal manure as a soil amendment with inorganic fertilizer (ammonium nitrate, NH₄NO₃) on fields that had been treated previously with animal manures. Runoff from two pairs of small fields (0.57 to 1.46 ha) was sampled from September 1991 to April 1994. All fields had been treated previously with animal manures; after runoff …