April 2014 Newsletter Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center

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Webcast Series

Looking Ahead to May: Bioaerosols from Feedlots and Dairy Farms

Airborne bacteria and endotoxins (bioaerosols) have been detected fairly long distances downwind from livestock operations. Two research studies examining the formation of bioaerosols and their offsite transport will be presented. Assessing risks to downwind populations will be the primary focus of the webcast. More... .  May 23, 2014 at 2:30 p.m. (eastern)

Future Topics

June - EPA's Proposed "Waters of the U.S." Rule
If you have a suggestion for a topic or speaker, fill out the webcast suggestion form.
As always, you can check out the recordings of past webcast at our webcast archive and view the schedule at upcoming webcasts.

What's Going On In the LPELC?

Climate Course. Want to learn more about climate change and how it can impact animal agriculture? Do you want to be ready when an extreme event raises questions about climate among your clientele? Check out the comprehensive online course that includes topic like: recent weather trends, climate impacts, adaptation and risk management, basic climate science, greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation practices, the basics of carbon markets, and communication strategies for dealing with this contentious issue. Signups are available at the start of each month for this comprehensive course. More... | Brochure

National Resources

Nutrient Software, IPCC AR5, Methane Reduction, AgSTAR Website

Nutrient Software. The University of Missouri has released an online nutrient planning tool that allows users to map fields and identify vulnerable areas from which manure or fertilizer application should be set back. The software calculates field sizes and gathers soil data and allows for export to other programs. More... Related: Manure Nutrient Management

IPCC AR5. The second working group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its 5th Assessment Report (AR5) on "Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability" which focuses heavily on impacts to human populations but does briefly discuss agriculture and water resources in that context. The final report in the cycle, the synthesis report, is expected toward the end of 2014. More...

Methane Reduction. The White House recently released the "Climate Change Action Plan - Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions". The strategy looks at several sectors, including agriculture. The dairy industry is especially emphasized as a partner in the effort to reduce ag methane emissions. More... | Related: Sources of Greenhouse Gases | Greenhouse Gases and Agriculture (self study)

AgSTAR Website. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) AgSTAR website has recently been "remodeled" and improved. If you are looking for information on anaerobic digestion, this should be among your first stops. More... One of my favorite sections if the profiles of farm projects which is searchable by state, digester type and animal species. | Related: Introduction to Biogas & Anaerobic Digestion

State Program Highlights

• New York: Check out the latest Cornell Waste Management Institute update for great information on composting, a new ag plastics recycling project and more...
• Idaho: University of Idaho researchers presented data about odor and ammonia emissions reductions when injecting liquid dairy manure compared to the standard Idaho practice of surface broadcasting. Significant reductions of both emissions were recorded in a study believed to be among the first to test this practice in Idaho conditions. More... | Review more proceedings of the 2014 Idaho Nutrient Management Conference
• Michigan: Michigan State University published a nice article on nitrogen use efficiency and its place in stewardship goals. More...
• Michigan: Another MSU news article examines research into the question "Do nitrification inhibitors help retain manure N in the rootzone?" The answer is a resounding "maybe". More...
• North Dakota: The latest issue or Livestock Environmental Management news is published. This issue includes soil health, composting mortalities, nitrogen availability in manure, containment pond management, and more! Go to newsletter....
• Wisconsin: The state's runoff advisory forecast website has gone mobile. More... | Mobile site (you need location turned on) | Computer site

Have a state project or program you would like to see in this section? Email the details to jheemstra@unl.edu

Hot Topics

Manure Antibiotics, PEDv, Safety, Livestock Methane, Pig Probiotics, Sustainable Beef, 

Manure Antibiotics. A European research project examined the impact of the presence of antibiotics, specifically sulfadiazine (SDZ), in animal manure had on soil microbes when that manure was applied to soil samples in laboratory settings. The study examined different levels of manure, different dosages of SDZ, and the effects of time. They concluded (not surprisingly) that the presence of SDZ significantly altered microbial populations in the soil samples. More... | Related: Archived webcasts on pharmaceuticals "Use and Resistance" |  "Occurrence, Fate and Transport"

PEDv. South Dakota State's Erin Cortus provides a nice overview on some of the research-based recommendations on disinfecting manure handling equipment to prevent spreading the PEDv virus between pig farms. More... | Related: Manure & Biosecurity

Safety. National Hog Farmer magazine gathered a listing of safety reminders and publications about safety when pumping manure storage. More... | Related: Manure Storage Safety

Livestock Methane. A National Academy of Science (NAS) study questioned the EPA estimates of agricultural and fossil fuel methane emissions, asserting the estimates were far too low. Pennsylvania State University took a closer look at the NAS methodology and used a different method to calculate livestock methane emissions. They concluded that the EPA estimates are accurate. More... | Related: LPELC Climate Change

Pig Probiotics. USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) research has found that pigs fed high-fiber diets are better able to digest that fiber (and reduce the amount of manure they produce in the process) when co-fed a specially-isolated bacterium. More...

Sustainable Beef. The Global Roundtable on Sustainable Beef is soliciting public comments on a draft document outlining the principles and criteria for sustainable beef production. The comment period closes May 16. More...

Events & Announcements

Mortality Composting. "What Farmer Educators Need to Know about Mortality Composting - Beyond the Basics", April 25, 2014 in Langston, OK. More...

Manure Expo. The 2014 Manure Expo will be held July 8 and 9 near Springfield, MO. For more information check out the expo website at http://manureexpo.com

Organic Recycling. The 14th Biocycle Conference for Renewable Energy will be April 8-10 in San Diego, CA. More...  The AgSTAR National Conference will be held at the same location on April 7. More...

Antibiotics. "Antibiotic Resistance in Agroecosystem: State of the Science" will be held August 5-8, 2014 in Oracle, Arizona. More...

Waste to Worth 2015. The second Waste to Worth conference will be held March 30-April 3 at the Westin hotel in Seattle, WA. More...

Have your state/regional/national event added to this section of our newsletter. Send them to Jill at jheemstra@unl.edu

Manure In the News

A look at animal agriculture and manure in the news, serious, funny or controversial. Inclusion here does not constitute LPELC endorsement. In other words, we don't create this stuff, we just link to it.

"Scientists frustrated by factory farms" interviews a researcher with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, which has been an outspoken opponent of CAFO's More...

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If you have any questions about this newsletter, please contact Jill Heemstra jheemstra@unl.edu