S1074: Fostering Technologies, Metrics, and Behaviors for Sustainable Advances in Animal Agriculture

(Multistate Research Project)

Status: Active

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[08/09/2025] [08/12/2025] [06/30/2026]

Date of Annual Report: 08/09/2025

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 05/20/2025 - 05/21/2025
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2024 - 09/30/2025

Participants

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

<h2>Accomplishments (multi-state activities align with the goals and objectives of S1074)</h2> <ul> <li>In Arkansas, Dr. Zhu and his team have focused their research and extension effort on Objective 3, particularly amending anaerobic co-digestion of poultry litter with wheat straw using biochar. Anaerobic co-digestion (Co-AD) of poultry litter (PL) and agricultural straw using biochar has rarely been practiced. Therefore, we conducted two sequential experiments to evaluate the effect of adding alkaline biochar on improving the batch Co-AD of PL and wheat straw. The feasibility experiment identified the advantages of adding biochar by the improved observed cumulative methane yield (CMYo, mL CH4/g VSsubstrate) of 9.7%; the increased removal rates of the substrate total solids (TSsubstrate) and volatile solids (VSsubstrate) of 15.2% and 14.2%, respectively; the enhanced abundance of both hydrolytic bacteria and methanogens, including hydrogegenotrophic Methanobacterium and, especially, the acetolactic Methanosaeta; and the 37.3% higher abundance of the methanogenic pathways, compared to the control. The interaction experiment showed that biochar dosage interacted with the initial substrate carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) and total solids level (TS). The developed mathematical models for CMYo and VSsubstrate removal by response surface methodology were significant, which predicted the optimal conditions being initial substrate C/N ratio 29.93, TS 6.98%, and biochar dosage 9.98% substrate. The optimized CMYo and VSsubstrate removal rates were 17.7% and 22.1% higher, respectively, than those of the control. These results support the utilization of biochar in improving the Co-AD of agricultural wastes, which have made significant contributions to improving anaerobic digestion of poultry litter with wheat straw supplemented with biochar particles.</li> <li>In Georgia, Dr. Chai’s team made significant advancements in applying machine vision and artificial intelligence technologies to precision poultry farming. Recognizing the importance of rooster behaviors—such as mating and movement—as indicators of productivity and welfare, the team addressed the challenges associated with manual behavior identification, which is often time-consuming and prone to cognitive bias and fatigue. To overcome these limitations, Dr. Chai’s group successfully implemented deep learning-based object detection techniques, particularly leveraging the YOLO (You Only Look Once) family of models, renowned for their real-time processing capabilities and accuracy. Unlike traditional detection methods, YOLO directly predicts bounding boxes and class probabilities in a single pass, offering a faster and more efficient approach. Originally introduced by Joseph Redmon in 2015, YOLO has become a leading framework across various industries, including agriculture—for its speed and precision. Dr. Chai’s research team effectively adapted YOLO models to detect roosters in complex environments such as cage-free (CF) poultry houses. This work marks a major step forward in the automation of animal identification in CF facilities, where no existing system currently distinguishes between hens and roosters. The study focused on detecting birds based on phenotypic traits such as comb size and body size, and it included a comparative analysis of model performance metrics. These accomplishments not only demonstrate the feasibility of applying deep learning in commercial poultry systems but also pave the way for more intelligent, data-driven management tools in the poultry industry.</li> <li>In Idaho, Dr. Chen’s team worked with other S1074 team members across the nation on holding the Waste to Worth 2025 conference in Boise during April 8-11, 2025. The Waste to Worth conference provided an engagement platform for S1074 members, livestock producers, and livestock industry partners to share ideas, research findings, and practices that support/improve a sustainable livestock industry. They contributed to the Idaho Sustainable Agriculture Initiative for Dairy (ISAID) project, a USDA Sustainable Agriculture Systems initiative, which involved principal investigators from Washington and North Carolina.</li> <li>In Minnesota, Dr. Cortus’ team has focused their research and extension effort on “Building Value in Baselines.” A Midwest multistate team used focus groups to evaluate the value of the dairy industry-promoted assessment tool, FARM ES. Furthermore, the focus group participants identified the feasible management strategies and actor-networks necessary to move sustainability initiatives forward. Building from this work and publication (Erickson et al., 2025), S1074 supported a workshop at the 2025 Waste to Worth Conference in Boise, ID, to accelerate adoption by strengthening a community of support for sustainability initiative practices. Options for mitigation pathways require a variety of advisory services. Through the workshop and participants, an accessible guide of resources to support sustainable action evolved and is publicly available at https://lpelc.org/moving-the-sustainability-needle/. This work involved MN and NC members, with partners from SD, NE, the National Pork Board, and Dairy Management Inc.</li> <li>In North Carolina, Dr. Sharara, in collaboration with Dr. Cortus at the University of Minnesota, developed and delivered a workshop, Moving the “Sustainability” Needle, to provide insights and exchange expertise on resources, opportunities and challenges in supporting the food animal industry’s sustainability efforts. As a product of this workshop, the team produced a workshop findings document aggregating the gained perspectives and making it public to practitioners and industry stakeholders. Dr. Sharara is working in collaboration with S-1074 colleagues from Iowa (Dr. Andersen and Dr. Ramirez) and Minnesota (Dr. Cortus) through a funded project by the National Pork Board (NPB) to investigate opportunities to improve nutrient cycling in the pork value chain. Through this project, collaborators are analyzing different stages of the pork value chain to examine interventions to reduce nutrient loss to ecosystems such as air, water, and soil emissions. Findings from this project will provide data and information necessary for recommendations for improving nutrient cycling.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>In Ohio, Dr. Zhao and her team have focused their research and extension effort on Objectives 1 and 3.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>For Objective 1, Dr. Zhao participated and presented air quality research at the Ohio Poultry Sustainability Summit organized by the Ohio Poultry Association on Oc. 10, 2024. Many large Ohio poultry producers participated in the Summit. University research, private industry products and services, and government programs supporting the sustainable development of poultry production were presented and discussed. Producers' feedback valued the direct personal connection and interactive discussions and Q&A sessions. Potential areas of collaboration were discussed. A Virtual Forum-“Dust & Disease in Egg Production” was organized on June 12. 2025 through collaborative efforts by a group of peers (Lingying Zhao, Professor and Extension Specialist, The Ohio State University; Brett Ramirez, Egg Industry Center, Associate Prof. Iowa State University; Lisa Bielke, Prestage Distinguished Scholar of Turkey Health, Prestage Department of Poultry Science, NCSU; and Lilong Chai, Associate Professor & Engineering Specialist, Department of Poultry Science, The University of Georgia)</li> <li>For Objective 3, Dr. Zhao had developed a new ventilation system for conventional egg production facilities, reviewed dust and pathogen control technologies, and shared the reviews at various research and extension meetings. She presented “Engineering Technologies for Air Quality Control in Poultry Houses” at the 2025 Georgia Precision Poultry Farming Conference -Virtual, held on May 6, 2025 and reviewed dust and pathogen control technologies at the “Virtual Forum-Dust & Disease in Egg Production.”</li> </ul> <ul> <li>In South Dakota, Dr. Yang and his team have accomplished the following tasks:</li> </ul> <ul> <li>He participated in the 2025 Minnkota Annual Meeting in May, organized by Dr. Erin Cortus at the University of Minnesota. He provided an update on animal structure environment research and extension activities in South Dakota. Minnkota is a collaborative association of university extension specialists, government agencies, animal producers, equipment suppliers, and barn builders, all focused on advancing sustainability in animal production.</li> <li>Yang’s team continued its collaboration with Dr. Yuanhui Zhang at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on a swine air quality project. This work involved visits to ten commercial swine farms for particulate matter sampling and monitoring, development of protocols for sampling, laboratory experiments, and data analysis, as well as identification of the best-performing low-cost particulate matter sensors for use in swine barns. A key outcome of this project was the development of a receptor modeling-based approach for particulate matter source attribution.</li> <li>Additionally, Dr. Yang’s team successfully developed an Excel-based odor footprint tool (NDOFT) for North Dakota, in partnership with the North Dakota Pork Council and the North Dakota Livestock Alliance. To support adoption of the tool, an online training workshop was delivered to eight animal industry representatives across the state, accompanied by the creation of two user guidance documents.</li> <li>Yang also continued his service on the Ag Cybersecurity Curriculum development team within the SDSU Extension program. During the reporting period, he contributed to the publication of five Extension articles. Other outreach efforts included two Extension trailers, one Extension presentation at the SD Ag Horizon conference, and a podcast interview. Furthermore, he delivered two Extension talks on odor and air quality to approximately 50 animal producers as part of the state CAFO Environmental Training, and four additional talks on manure safety, reaching around 120 participants.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>In TX, Dr. Liu maintains the Youtube channel @TexasManure, The content includes topics such as:</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Small-scale composting systems</li> <li>Food waste composting technologies</li> <li>Food waste anaerobic digesters</li> <li>Composting interviews with industry practitioners</li> <li>“Insights from Biosecurity Experts” series</li> </ul> <ul> <li>CA and USDA ARS Idaho engaged in a project to evaluate pre and post installation of vermifiltration on commercial dairy operation(s). This innovative manure management system will be a key innovation in food and farming systems should it prove effective. The research will facilitate evaluation of CA Air Resources Board spreadsheet to estimate emission reductions compared with the EU Cool Farm Tool. Comparisons of spreadsheet and tool-based estimates to actual emissions will be made.</li> <li>CA also evaluated nutrient uptake from duckweed at commercial scale in late summer/fall of 2024. However, by end of spring 2025 the commercial venture shuttered its doors due to insufficient financing.</li> <li>In Wisconsin, Dr. Akdeniz and his team managed to align their research and extension closely with the S1074 Objectives.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>For Objective 1, the team developed and shared articles and podcasts on the UW-Madison Extension website, including guidelines on ventilation design in dairy buildings, air quality, lighting, and labor efficiency in automated dairy operations. These resources help producers evaluate housing and management decisions. Research findings have been presented at the 2024 and 2025 ASABE Annual Meetings and the 2025 Midwest Climate Summit to broaden outreach. As we have made progress with our research and extension projects, we are ready to develop more collaborations in 2026.</li> <li>For Objective 2, the team used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to assess ventilation design and mitigate heat stress in dairy buildings. UAV-based methods are also used to directly measure air emissions from pastures, which enhances our understanding of nitrogen cycling. Together, these tools support sustainability in animal production.</li> <li>For Objective 3, the team’s work examined the effectiveness of ventilation systems, supplemental cooling in dairy buildings, and UAV-based monitoring technologies. They also evaluated micro-aeration in anaerobic digesters to improve methane production and reduce hydrogen sulfide emissions. These studies support practical technology adoption and future research on system improvements in animal agriculture.</li> </ul>

Publications

Journal Articles   <ol> <li>Zhan, Y., Zuo, B., Cao, X., Xiao, Y., & Zhu, J. (2024). Biochar enhanced anaerobic co-digestion of poultry litter and wheat straw: Performance, microbial analysis, and multiple factors’ interaction. Renewable Energy, 231, 120907. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2024.120907">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2024.120907</a></li> <li>Paneru, D., Sharma, M. K., Goo, D., Shi, H., Applegate, T. J., Chai, L., ... & Kim, W. K. (2025). Interactive effects of dietary deoxynivalenol and coccidial infection on growth performance, immune response, oxidative status, and gut health in pullets. Poultry Science, 105462.</li> <li>Paneru, B., Bist, R. B., Yang, X., Dhungana, A., Dahal, S., & Chai, L. (2025). Deep Learning Methods for Automatic Identification of Male and Female Chickens in a Cage-Free Flock. Animals, 15(13), 1862.</li> <li>Yang, X., Lu, G., Zhang, J., Paneru, B., Dhungana, A., Dahal, S., Bist, R. B., & Chai, L. (2025). Tracking Poultry Drinking Behavior and Floor Eggs in Cage-Free Houses with Innovative Depth Anything Model. Applied Sciences, 15(12), 6625.</li> <li>Yang, X., Zhang, J., Paneru, B., Lin, J., Bist, R. B., Lu, G., & Chai, L. (2025). Precision Monitoring of Dead Chickens and Floor Eggs with a Robotic Machine Vision Method. AgriEngineering, 7(2), 35. (Cover story).</li> <li>Subedi, S., Bist, R. B., Yang, X., Li, G., & Chai, L. (2025). Advanced Deep Learning Methods for Multiple Behavior Classification of Cage-Free Laying Hens. AgriEngineering, 7(2), 24.</li> <li>Yang, X., Bist, R. B., Subedi, S., Guo, Y., & Chai, L. (2025). The Application of Probiotics and Prebiotics in Poultry Production and Impacts on Environment: A Review. Encyclopedia, 5(1), 35.</li> <li>Islam, M. N., I. H. Mahdy, L. Chen, S. Wu, and B. He. 2024. Enhanced phosphorus bioavailability and reduced water leachability in dairy manure through hydrothermal carbonization: effect of processing temperature and CaO additive. Environmental Technology. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2024.2430802">https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2024.2430802</a></li> <li>Erickson, M., Rovai, M., Villamediana, P., Schmidt, A. M., Stowell, R. R., & Cortus, E. L. (2025). Building value for dairy farmers and advisors in the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Environmental Stewardship Program. Translational Animal Science, 9, txaf038. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaf038</li> <li>Uguz, S., Sahin, Y.S., Kumar, P., Yang, X., Anderson, G. (2025). Real-time algal monitoring using novel machine learning approaches. Big Data and Cognitive Computing, 9(6), 153.</li> <li>Alahe, M. A., Chang, Y., Kemeshi, J., Won, K., Yang, X., Wei, L. (2025). Real-time agricultural image encryption algorithm using AES on edge computing devices. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 237, 110594.</li> <li>Haleem, N., Yuan, J., Uguz, S., Ucok, S., Gu, Z., Yang, X. (2025). Direct current (DC)-initiated flocculation of Scenedesmus dimorphus. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 32(17), 11292-11298.</li> <li>Ucok, S., Yang, X. (2025). Chemical composition and methane production potential of agricultural residues: Olive pomace, cottonseed meal, and red pepper processing waste. Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi 22 (1), 195-204.</li> <li>Gong, A., Wang, G., Qi, X., He, Y., Yang, X., Huang, X., Liang, P. (2025) Energy recovery and saving in municipal wastewater treatment. Nature Sustainability, 8, 112-119.</li> <li>Kumar, P., Tiwari, S., Uguz, S., Li, Z., Samuel, S., Gonzalez, J., Zhang, Y., Yang, X. (2024). Bioaerosol downwind from animal feeding operations: A comprehensive review. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 480, 135825.</li> <li>Alahe, M. A., Wei, L., Chang, Y., Gummi, S. R., Kemeshi, J., Yang, X., Won, K., Sher, M. (2024). Cyber security in smart agriculture: Threat types, current status, and future trends. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 226, 109401.</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. L. Polzin. 2025. Ventilation fans offset potential reductions in milk margin from heat stress in Wisconsin dairy farms. Agriculture, 15(9): 955. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15090955</li> <li>Yi, Y., N. Akdeniz, JM. Shutske, CY. Choi. 2025. Mitigating heat stress for agricultural workers using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Energy and Buildings, 328, 115186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.115186</li> <li>Jiang, L. Y. Yi, N. Akdeniz. 2024. Energy-saving cooling strategies for tunnel-ventilated dairy buildings: Computational fluid dynamics simulations and validation. Smart Agricultural Technology, 100576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2024.100576</li> <li>Yang, D., Y. Wang, N. Akdeniz. 2024. Developing and field testing an unmanned aerial mapping method to measure air emissions from dairy pastures. Remote Sensing, 16 (16), 3007. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16163007</li> <li>Jiang, L. Y. Yi, N. Akdeniz. 2024. CFD simulations of supplemental cooling techniques in cross-ventilated dairy buildings and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 108480. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2023.108480">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2023.108480</a></li> <li>Gunawardana, D., Wang, X., Mahdaviarab, A., McCubbins, O. P., Landaverde, R., & Liu, Z. (2025). Virtual reality videos for delivery of extension educational materials on manure and mortality management: A pilot-study. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 1-23</li> <li>Mahdaviarab, A., Pahlavanyali, K., Cheng, R., Wang, X., Doria, J., Howe, J. A., Pineiro, J. M., Spencer, J., & Liu, Z. (2025). Emergency mass disposal of milk: Options and considerations. Journal of Environmental Management, 376, 124420.</li> <li>Zhang, Y., Lei, B., Mahdaviarab, A., Wang, X., & Liu, Z. (2025). Robust biochar yield and composition prediction via uncertainty-aware ResNet-based autoencoder. Biochar, 7(1), 1-16</li> </ol>   Conference Proceedings   <ol> <li>Islam, M. N., B. He., and L. Chen. 2025. Phosphorus recycling from dairy manure via hydrochar-experience from the lab-scale to pilot-scale hydrothermal carbonization prototype. Waste to Worth 2025, Boise, ID, April 8-11, 2025</li> <li>Das, A. K., and L. Chen. 2025. Ammonia recovery from anaerobically digested dairy manure using electrodialysis coupled with a hydrophobic gas-permeable membrane for stripping. Waste to Worth 2025, Boise, ID, April 8-11, 2025.</li> <li>Das, A. K., and L. Chen. 2025. Modeling of electrochemical ammonia removal from anaerobically digested dairy wastewater. Waste to Worth 2025, Boise, ID, April 8-11, 2025.</li> <li>Chen, L., M. N., Islam, and B. He, 2025. Hydrochar carbonization of dairy manure for phosphorus recovery and runoff risk mitigation. 2025 WSCS Annual Conference, Walla Walla WA, June 24-25, 2025</li> <li>Chen, L., and A. K. Das, 2025. Ammonia recovery from anaerobically digested dairy wastewater facilitated by in-situ acid and base generation in a transmembrane electro-chemisorption system. 2025 WSCS Annual Conference, Walla Walla WA, June 24-25, 2025</li> <li>Chen, L., M. N., Islam, and B. He. 2025. Phosphorus recycling from dairy manure via hydrochar-experience from the lab-scale to pilot-scale hydrothermal carbonization prototype. Waste to Worth 2025, Boise, ID, April 8-11, 2025</li> <li>Das, A. K., and L. Chen. 2025. Ammonia recovery from anaerobically digested dairy manure using electrodialysis coupled with a hydrophobic gas-permeable membrane for stripping. Waste to Worth 2025, Boise, ID, April 8-11, 2025.</li> <li>Das, A. K., and L. Chen. 2025. Modeling of electrochemical ammonia removal from anaerobically digested dairy wastewater. Waste to Worth 2025, Boise, ID, April 8-11, 2025.</li> <li>Islam, M.N., B. He, and L. Chen. 2025. Hydrochar carbonization of dairy manure for phosphorus recovery and runoff risk mitigation. Western Nutrient Management Conference, Reno, NV, March 4-6, 2025</li> <li>Das, A. K., and L. Chen. 2025. Ammonia recovery from anaerobically digested dairy wastewater facilitated by in-situ acid and base generation in a transmembrane electro-chemisorption system. Western Nutrient Management Conference, Reno, NV, March 4-6, 2025.</li> <li>Kumar, P., Uguz, S., Tiwari, S., Chang, Y., Yang, X. (2025). Field testing of low-cost PM sensors in animal production facilities. In 2025 Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology Conference, Aurora, CO.</li> <li>Yang, Y., Thaler, R., Yang, X. (2025). Developing an odor footprint tool for animal agriculture in North Dakota. In 2025 ASABE North Central Regional Section Meeting, Fargo, ND.</li> <li>Khan, T., Yang, X. (2025). LoRaWAN-enabled IoT solution for smart farming. In 2025 ASABE North Central Regional Section Meeting, Fargo, ND.</li> <li>Yang, X. (2024). Particulate matter in swine barns. In Midwest Regional Agricultural Safety and Health 2024 Conference, Ames, IA.</li> <li>Ly, N. N. Akdeniz, Z. Zeng, C. Choi. 2025. Testing the efficacy of positive-pressure ventilation systems (PPTV) for indoor calf housing using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, ASABE Annual International Meeting, Toronto, Canada.</li> <li>Jiang, L., N. Akdeniz. 2025. Ventilation design for calf hutches using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, ASABE Annual International Meeting, Toronto, Canada.</li> <li>Froelich, E. N. Akdeniz. 2025. Optimizing microaeration rates in anaerobic digesters: comparative analysis under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions, ASABE Annual International Meeting, Toronto, Canada. </li> <li>Akdeniz, N. 2025. Online calculators for computing ventilation requirements of dairy buildings. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Toronto, Canada. </li> <li>Yang, D. N. Akdeniz. 2025. Direct air emission measurements using small-unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) from livestock pastures in Wisconsin. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Toronto, Canada. </li> <li>Yang, D., N. Akdeniz. 2025. Direct measurement of spatial greenhouse gas emissions from livestock pastures. Midwest Climate Summit, Madison, WI.</li> <li>Yang, D., N. Akdeniz. 2024. Quantifying greenhouse gas emissions from dairy pastures using a flying air analyzer. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Froelich, E., N. Akdeniz. 2024. Improving anaerobic digestion of dairy manure by reducing hydrogen sulfide production through microaeration. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Li, J., N. Akdeniz. 2024. Ventilation design for automated milking system (AMS) buildings. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Cheng, R., Mahdaviarab, A., Pahlavanyali, K., Wang, X., Wang, H., and Liu, Z. Optimizing Biogas Production Through Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Poultry Carcasses and Litter. 2025. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Toronto, Canada.</li> <li>Pahlavanyali, K., Mahdaviarab, A., Cheng, R., Kincaid, N., Habib, M. R., Wang, X., Wang, H., and Liu, Z. Valorizing Organic Waste: Assessing the Fertilization Potential of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) By-Products in Tomato Cultivation. 2025. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Toronto, Canada.</li> </ol>   Thesis/Dissertations  Cherotich, S. (2025). Depositions of Gas Phase NH3 and Particle Phase NH4+ in the Vicinity of Poultry Production Facilities. Ph.D. dissertation. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. <ol> <li>Jones, K. (2025). Technical and Economic Considerations of Anaerobic Digestion in Partially Nitrified Swine Manure. M.S. thesis. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.</li> <li>Khan, T. (2025). LoRaWAN-enabled IoT solutions for smart farming. M.S. thesis, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD.</li> <li>Froelich, E. (2025). Optimizing microaeration in anaerobic digesters: A comparative study of batch and continuous systems under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions, M.S. thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.  </li> </ol> <ol> <li>Zhou, Run. Novel Ag-Containing Photocatalysts and Their Performance Regulation and Applications to Hazard Organic Degradation. PhD diss., Water Management and Hydrological Science, 2025. Chairs: Zong Liu and Virender K. Sharma</li> </ol>   Extension and Outreach   <ol> <li>Chai, L (July 8, 2025). <a href="https://site.caes.uga.edu/precisionpoultry/2025/07/machine-vision-technologies-for-automatic-identification-of-male-and-female-chickens/">Machine Vision Technologies for Automatic Identification of Male and Female Chickens</a>.</li> <li>Chai, L (June 26, 2025). <a href="https://site.caes.uga.edu/precisionpoultry/2025/06/the-4th-u-s-precision-livestock-farming-conference/">The 4th U.S. Precision Livestock Farming Conference</a>.</li> <li>Chai, L (June 16, 2025). <a href="https://site.caes.uga.edu/precisionpoultry/2025/06/tracking-poultry-drinking-and-floor-eggs-with-an-innovative-depth-anything-model/">Tracking Poultry Drinking and Floor Eggs with an Innovative Depth Anything Model</a>.</li> <li>Chai, L (April 27, 2025). <a href="https://site.caes.uga.edu/precisionpoultry/2025/04/deep-learning-systems-for-automatic-egg-grading/">Deep Learning Systems for Automatic Egg Grading</a>.</li> <li>Chai, L (February 28, 2025). <a href="https://site.caes.uga.edu/precisionpoultry/2025/02/a-robotic-machine-vision-system-for-tracking-dead-chickens/">A Robotic Machine Vision System for Tracking Dead Chickens</a>.</li> <li>Chai, L (January 31, 2025). <a href="https://site.caes.uga.edu/precisionpoultry/2025/01/monitoring-perching-behavior-of-cage-free-hens-with-machine-vision/">Monitoring Perching Behavior of Cage-free Hens with Machine Vision</a>.</li> <li>Erickson, M., Sharara, M., & Cortus, E. (2025). Moving the “Sustainability” Needle. Workshop In Proceedings of the 2025 Waste to Worth Conference, Boise, ID. April 7-11, 2025. https://lpelc.org/moving-the-sustainability-needle/</li> <li>Erickson, M., Sharara, M., & Cortus, E. (2025). Building Value in Baseline Sustainability Assessments. Workshop In Proceedings of the 2025 Waste to Worth Conference, Boise, ID. April 7-11, 2025. <a href="https://lpelc.org/building-value-in-baseline-sustainability-assessments/">https://lpelc.org/building-value-in-baseline-sustainability-assessments/</a></li> <li>Wang-Li, L. (2024) The Role of Agriculture in Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition: Sources, Impacts, and Management. Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Community (LPELC) Monthly Webinars. September 23, 2024. Recording link: https://lpelc.org/the-role-of-agriculture-in-atmospheric-nitrogen-deposition-sources-impacts-and-management/</li> <li>Zhao, L.Y. 2025. Engineering technologies for air quality control in poultry houses. Invited presentation at 2025 Georgia Precision Poultry Farming Conference-Virtual. May 6, 2025.</li> <li>Zhao, L.Y., T. Lim, and L. Chai.  2025. A review of dust and pathogen control technologies in poultry production facilities. Invited presentation at Virtual Forum-Dust & Disease in Egg Production. June 12, 2025      </li> <li> Zhao, L.Y.  2025. A new ventilation system to improve indoor environment and abate pathogen transmission in layer houses. Invited presentation at Virtual Forum-Dust & Disease in Egg Production. June 12, 2025   </li> <li>Zhao, L.Y. 2025. Measurement, Modeling, and Mitigation of Indoor Environment, Air Quality, and Air Emissions at Poultry Facilities. Invited presentation at the Ohio Poultry Association Summitt, Oct. 10, 2024.</li> <li>Yang, X., Nafchi, A., Brennan, J., Mehan, S., Vandermark, L., Sellars, S., Smart, A., Chang, Y., Wang, Y. (2025). Protecting Your Data: The Role of Authentication and Encryption in Agricultural Cybersecurity, SDSU Extension.</li> <li>Brennan, J., Vandermark, L., Mehan, S., Nafchi, A., Sellars, S., Yang, X. (2025). Be Cyber Aware: Text Message Cyber-Attacks (SMS Phishing - Smishing), SDSU Extension.</li> <li>Yang, X., Nafchi, A., Brennan, J., Mehan, S., Sellars, S., Vandermark, L. (2024). Choosing the Right Wireless Network Technologies for Agricultural IoT Applications. SDSU Extension.</li> <li>Brennan, J., Vandermark, L., Sellars, S., Mehan, S., Nafchi, A. M., Yang, X. (2024). The Growing Threat of Cyber Attacks in Agriculture. SDSU Extension.</li> <li>Nafchi, A., Smart, A, Yang, X., Mehan, S., Brennan, J. (2024). Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Precision Agriculture. SDSU Extension.</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. Before You Buy: A Farm Tech Investment Planning Guide, 2025 (link)</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. Balancing Technology and People: The Evolving Role of Farm Workers in Automation, 2025 (<a href="https://farms.extension.wisc.edu/articles/balancing-technology-and-people-the-evolving-role-of-farm-workers-in-automation/">link</a>)</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. Balancing Ventilation Costs and Milk Production Losses on Wisconsin Dairy Farms, 2025 (<a href="https://dairy.extension.wisc.edu/articles/balancing-ventilation-costs-and-milk-production-losses-on-wisconsin-dairy-farms/">link</a>)</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. Lighting in Dairy Buildings in Wisconsin, 2025 (link)</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. Ventilation Fan Noise in Dairy Buildings, 2025 (<a href="https://dairy.extension.wisc.edu/articles/ventilation-fan-noise-in-dairy-buildings/">link</a>)</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. Tunnel-ventilated dairy buildings, 2025 (<a href="https://dairy.extension.wisc.edu/articles/tunnel-ventilated-dairy-buildings/">link</a>)</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. Cross-Ventilation in Dairy Buildings, 2025 (<a href="https://dairy.extension.wisc.edu/articles/cross-ventilation-in-dairy-buildings/">link</a>)</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. Natural Ventilation in Dairy Buildings, 2025 (<a href="https://dairy.extension.wisc.edu/articles/natural-ventilation-in-dairy-buildings/">link</a>)</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. Air Quality in Calf Housing, 2025 (<a href="https://dairy.extension.wisc.edu/articles/air-quality-in-calf-housing/">link</a>)</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. Renovating Tie-Stall Barns for Indoor Calf Housing, 2024 (link)</li> <li>Akdeniz, N. Ventilation in Dairy Buildings, 2024 (link)</li> <li>Dairy Manure Management Workshop. Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research. July 2025, Denver, CO</li> <li>Manure Centrifuge & Dealing with Struvite. DOPA (Central TX), April 2025. Stephenville, TX</li> <li>TAMU AGSM 337 Guest Lecture: Anaerobic Lagoons. April 2025. College Station, TX</li> <li>Manure Happens: Dr. Zong Liu on Manure and Compost Management. Colorado State University AgNext podcast Ep.19. February 2025, Fort Collins, CO</li> <li>Manure and Mortality Management. Colorado State University General Seminar, Department of Animal Science. February 2025, Fort Collins, CO</li> <li>Advancing Manure Management in Texas. Seminar at Texas Tech CASFER, an NSF Engineering Research Center. January 2025, Lubbock, TX</li> <li>Manure Management. NRCS Nutrient Management Training, November 2024, Canyon, TX</li> <li>Digesters, Mortality Management, and Climate Smart Program Enrollment. DOPA (East Texas). October 2024, Sulphur Spring, TX</li> </ol>

Impact Statements

Date of Annual Report: 08/12/2025

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 07/30/2024 - 07/30/2024
Period the Report Covers: 08/01/2023 - 07/31/2024

Participants

Lide Chen Idaho University of Idaho lchen@uidaho.edu
Zong Liu Texas Texas A&M University zongliu@tamu.edu
Mahmoud Sharara North Carolina N.C. State Univ. msharar@ncsu.edu
Jun Zhu Arkansas University of Arkansas junzhu@uark.edu
Lingying Zhao Ohio The Ohio State University zhao.119@osu.edu
Teng Lim Missouri University of Missouri limt@missouri.edu
Lingjuan Wang-Li North Carolina N.C. State Univ. lwang5@ncsu.edu
Xufei Yang South Dakota South Dakota State University Xufei.Yang@sdstate.edu

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

<ul> <li>In Arkansas, the research and extension effort of Dr. Zhu and his team has focused on Objective 3. The major activities of this project have enabled the team to make significant progress in improving the anaerobic digestion of poultry litter with wheat straw by incorporating ferric oxide nanoparticles into the digestion process. Metallic nanoparticles, such as ferric oxide nanoparticles (FNP), have been utilized to promote methane fermentation. However, the appropriate use of ferric oxide nanoparticles in anaerobic co-digestion (Co-AD) of agricultural wastes, considering substrate characteristics as important factors, is rarely understood. The research conducted in the past year used response surface methodology and artificial neural network (ANN) to model methane yield (MY, NmL CH4/g VS added) from batch Co-AD of poultry litter (PL) and wheat straw (WS) with FNP supplementation. A statistical central composite design was applied to the input factors of ferric oxide nanoparticle dosage (mg/L), carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N), and total solids level (TS, %), with a significant second-order quadratic model generated (R2 =0.9887). ANN developed a trained multilayer perceptron network with an even higher R2 (0.9947). These analyses showed that all factors had a significant effect on methane yield (the significance was in the order of C/N ratio > FNP dosage > TS), with significant interactions between C/N ratio and FNP, and between C/N ratio and TS. Numerical optimization achieved a maximum methane yield of 318.4 mL CH4/g VS added under the conditions of C/N 34.65, TS 5.28%, and FNP 19.39 mg/L. The trained artificial neural network coupled with the genetic algorithm generated a similar maximum methane yield prediction, 318.3 mL CH4/g VS added, under the optimal conditions of C/N 35, TS 4.24%, and FNP 17.42 mg/L. The results can give guidance to real operations and provide support for process simulation and optimization in other scenarios.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>In Georgia (GA), Chai and his team have secured additional funding from USDA-NIFA, Georgia Research Alliance, and Egg Industry Center to work on multiple precision poultry production projects. Two select projects and corresponding achievements are shown below:</li> <li>Activity index detection: Chickens’ behaviors and activities are important information for managing animal health and welfare in commercial poultry houses. In this study, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) models were developed to monitor the chicken activity index. A dataset consisting of 1,500 top-view images was utilized to construct tracking models, with 900 images allocated for training, 300 for validation, and 300 for testing. Six different CNN models were developed, based on YOLOv5, YOLOv8, ByteTrack, DeepSORT, and StrongSORT. The final results demonstrated that the combination of YOLOv8 and DeepSORT exhibited the highest performance, achieving a Multi-Object Tracking Accuracy (MOTA) of 94%. Further application of the optimal model could facilitate the detection of abnormal behaviors such as smothering and piling, and enabled the quantification of flock activity into three levels (low, medium, and high) to evaluate footpad health states in the flock. This research underscores the application of deep learning in monitoring the poultry activity index for assessing animal health and welfare.</li> <li>Footpad dermatitis monitoring: Footpad dermatitis (FPD) is a common poultry condition that can negatively influence chickens’ production, welfare, and health. However, no automated tool for monitoring FPD in live chickens is currently available. The objective of this study was to develop and optimize deep learning models to monitor hens’ FPD scores (i.e., 0-2 scale with higher scores indicating poorer footpad conditions). A total of 700 Hy-Line W-36 hens were raised in four cage-free housing systems integrated with Electrostatic Particle Ionization and various bedding materials. A GoPro camera with an upward lens was placed inside a transparent box. Individual laying hens were placed on the top surface of the box to acquire RGB images. In addition, a thermal camera was used to record RGB and thermal images of footpads, and the images were manually scored to assess their footpad conditions. Preprocessing techniques (e.g., filtration, separation, and augmentation) were deployed to enhance dataset quality and size. Moreover, YOLOv8 models (YOLOv8n, YOLOv8s, YOLOv8m, YOLOv8l, and YOLOv8x) and YOLOv7 models (YOLOv7 and YOLOv7x) were comparatively evaluated for predicting FPD scores. The results show that the YOLOv8l outperformed other models, with higher recall (96.6%), mAP@0.50 (97.0%), and F1-score (95.0%). Additionally, the YOLOv8l-FPD model exhibited a high mAP@0.50 for score 0 (98.0%), score 1 (95.0%), and score 2 (97.9%) and F1-score (95.0%) for all FPD scores. Notably, using thermal images could result in faster convergence of model training and slightly better FPD score prediction performance than RGB images. The proposed technique can be useful for non-invasive automatic FPD scoring and further improve automation levels and animal welfare in the egg industry.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>In Idaho, Dr. Chen and his team worked with colleagues from Washington State University and Oregon State University on developing proposal ideas that build symbiotic, climate-smart dairy and potato systems for sustainable agriculture. They also engaged in Dairy West and the Idaho Dairymen’s Association’s effort that involved scientists and industry professionals from the Pacific Northwest to collectively identify research gaps and priorities that help achieve the dairy industry’s sustainability goals. Additionally, the team contributed to the Idaho Sustainable Agriculture Initiative for Dairy (ISAID) project, a USDA Sustainable Agriculture Systems initiative, which involved principal investigators from Washington and North Carolina.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>In Minnesota, Dr. Cortus and her team have focused on technology appraisal in the past reporting year. Nutrient and carbon partitioning and performance for swine manure management technologies. Through a National Pork Board-funded project, S1074 members are synthesizing nutrient transformations and partitioning in liquid swine manure undergoing anaerobic digestion, aeration, acidification, and solid-liquid separation. The work included a literature review in 2023/2024. While these manure treatment technologies are more mature than others, there is a lack of mass balance qualification of results, particularly when treatment comparisons are performed. However, by considering mass partitioning, we are better able to stack technologies and quantify performance through other analysis methods, like life cycle analyses. This work involves Minnesota, North Carolina, and Iowa S1074 members, in conjunction with animal nutritionists, geneticists, and data scientists.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>In North Carolina, Dr. Wang-Li's group continued to analyze the air sampling data collected at NCDA Piedmont Research Station Poultry Unit and a commercial egg farm in Ohio State University, in collaboration with Dr. Lingying Zhao at The Ohio State University. This research project titled “Fate, Transport, and Transformation of Ammonia Emissions from Animal Feed Operations and Their Impacts on Air-Soil Health” aims at quantifying NH3 and particulate NH4+ dry depositions as impacted by NH3 emissions from poultry production units and their associated impact on soil health. It will fill the knowledge gap in NH3 deposition flux and velocities in this rural environment to help address environmental impacts and the sustainability of the poultry industry. Dr. Sharara led the coordination and delivery of a national webinar, through the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Community (LPELC). The webinar, The Role of Agriculture in Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition: Sources, Impacts, and Management, brought expertise from UW-Madison (Dr. David Gay), U.S. EPA (Jesse Bash), USDA ARS (Dr. Greg Zwick), and Dr. Sharara to provide technical specialists and consultants with a comprehensive of ammonia. Through this well-attended webinar (over 120 audience members from the U.S. and Canada), evaluations revealed a gain in knowledge of ammonia drivers, impacts, as well as interventions to reduce its release.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>In Ohio, Dr. Zhao and her team have focused on assessing existing sustainability assessment tools in the past reporting year. Through two rounds of USDA SAS proposal development efforts, Dr. Zhao has collaborated with many peer researchers and developed a conceptual structure for a sustainability assessment tool for egg production, in reference to the sustainability framework published by the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry & Eggs (US-RSPE) in 2022. She has started to build a case scenario about a one-million-bird layer operation in Ohio.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>In South Dakota, Dr. Yang and his team collaborated with Dr. Erin Cortus at the University of Minnesota on the 2024 Minnkota Annual Meeting in April 2024. Minnkota is an association of university extension specialists, governmental agencies, animal producers, equipment suppliers, and barn builders dedicated to addressing sustainability issues in animal production facilities. This meeting was held on the South Dakota State University campus in conjunction with the 2024 ASABE North Central Regional Meeting. The team also collaborated with Dr. Yuanhui Zhang at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on a swine air quality project funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Through this project, they have reached out to 12 commercial swine farms to explore potential opportunities for field monitoring and data sharing. This project aims to enhance our understanding of particulate matter emitted from swine production facilities, including its characteristics, sources, and potential safety and health risks, to help address sustainability challenges facing the swine industry. Additionally, the team collaborated with the North Dakota Pork Council and the North Dakota Livestock Alliance to develop a grant proposal for an odor footprint tool for the state. This tool will establish odor setback distances between animal production facilities and their neighbors. This information is crucial for planning and zoning new or expanding facilities, thereby supporting the continued growth of North Dakota's animal industry. Within the state of South Dakota, Dr. Yang served on an Ag Cybersecurity Curriculum development team within the SDSU Extension program. A partial goal of this work is to facilitate the implementation of cybersecure precision livestock farming technologies among animal producers. These technologies often result in smaller environmental footprints. Out-of-state collaborators of this effort included the extension agents from the University of Idaho.</li> </ul>

Publications

<ol> <li>Xiao, Y., Tian, Y., Xu, W., & Zhu, J. (2024). Photodegradation of microplastics through nanomaterials: Insights into photocatalysts modification and detailed mechanisms. Materials, 17(11), 2755. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17112755">https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17112755</a></li> <li>Bist, R. B., Yang, X., Subedi, S., Bist, K., Paneru, B., Li, G., & Chai, L. (2024). An automatic method for scoring poultry footpad dermatitis with deep learning and thermal imaging. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 226, 109481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2024.109481</li> <li>Yang, X., Dai, H., Wu, Z., Bist, R. B., Subedi, S., Sun, J., Lu, G., Li, C., Liu, T., & Chai, L. (2024). An innovative segment anything models for precision poultry monitoring. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 222, 109045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2024.109045</li> <li>Yang, X., Bist, R. B., Liu, T., Applegate, T., Ritz, C., Kim, W., & Chai, L. (2024). Computer vision-based cybernetics systems for promoting modern poultry farming: A critical review. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 225, 109339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2024.109339</li> <li>Yang, X., Bist, R. B., Subedi, S., Wu, Z., Liu, T., Paneru, B., & Chai, L. (2024). A machine vision system for monitoring wild birds on poultry farms to prevent avian influenza. AgriEngineering, 6(4), 3704–3718. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6040219</li> <li>Saeidifar, M., Li, G., Chai, L., Bist, R. B., Rasheed, K. M., Lu, J., Banakar, A., Liu, T., & Yang, X. (2024). Zero-shot image segmentation for monitoring thermal conditions of individual cage-free laying hens. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 226, 109436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2024.109436</li> <li>Yang, X., Bist, R., Paneru, B., & Chai, L. (2024). Monitoring activity index and behaviors of cage-free hens with advanced deep learning technologies. Poultry Science, 103(11), 104193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104193</li> <li>Yang, X., Bist, R. B., Paneru, B., & Chai, L. (2024). Deep learning methods for tracking the locomotion of individual chickens. Animals, 14(6), 911. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14060911</li> <li>Paneru, B., Bist, R. B., Yang, X., & Chai, L. (2024). Tracking dustbathing behavior of cage-free hens with machine vision technologies. Poultry Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104289</li> <li>Bist, R. B., Poudel, K., Yang, X., Paneru, B., Mani, S., Wang, D., & Chai, L. (2024). Sustainable poultry farming practices: A critical review of current strategies and future prospects. Poultry Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104295</li> <li>Bist, R. B., Yang, X., Subedi, S., Paneru, B., & Chai, L. (2024). Enhancing dust control for cage-free hens with electrostatic particle charging systems at varying installation heights and operation durations. AgriEngineering, 6(2), 1747–1759. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6020100</li> <li>Bist, R. B., Yang, X., & Subedi, S., & Chai, L. (2024). Automatic detection of bumblefoot in cage-free hens using computer vision technologies. Poultry Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.103780</li> <li>Bist, R. B., Yang, X., Subedi, S., Ritz, C. W., Kim, W. K., & Chai, L. (2024). Electrostatic particle ionization for suppressing air pollutants in cage-free layer facilities. Poultry Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.103494</li> <li>Paneru, B., Bist, R., Yang, X., & Chai, L. (2024). Tracking perching behavior of cage-free laying hens with deep learning technologies. Poultry Science, 103(12), 104281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104281</li> <li>Bist, R. B., Yang, X., Subedi, S., Paneru, B., & Chai, L. (2024). An integrated engineering method for improving air quality of cage-free hen housing. AgriEngineering, 6(3), 2795–2810. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6030178</li> <li>Saeidifar, M., Li, G., Lu, J., Chai, L., Bist, R., & Yang, X. (2024). Automatic segmentation of birds using a combination of object detection and foundation image segmentation models. International Journal of Advances in Electronics and Computer Science, 11(7), 2394–2835.</li> <li>Das, A. K.  and L. Chen. 2024. A Review on Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Treatment of Dairy Wastewater. Environments 2024, 11(6), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11060124</li> <li>Sapkota, S., A. Reza, and L. Chen. 2024. Optimization of Ammonia Nitrogen Removal and Recovery from Raw Liquid Dairy Manure Using Vacuum Thermal Stripping and Acid Absorption Process: A Modeling Approach Using Response Surface Methodology. Nitrogen 2024, 5(2), 409-425: https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen5020026</li> <li>Reza, A., L. Chen. and X. Mao. 2024. Response surface methodology for process optimization in livestock wastewater treatment: A review. Heliyon (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30326)</li> <li>Das, A.K., A. Reza, and L. Chen. 2024. Optimization of pollutants removal from anaerobically digested dairy wastewater by electro-oxidation process: a response surface methodology modeling and validation. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry (DOI: 10.1007/s10800-024-02113-z)</li> <li>Xiao, Y., Tian, Y., Xiong, H., Shi, A., & Zhu, J. (2024). Compact solar-powered plasma water generator: Enhanced on-site aged seed germination with the corona dielectric barrier discharger. Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering. <a href="https://doi.org/10.15302/J-FASE-2024573">https://doi.org/10.15302/J-FASE-2024573</a></li> <li>Zhan, Y., & Zhu, J. (2024). Response surface methodology and artificial neural network-genetic algorithm for modeling and optimization of bioenergy production from biochar-improved anaerobic digestion. Applied Energy, 355, 122336. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.122336">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.122336</a></li> <li>Yin, Y., Qi, X., Gao, L., Lu, X., Yang, X., Xiao, K., Liu, Y., Qiu, Y., Huang, X., & Liang, P. (2024). Quantifying methane influx from sewer into wastewater treatment processes. Environmental Science & Technology, 58, 9582–9590.</li> <li>Rubel, R. I., Wei, L., Alanazi, S., Aldekhail, A., Cidreira, A. M., Yang, X., Wasti, S., Bhagia, S., & Zhao, X. (2024). Biochar-compost-based controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer intended for an active microbial community. Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering, 11(2), 2376366.</li> <li>Uguz, S., Anderson, G., Yang, X., Simsek, E., Osabutey, A., & Min, K. (2024). Microalgae cultivation using ammonia and carbon dioxide concentrations typical of pig barns. Environmental Technology, 45, 5899–5911.</li> <li>Rubel, R. I., Wei, L., Wu, Y., Brozel, V., Gupta, S., Alanazi, S., Ameer, S., Sobhan, A., Das, B., Osabutey, A., & Yang, X. (2024). Greenhouse evaluation of biochar-based controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer in corn production. Agricultural Research, 13(1), 113–123.</li> <li>Haleem, N., Kumar, P., Uguz, S., Jamal, Y., McMaine, J., & Yang, X. (2023). Viability of artificial rain for air pollution control: Insights from natural rains and roadside sprinkling. Atmosphere, 14(12), 1714.</li> <li>He, Y., Gong, A., Osabutey, A., Gao, T., Haleem, N., Yang, X., & Liang, P. (2023). Emerging electro-driven technologies for phosphorus enrichment and recovery from wastewater: A review. Water Research, 246, 120699 Conference Proceedings   <ol> <li>Das, A. K., A. Reza, and L. Chen. 2024. Pollutants removal from anaerobically digested dairy wastewater by electro-oxidation process: A RSM optimization and modeling, ASABE AIM 2024, Anaheim, CA. July 28-31, 2024.</li> <li>Das, A. K. and L. Chen. 2024. Ammonia removal from dairy waste stream using combined chemical coagulation and photoelectron-Fenton process: A GRA-Taguchi, RSM, and ANN based optimization and modeling, ASABE AIM 2024, Anaheim, CA. July 28-31, 2024.</li> <li>Mohammad Nazrul, Islam, L. Chen, and B. Brian He. 2024. Mitigating phosphorus runoff risk and enhancing bioavailability in dairy manure via hydrothermal carbonization with CaO addition, ASABE AIM 2024, Anaheim, CA. July 28-31, 2024.</li> <li>Chen, L. and A. Reza. 2024. Ammonia removal and recovery from anaerobically digested liquid dairy manure using vacuum thermal stripping-acid absorption process. 64th Idaho Academy of Science and Engineering Symposium-17th Intermountain Conference on the Environment Joint Symposium-Sustainability & The Earth’s Climate, Pocatello, ID. April 5-6, 2024.</li> <li>Chen, L. and Reza, A. 2023. Ammonia removal and recovery from anaerobically digested liquid dairy manure using vacuum thermal stripping-acid absorption process: a GRA-Taguchi, RSM, and RSM-ANN based optimization and modeling. 2023 Northwest Bioenergy Summit, Kennewick, WA. October 10-12, 2023.</li> <li>Xiao, Y. and Zhu, J. 2024. Enhanced seed germination with solar-powered plasma water generator. ASABE 117th Annual International Meeting. Paper#: 2400189. Anaheim, CA. July 28-31, 2024.</li> <li>Cherotich, S., Wang-Li, L., Anderson, K., Classen, J., & Shi, W. (2024, July 28–31). Ammonia concentrations, deposition, and soil properties as impacted by the deposition in the near fields of a poultry production facility (Presentation No. 2400324). Paper presented at the 2024 ASABE Annual International Meeting (AIM), Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Li, P., Herkins, M., Knight, R., Zhao, L., Akter, S., & Wang-Li, L. (2024, July 28–31). Comparison of three on-field measurement methods for low-level ammonia concentrations at ambient locations of a poultry layer production facility. Paper presented at the 2024 ASABE Annual International Meeting (AIM), Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Zhu, H., E. Ozkan, J. Theodoro, H. Jeon, J. Campos, and L.Y. Zhao. 2024. Modified Design of Open-Circuit, Centrifugal-Fan Driven Wind Tunnel to Produce Uniform Laminar Air Flows. Presentation (No. 2401309) at 2024 ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA, July 28-31, 2024.</li> <li>Li, P., M. Herkins, R. Knight, L.Y. Zhao, S. Akter, L. Wang-Li, J.Q. Ni, and A. Heber. 2024. Comparison of three on-field measurement methods for low-level ammonia concentrations at ambient locations of a poultry layer production facility. Presentation (No. 2401175) at 2024 ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA, July 28-31, 2024.</li> <li>Geng, Y., D. Jepsen, L.Y. Zhao, T. Reponen. 2024. Assessing the protection provided by the N95 filtering facepiece respirators in grain dust environments: A case study of Ohio farmers.  Presentation (No. 2400691) at 2024 ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA, July 28-31, 2024.</li> <li>Herkins M., R. Knight, X. Tong, L.Y. Zhao, T. Yazbeck, J. Missik, G. Bohrer. 2023. Validating an ammonia dispersion model near a commercial poultry facility using AERMOD. Presentation at 2023 ASABE Annual International Meeting, Omaha, Nebraska, July 8-12, 2023. </li> <li>Haleem, N., Yuan, J., Uguz, S., Ucok, S., Gu, Z., Yang, X. (2024). DC-assisted flocculation of Scenedesmus dimorphus. In American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) 2024 Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Kumar, P., Tiwari, S., Uguz, S., Yang, X. (2024). Microbial composition of swine barn bioaerosol using next-generation sequencing. In ASABE 2024 Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Uguz, S., Kumar, P., Tiwari, S., Yang, X. (2024). Assessment of low-cost PM sensors for their applicability in swine barns. In ASABE 2024 Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Alahe, M.A., Kemeshi, J., Chang, Y., Won, K., Yang, X., Sher, M. (2024). Securing agricultural data with encryption algorithms on embedded GPU-based edge computing devices. In 16th International Conference on Precision Agriculture, Manhattan, KS.</li> <li>Kumar, P., Tiwari, S., Haleem, N., Uguz, S., Yang, X. (2024). Bioaerosols downwind from animal production facilities: A landscape analysis of existing knowledge. In 2024 ASABE North Central Regional Section Meeting, Brookings, SD.</li> <li>Haleem, N., Yang, X., Yuan, J. (2024). DC-assisted flocculation of Scenedesmus dimorphus. In 2024 ASABE North Central Regional Section Meeting, Brookings, SD.</li> <li>Uguz, S., Yang, X., Anderson, G. (2024). Biological treatment of air pollutants from animal feeding operations using photobioreactor systems. In 2024 ASABE North Central Regional Section Meeting, Brookings, SD.</li> <li>Cheng, R., Liyanage, D., Mahdaviarab, A., Pahlavanyali, K., Zhang, Y., Wang, X., and Liu, Z. Enhancing Animal/Food Waste Management through Composting: A Comparative Analysis of Quality Improvement with Biochar/Additive. 2024. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Mahdaviarab, A., Cheng, R., Pahlavanyali, K., Wang, X., and Liu, Z. Adoption of Biogas Production from Animal Waste: Case Studies of Texas Farms. 2024. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Mahdaviarab, A., Cheng, R., Liyanage, D., Kincaid, N., Zhou, R., Li, Y., Wang, X., and Liu, Z. Identifying and Characterizing Animal Wastewater Lagoons via Satellite Remote Sensing. 2024. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Liyanage, D., Mahdaviarab, A., Zhou, R., Wang, X., and Liu, Z. Virtual Reality Videos for Delivery of Extension Educational Materials on Manure and Mortality Management. 2024. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Mahdaviarab, A., Pahlavanyali, K., Cheng, R., Wang, X., and Liu, Z. Estimation of Dairy Lagoon Water Quality Using Satellite Images. 2024. Data-Driven Intelligent Agricultural System Symposium, College Station, TX.</li> <li>Pahlavanyali, K., Cheng, R., Mahdaviarab, A., Galvan, L., Wang, X., and Liu, Z. Utilizing Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae for Optimizing Dairy Waste Management. 2024. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Zhang, Y., Cheng, R., Mahdaviarab, A., Wang, X., and Liu, Z. Accurate and Robust Biochar Yield and Composition Prediction via ResNet-Based Autoencoder. 2024. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> <li>Zhou, R., Cheng, R., Liyanage, D., Mahdaviarab, A., Wang, X., and Liu, Z. Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Agricultural Wastewater by Novel Two-Dimensional Material. 2024. ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, CA.</li> </ol> </li> </ol>

Impact Statements

In Idaho, a research team, which includes engineers, economists, soil scientists, agronomists, and animal scientists from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, has been formed to address challenges facing the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region’s dairy and potato production systems. Research ideas shared during the team’s meetings strengthened our capabilities to support the dairy and potato industries in PNW. Dairy sustainability research gaps and priorities for the Intermountain Region were identified. The identified priorities have been used for guiding research projects. Additionally, journal papers based on our ISAID project research have been published. These research findings have improved stakeholders’ knowledge of manure treatment.
OH leadership, with support through S1074 participation, supported USDA SAS proposal development, seminars on technology review, and the development of new technologies. These outcomes are expected to enable egg farmers to optimize indoor environmental management, improve animal health and performance, and reduce the detrimental impacts of diseases such as HPAI. The new ventilation systems will help egg producers address significant challenges in maintaining uniform bird distribution in cage-free housing, minimizing disease transmission, and effectively reducing heat or cold stress. Training provided to farmers will support the adoption of effective indoor environmental quality management and new ventilation systems, reducing HPAI and other disease outbreaks, ensuring stable egg supplies, and increasing egg production safety and efficiency in the U.S.
SD, MN, IA and NE collaborative work on the 2024 Minnkota Annual Meeting drew approximately 20 attendees from the Upper Midwest, including Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Held in conjunction with the 2024 ASABE North Central Regional Meeting, this allowed attendees to connect with a broader network of students, faculty, staff, and industry professionals. This multidisciplinary participation received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
In North Carolina, the LPELC webinar that Dr. Sharara organized, “The Role of Agriculture in Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition …”, provided diverse stakeholder and industry groups with a comprehensive understanding of needs, challenges, and opportunities in managing the nitrogen cycle in food animal production. Our community expertise both in the mechanistic underpinnings of this cycle as well as broad implications to the farm and region, positions S-1074 to lead efforts in this sustainability dimension.
SD leadership in a swine air quality project, although in its early stages, has already yielded valuable data demonstrating the significant role of particulate matter in disease transmission. The team has identified over 100 pathogenic bacterial strains and approximately 60 antimicrobial resistance genes. These discoveries have been reported to the funding agency and the National Pork Board.
The AR team’s research and extension effort have provided key information to both the scientific community and the concerned industries about improving anaerobic digestion efficiency to treat dry poultry litter. The concerned industries, including poultry producers in not only Arkansas but also those poultry-heavy states, will benefit from the findings of this project because such technology is highly sought by them as well. The new information obtained from this project involving nanotechnology in the digestion process will increase the confidence of the poultry industry that the long-term, recalcitrant poultry litter issue may be resolved in the near future, so their continued growth will be sustained, and the consumers' demand for chicken meat will be satisfied.

Date of Annual Report: 06/30/2026

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 06/01/2026 - 06/04/2026
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2025 - 09/30/2026

Participants

See minutes attached in next section.

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

Objective 1. Build Engagement Platforms Collaborative efforts: Webinars, potlucks, and podcasts To support engagement of S1074 members with each other on topics related to the multi-state project objectives, team members coordinated a series of quarterly webinars followed by discussion of project coordination and collaboration. In FY2026, these webinars and featured speakers were: <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;">“Ideas to Action: Leveraging Modeling Platforms and Precision Livestock Technologies to Decrease Cost and Increase Efficiency for U.S. Beef Producers” by Dr. Jameson Brennan, South Dakota State University.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">“Carbon Footprint Model Comparison” by Ms. Beth Bader, Project Manager and Senior Researcher and Marguerita Leavitt, Associate Consultant and Analyst, SES Corp.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">“Incredibly Sustainable - A Tool for U.S. Egg Producers to Report Climate and other Sustainability Metrics to their Customers” by Dr. Alison Grantham, Grow Well.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">“Comparison of model inputs to several dairy sustainability calculators” by Seth Heitman, Virginia Tech. </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">“An overview of the regulatory environment in CA in preparation for our annual meeting” by Dr. Deanne Meyer, UC Davis.</li> </ol> Each seminar was followed by a modified strengths/weaknesses/threats/opportunities discussion. Notes on these discussions are archived in a Google drive accessible to members of the multi-state project. “Potluck” sharing of activities during quarterly meetings also allows S1074 members to share recent activities or opportunities for collaboration. For example, several S1074 members play a key role in planning and hosting the Waste to Worth 2027 conference, a multi-state effort supported by the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Community. Multi-state collaboration is also exemplified in content development for the Texas Manure YouTube channel (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/@texasmanure249""><a href="http://www.youtube.com/@texasmanure249">http://www.youtube.com/@texasmanure249</a>)</a>. This channel hosts content created by and featuring S1074 members and others with expertise in manure and mortality management. Examples are listed in the following table. <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> Title </td> <td> Collaboration </td> <td> Published Date </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Why Do Farmers Put Tires on Silage Covers? </td> <td> ME </td> <td> April 2026 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> The Most Two Important Ingredients for Composting </td> <td> ME </td> <td> April 2026 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Mortality Compost with a Plan </td> <td> MN </td> <td> March 2026 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> The 2026 ISAMM Is Coming! </td> <td> ME, NY, NC, WI </td> <td> February 2025 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> United for Readiness </td> <td> MN </td> <td> January 2025 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Poultry Biosecurity in Action </td> <td> MN </td> <td> December 2025 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Importance of Biosecurity Plan </td> <td> MN </td> <td> December 2025 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Tips for Composting Animals on Farm </td> <td> ME </td> <td> August 2025 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   In addition, S1074 members disseminated research findings through Extension programming, professional presentations, industry engagement, and multi-state collaborations, strengthening communication among researchers, producers, industry stakeholders, and decision-makers regarding sustainable animal agriculture systems. Some state activities: (ID) Researchers contributed to an effort involving research scientists and industry professionals coordinated by Dairy West and the Idaho Dairymen’s Association to collectively identify research gaps and priorities that are important to help achieve the dairy industry’s sustainability goals in the Pacific Northwest. Top issues included monitoring of GHG emissions, optimizing anaerobic digestion, recycling of manure nutrients, and irrigation with wastewater streams. In addition, researchers at the University of Idaho, together with colleagues from Washington State University and Oregon State University, developed ideas for a Strengthening Agricultural Systems proposal submitted to USDA NIFA to build symbiotic value chains by converting dairy residuals into bioproducts for new and expanding markets to promote rural prosperity. (OH) A Virtual Forum on “Dust & Disease in Egg Production” was organized on June 12, 2025, through collaborative efforts by a group of peers (including faculty at Ohio State, Iowa State, NC State, and University of Georgia) and industry partners (Ohio Poultry Association and Egg Industry Center). Presentations about dust, poultry diseases, animal and human health protections, best available dust control technologies and management practices and producer experiences and perspectives were shared by academic researchers, USDA researchers, private consulting companies, and poultry producers. Research and extension education needs were also shared by producer panel members. Afterwards a survey assessed educational needs for future programming.  (OH) A Virtual Forum on “Ventilation for Poultry Performance and Health” was organized on April 29th, 2026, through collaborations with industry partners (Ohio Poultry Association and Egg Industry Center) and academic peers (including faculty at Ohio State, Iowa State, NC State, and University of Georgia). Presentations on scientific challenges and opportunities in poultry ventilation, new ventilation approaches, and technical assistance perspectives were shared by academic researchers, poultry farmer, and equipment manufacturer reps. The Virtual Forum serves as a platform to initiate critical dialogue and collaboration among university researchers, poultry producers, and equipment manufacturers—working together to enhance the management of egg production environment and disease prevention for the long-term sustainability of the egg industry. (TX) The 2025 Texas Animal Manure Management Issues (TAMMI) Conference brought together producers, researchers, Extension specialists, regulators, and industry partners from many states. The conference included 17 presentations, a panel discussion, a trade show, and a technical tour, drawing participation from USDA-NRCS, EPA Region 6, TCEQ, TSSWCB, commodity organizations, and technology providers. Topics spanned nutrient management, biosecurity, PFAS, anaerobic digestion, methane capture, and animal mortality technologies. Keynote speaker Jimmy Emmons (USDA-NRCS National Assistant Chief) addressed conservation-driven sustainability strategies. Industry leaders, including Daryl Maas, CEO of Maas Energy Works, presented biogas and methane capture projects in place on Texas dairies. Exhibitors showcased emerging mortality management technologies such as thermal dehydrators. One hundred percent of respondents (61 of 99 attendees) reported satisfaction and indicated they gained valuable information, with comments consistently praising the breadth of topics, the panel discussion, and the collaborative spirit among producer groups, regulators, and industry partners. Objective 2. Assess Sustainability Assessment Tools Collaborative efforts: In Minnesota, building on previous collaborations with North Carolina, South Dakota, Nebraska, the National Pork Board, and Dairy Management Inc., an undergraduate researcher documented the input data types of three common sustainability calculators used in the dairy industry: FARM ES, COMET-FARM, and COOL FARM. The student presented this work during a S1074 webinar highlighting how each model appears to focus on different production segments for farm differentiation including feed and herd management. Future work may explore the sensitivity and necessity of each data type.  Some state activities: (AR) Arkansan researchers maintain the University of Arkansas manure/litter chemical and physical properties database which provides a multi-year dataset for dairy, poultry, and swine manure systems, supporting nutrient management planning, benchmarking, sustainability metrics, technology assessment, and cross-system comparisons relevant to animal agriculture. Researchers also published practical guidance for manure solids management, “Managing Solids in Liquid Manure,” for use by producers, Extension agents, and nutrient management planners.  (IA) Researchers in Iowa assessed carbon intensity accounting approaches for feedstuffs and livestock production systems and how recycling manure and new manure strategies could impact scoring of feedstuffs. This work contributes to the development of sustainability assessment frameworks that integrate feed production, manure management, and greenhouse gas mitigation strategies.  (OH) Through two rounds of USDA SAS proposal development, OH State researchers (led by Dr. Zhao) developed a conceptual structure for a sustainability assessment tool for egg production, in reference to the sustainability framework published by the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry & Eggs (US-RSPE). (TX) Researchers in Texas are analyzing manure, lagoon water, and digester samples collected from animal operations across participating states. Analytical results will be compiled into a regional database to benchmark profiles and support sustainability assessment across diverse animal agriculture systems. This effort advances other S1074 objectives by generating shared, multi-state data to identify research gaps, evaluate emerging treatment technologies such as anaerobic digestion, and inform science-based nutrient management strategies. TX researchers are developing scalable geospatial workflows and artificial intelligence approaches for identifying lagoon systems, tracking lagoon morphology, and analyzing temporal changes in lagoon characteristics using satellite remote sensing technology. Multiple image analysis and machine-learning algorithms were developed to automatically identify lagoon locations, delineate lagoon boundaries, estimate lagoon surface area, and evaluate spatial variability in lagoon water characteristics. Additional workflows were developed to analyze lagoon color variability using spectral and colorimetric approaches. More than 1,000 lagoons were identified and evaluated using multi-source satellite imagery, including Sentinel-2 and high-resolution PlanetScope imagery. Extensive manual and algorithmic validation procedures were conducted to improve the reliability and quality of the developing lagoon database.  (VT) Researchers at the University of Vermont created an infectious disease vulnerability index using dairy biosecurity data. The doctoral student published the results in related proceedings and also as a journal manuscript which was also included as a chapter in his dissertation. Objective 3. Appraise Technology Collaborative efforts: Through a National Pork Board funded project, S1074 members and colleagues in Minnesota, North Carolina, and Iowa synthesized nutrient transformations and partitioning in liquid swine manure undergoing anaerobic digestion (AD), aeration (AER), acidification (ACID), and solid-liquid separation (SLS). This work aggregated literature data that supported mass balance analyses wherein all or all but one output stream(s) were quantified, and normalized the nutrient flows to influent characteristics. Within papers on ACID, the effluent concentration and available mass/volume and gas data together did not document realistic N partitioning. Among SLS papers, there were varying levels of solids partitioning among SLS types, but the macro and micronutrients did not necessarily follow the same patterns. Biogas production in AD studies was well documented, but mass retained in the sludge was underreported. In AER studies, N partitioning was dependent on AER method. As pass-through technologies, AD and SLS are easier to incorporate in lagoon and slurry storage systems. ACID and AER can be physically incorporated in common manure management systems; however, treatment could hinder anaerobic lagoon function. Understanding nutrient partitioning will benefit from concurrent monitoring of multiple nutrients in the liquid, solid, and/or gas streams. This multi-disciplinary effort included agricultural biological engineers, animal nutritionists, geneticists, and data scientists.  Some state activities: (AR) Arkansas researchers are optimizing magnetite-assisted anaerobic co-digestion as a strategy to improve methane production from chicken litter and straw waste. Researchers developed an integrated bubble-column electrolytic reactor that recovered up to 99.9% of total phosphorus and 98.4% of total ammonia nitrogen from poultry litter digestate as struvite and ammonium sulfate solution. In addition, researchers are appraising nonthermal plasma as an emerging technology for the destruction of persistent contaminants like PFAS in waste and wastewater. (CA) California researchers evaluated a centrifuge separator with influent stock from three sources: mechanical separator effluent, digestate, digester sludge. This analysis, requested by a dairy operator and the vendor who provided equipment and assistance, was informed by work from MN and NC and partially funded by the California Dairy Research Foundation. The dairy operator wanted to know if the technology would be effective to densify nitrogen for off-site export. If so, the operator would consider purchasing the equipment. After reviewing the findings, the dairy operator opted to not go forward with equipment purchase, saving millions of dollars associated with purchase, installation, and maintenance of the equipment. Most importantly, he has site specific information to understand to what extent the technology can help to alleviate his nitrogen surplus should he reconsider purchasing it in the future.  (IA) Researchers in Iowa have evaluated anaerobic digestion opportunities in Midwest swine production systems by assessing manure collection, transport logistics, carbon intensity implications, and economic feasibility. This work supports regional discussions on renewable energy, nutrient circularity, and climate-smart livestock production systems. Researchers continued to study how the timing of manure application affects nutrient utilization with the goal of improving the synchronization of nutrient availability with crop demand, thereby reducing environmental risk in crop-livestock production systems. Researchers also evaluated emerging real-time manure nutrient sensing technologies to improve manure nutrient characterization and application accuracy, supporting precision nutrient management and technology adoption across animal agriculture systems. In a (ID) Researchers at the University of Idaho, in collaboration with scientists from USDA ARS in Nebraska, helped characterize beef feedlot manure from the top 10 states with cattle on feed, yielding the first multi-state dataset generated with uniform methodology. To promote the adoption of mature manure management technologies such as liquid dairy manure solids/nutrients separation, manure composting, and advanced nutrient recycling technologies, Idahoan researchers presented their findings on advanced technologies for dairy manure treatment on Lactalis American Group producers’ sites located across the states of Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, New Hampshire, New York, and Wisconsin.  (IN) Research conducted at Purdue in Indiana advanced the genomic, phenomic, and technological foundations of sustainable animal agriculture across multiple sectors. Relevant to the dairy industry, research has focused on developing and deploying genomic tools to improve feed efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint of livestock production. In collaboration with Lactanet Canada, the University of Guelph, and the Canadian Dairy Network, a single-step genomic evaluation for methane efficiency was successfully developed and implemented for Canadian Holstein cattle, providing dairy breeders with a permanent and cumulative selection tool to reduce enteric methane emissions. This work was conducted within the framework of the Resilient Dairy Genome Project (RDGP), an international multi-institutional consortium, and directly informs the development of analogous tools for U.S. dairy populations. Complementary research on milk urea nitrogen (MUN) — a key biomarker of nitrogen use efficiency — produced the first random regression-based genetic parameter estimates and genome-wide association results for this trait in Holstein cattle, providing a quantitative framework for selecting animals with improved nitrogen utilization and reduced environmental nitrogen excretion. Researchers also made advances in the characterization of precision livestock farming technologies, particularly automatic milking systems (AMS) and their utility for generating large-scale longitudinal phenotypic data. Purdue University researchers and international partners conducted genome-wide association and functional genomic analyses for udder conformation and teat placement traits derived from AMS records in American Holstein cattle, and estimated genetic parameters for lactation curve parameters using data from both AMS and conventional milking parlors. These contributions directly support the appraisal and adoption of precision technologies by identifying the genomic architecture underlying traits that determine AMS compatibility, milking efficiency, and udder health — all of which are critical to the profitability and welfare outcomes of modern dairy operations. The capacity to phenotype livestock for sustainability-related traits at scale was further advanced by developing a novel in-vivo methane sensing technology (SCOUT) for real-time monitoring of enteric emissions in cattle. Relevant to beef cattle systems, multi-state and international collaborative research focused on the genetic architecture of feed efficiency, mature cow size, and reproductive performance — traits that directly affect the profitability and resource efficiency of cow-calf operations. A comprehensive review of feed efficiency in beef cattle, integrating data collection technologies with genetic and nutritional modeling approaches, was published to synthesize current knowledge and identify research gaps. Genome-wide association studies for mature cow weight, height, and body condition score in American Angus cattle identified key genomic regions and pleiotropic variants with implications for reducing maintenance feed requirements and improving cowherd profitability. In collaboration with Australian Angus breeders and the American Angus Association, genetic parameters for mature cow size were estimated across North American and Australian populations, establishing the foundation for an across-country genomic evaluation. Research on the genetic architecture of sexual precocity in Nellore cattle, conducted in collaboration with Brazilian partners, revealed environmentally sensitive genomic regions associated with reproductive efficiency under heat stress conditions, contributing to the design of more resilient breeding programs for beef cattle in tropical and subtropical environments. Relevant to pork production, Purdue researchers and industry partners addressed the genetic basis of sow longevity, welfare, and productivity under commercial conditions. Genetic parameters for sow longevity traits — including length of productive life, removal age, and removal parity — were estimated in purebred and crossbred maternal line populations, providing actionable information for breeding programs aiming to improve animal welfare and production efficiency simultaneously. Parallel work characterized the genomic background of morphological defects in beef cattle, including skin depigmentation, limb malformations, and cranial asymmetries in Nellore cattle, which are associated with early culling and reduced productivity.  (NC) Researchers in North Carolina developed and tested a simulation platform to predict the impact of management decisions and climate on lagoon management outcomes, namely, nitrogen use efficiency and lagoon resilience. This platform will assist stakeholders (animal producers, state agencies) when balancing management priorities. The team will engage partner institutions through S-1074 to disseminate the tool and identify use case opportunities in other states. In addition, researchers participated in a multi-state consortium funded by the National Pork Board with participants from Iowa State University, University of Minnesota, Kansas State University, IFEEDER, and Iowa Select Farms. The consortium has implemented a systems approach to understanding interactions and interventions in the nutrient cycle across the pork ecosystem. The project activities included: compiling and preparing literature reviews to understand gaps and innovation opportunities, developing outreach material to assist industry stakeholders improve nutrient cycling, and training graduate student researchers to contribute to and lead interdisciplinary research. The project generated four peer-reviewed manuscripts and four factsheets. Additionally, meetings and webinars were held where findings and recommendations were shared with industry representatives and audiences working in the area. Webinars are archived on the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Community (LPELC) webinar platform: <a href="https://lpelc.org/a-systems-approach-to-understanding-the-nutrient-cycle-across-the-pork-ecosystem-team/">https://lpelc.org/a-systems-approach-to-understanding-the-nutrient-cycle-across-the-pork-ecosystem-team/</a> (ND) Researchers in North Dakota have completed a case study documenting the development and assessment of an air dispersion modeling-based odor footprint tool. A related manuscript is under review. (TX) Texas led a review of U.S. dairy manure management literature and the development of a white paper summarizing and ranking technologies and management practices by specific parameters. Areas of scientific consensus about manure’s effects on these parameters by manure product type as well as gaps in scientific knowledge or lack of consensus about these effects were also highlighted. S1074 members provided input early in the project and again during the review of the final product.  (VA) Researchers at Virginia Tech advanced field-scale understanding of dairy manure storage as a key component of nutrient management, farm sustainability, and technology appraisal. A long-term study of manure storage on a working dairy farm demonstrated that stored manure is not thermally uniform but behaves as a vertically stratified system influenced by season, manure volume, management events, and weather. Manure temperature varied across depth and time, with differences of up to 10°C between manure layers, and ambient air temperature was the dominant external driver while manure volume moderated internal temperature responses. These findings strengthen the evidence base for assessing manure storage systems, evaluating emission models, and identifying management or technology options that help retain manure’s fertilizer value. Data from these studies is publicly available through USDA Ag Data Commons: <a href="https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/29631641">https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/29631641</a>.

Publications

Journal Articles <ol> <li>Larson, R. A., Niles, M. T., Hegde, S., Aguirre-Villegas, H., Sharara, M., & Meyer, D. (2026). A multidisciplinary review of emission reductions and adoption potential of livestock manure acidification systems. Journal of Environmental Management, 408, 129920. (NC)</li> <li>Soler, F., Rubio, S., Kuneff, I. B., Sharara, M., Hopkins, C., & van Heugten, E. (2026). PS5-16. Practical Evaluation of Recycled Phosphorus from Swine Lagoon Sludge in Nursery Pig Diets. Journal of Animal Science, 104(Supplement_3), skag107-351. (NC)</li> <li>Cahyani, D., Sharara, M., Jackson, B., & Yuan, W. (2026). Converting Animal Waste to Syngas and Biochar via Top-Lit Updraft Gasification. Energies, 19(6), 1427. (NC)</li> <li>Zhan, Yuanhang, Xiaoxia Cao, and Jun Zhu. 2026. Enhanced bioenergy production via operational optimization of anaerobic co-digestion of chicken litter and straw waste with magnetite nanoparticles. Energy 347: 140428. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2026.140428. (AR)</li> <li>Saqib, Sidra, Ahmad Mukhtar, Brittney Conlee, Benjamin Morenas, Jun Zhu, and Sarah Wu. 2025. Destruction of concentrated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by nonthermal plasma technology. Journal of Water Process Engineering 77: 108594. doi:10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108594. (AR)</li> <li>Ndeddy Aka, Robinson Junior, Ekow Agyekum-Oduro, Jun Zhu, and Sarah Wu. 2025. Integrating electrolytic struvite precipitation with ammonia scrubbing toward complete recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus from anaerobic digestate of poultry litter. Separation and Purification Technology 370: 133287. doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2025.133287. (AR)</li> <li>Belete, Yonas Zeslase, Ashish Kumar Das, Chao Zong, and Lide Chen. (2026). Optimization of hydrothermal carbonization of dairy manure digestate for simultaneous hydrochar and nutrient recovery. The Journal of Supercritical Fluids 236: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supflu.2026.107017">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supflu.2026.107017</a> (ID)</li> <li>Oliveira, E. S., Oliveira, H. R., Mota, L. F. M., Mulim, H. A., Campos, M. A. F., Silva Neto, J. B., & Baldi, F. (2026). Integrating reaction norm models and genome-wide association analyses to reveal the genetic architecture and environmental sensitivity of sexual precocity in Nellore cattle. BMC Genomics, 27(1), 200. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-026-12547-8 (IN)</li> <li>, Y., T. Ju, U. Kaur, H. A. Mulim, S. Singh, J. Boerman, and H. R. Oliveira. (2026). Revisiting Environmental Sustainability in Ruminants: A Comprehensive Review. Agriculture, 16(2), 149. DOI: 10.3390/agriculture16020149. (IN)</li> <li>Campos, M. A. F., H. R. Oliveira, H. A. Mulim, E. S. Oliveira, J. Hidalgo, R. B. Costa. (2025). Comparison of linear and threshold models for genetic evaluation of morphological defects in Nellore cattle. Journal of Animal Science, 104. DOI: 10.1093/jas/skaf438. (IN)</li> <li>Mulim, H. A., G. S. Campos, F. F. Cardoso, V. B. Pedrosa, K. Latimer, L. R. Upperman, A. Garcia, K. Retallick-Riley, S. Miller, H. R. Oliveira. (2025). Genomic structure and selection history across Angus populations worldwide: Insights from ROH, selection mapping, and functional analyses. Mammalian Genome, 37, 19. DOI: 10.1007/s00335-025-10188-y. (IN)</li> <li>Brito, L. F., A. P. Schinckel, and H. R. Oliveira. (2025). Genomics and phenomics: Who will be the dairy cows of the future? JDS Communications, 6, Suppl. 1: S23-S30. DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2025-0872. (IN)</li> <li>Campos, M. A. F., Oliveira, H. R., Mulim, H. A., Oliveira, E. S., Fonseca, P. A. S., Camargo, G. M. F., & Costa, R. B. (2025). Genome-wide association study of morphological defects in Nellore cattle using a binary trait framework. Genes, 16(10), 1204. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes16101204 (IN)</li> <li>Mortazavi, M., M. B. Zandi, R. Pahlavan, M. E. Nasab, H. A. Mulim, and H. R. Oliveira. (2025). Genome-wide association analysis based on random regression models for milk urea nitrogen in Iranian Holstein cattle. Dairy Science and Management, 2(1), 12. DOI: 10.1186/s44363-025-00015-9. (IN)</li> <li>Medeiros, G. C., J. B. S. Ferraz, L. P. B. S. Junior, S. Y. Chen, A. Suárez-Vega, V. B. Pedrosa, H. R. Oliveira, and L. F. Brito. (2025). Genome-wide association and functional genomic analyses for udder conformation traits derived from data recorded by robotic milking systems in American Holstein cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 108(12): 13588-13610. DOI: 10.3168/jds.2025-26906. (IN)</li> <li>Melo, T. P. D., A. K. Zwirtes, L. A. Evangelho, S. S. Rocha, L. C. D. Silveira, L. B. Faverzani, F. C. Breda, and H. R. Oliveira. (2025). Meta-analysis and systematic review of genetic parameter estimates and candidate genes for growth traits in sheep. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia, 54, e20240124. DOI: 10.37496/rbz5420240124. (IN)</li> <li>Corredor, F. A., D. Godoy-Padilla, E. A. Sessarego, V. Temoche-Socola, M. E. Paredes Chocce, H. Escobar Robledo, M. F. Ramírez Antaurco, W. Burgos-Paz, J. Ruiz, J. Cruz, H. A. Mulim, and H. R. Oliveira. (2025). Genomic Characterization of Peruvian Creole Goats: Insights into Population Structure and Runs of Homozygosity. Animals, 15(17), 2577. DOI: 2076-2615/15/17/2577#. (IN)</li> <li>Campos, M. A. F., H. R. Oliveira, G. M. F. de Camargo, H. A. Mulim, D. F. Cardoso, R. B. Costa. (2025). Beyond black and white: dissecting the genetic basis of skin depigmentation in Nellore cattle. Mammalian Genome, 36: 1126-1140. DOI: 10.1007/s00335-025-10153-9. (IN)</li> <li>Ojo, A. O., G. S. Campos, H. A. Mulim, A. Garcia, A. P. Schinckel, S. Miller, K. J. Retallick-Riley, H. R. Oliveira. (2025). Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Mature Cow Size in North American and Australian Angus Cattle. Journal of Animal Science, 103, skaf212. DOI: 10.1093/jas/skaf212. (IN)</li> <li>Moreira, R. P., M. V. Vicari, H. A. Mulim, T. M. Casey, J. Boerman, X. Fu, and H. R. Oliveira. (2025). Impact of Cattle Breed in scRNA-Seq Reference on Muscle Fiber Type Deconvolution from Bulk RNA-Seq: A Comparison of Software Tools. BioTech, 14(3), 56. DOI: 10.3390/biotech14030056. (IN)</li> <li>Ojo, A. O., H. A. Mulim, A. Garcia, K. J. Retallick-Riley, S. Miller, H. R. Oliveira. (2025). Comparative Analysis of Recursive and Alternative Modeling Approaches Considering Body Condition Score for Genetic Evaluation of Mature Cow Weight. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 143(1), 92–104. DOI: 10.1111/jbg.70002. (IN)</li> <li>Mulim, H. A., G. S. Campos, F. F. Cardoso, and H. R. Oliveira. (2026). Exploring inbreeding depression in Brazilian Angus cattle population using pedigree and genomic data. Frontiers in Genetics, 16, 1613820. DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1613820. (IN)</li> <li>Ogunbawo, A. R., J. Hidalgo, H. A. Mulim, E. R. Carrara, H. T. Ventura, N. O. Souza, D. Lourenco, and H. R. Oliveira. (2025). Applying the algorithm for Proven and young in GWAS Reveals high polygenicity for key traits in Nellore cattle. Frontiers in Genetics, 16, 1549284. DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1549284. (IN)</li> <li>Mortazavi, M., M. B. Zandi, R. Pahlavan, M. E. Nasab, and H. R. Oliveira. (2025). Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Milk Urea Nitrogen in Iranian Holstein Cattle Using Random Regression Models. Agriculture, 15(4), 357. DOI: 10.3390/agriculture15040357. (IN)</li> <li>Ojo, A. O., H. A. Mulim, G. S. Campos, V. S. Junqueira, R. P. Lemenager, J. P. Schoonmaker, and H. R. Oliveira. (2024). Exploring Feed Efficiency in Beef Cattle: From Data Collection to Genetic and Nutritional Modeling. Animals, 4(24), 3633. DOI: 10.3390/ani14243633 (IN)</li> <li>Ogunbawo, A. R., H. A. Mulim, G. S. Campos, A. P. Schinckel, and H. R. Oliveira. (2024). Tailoring Genomic Selection for Bos taurus indicus: A Comprehensive Review of SNP Arrays and Reference Genomes. Genes, 15(12):1495. DOI: 10.3390/genes15121495 (IN)</li> <li>Ogunbawo, A. R., H. A. Mulim, G. S. Campos, and H. R. Oliveira. (2024). Genetic Foundations of Nellore Traits: A Gene Prioritization and Functional Analyses of Genome-Wide Association Study Results. Genes, 15(9), 1131. DOI: 10.20944/preprints202408.1101.v1 (IN)</li> <li>Oliveira, H. R., T. C. Chud, G. A. Oliveira Jr, I. C. Hermisdorff, S. G. Narayana, C. M. Rochus, A. M. Butty, F. Malchiodi, P. Stothard, F. Miglior, and C. F. Baes. (2024). Genome-wide association analyses reveals copy number variant regions associated with reproduction and disease traits in Canadian Holstein cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 107(9): 7052-7063. DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24295 (IN)</li> <li>Oliveira, H. R., G. Campos, S. L. Fernandes, J. Jamrozik, A. Schinckel, L. F. Brito. (2024) Invited review - Phenotypic and genomic modeling of lactation curves: A longitudinal perspective. JDS Communications, 5(3): 241-246. DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2023-0460 (IN)</li> <li>Oliveira, H. R., H. Sweet, S. Narayana, A. Fleming, S. Shadpour, F. Malchiodi, J. Jamrozik, G. Kistemaker, P. Sulivan, F. S. Schenkel, D. Hailemariam, P. Stothard, G. Plastow, B. Van Doormaal, M. Lohuis, J. Shannon, C. Baes, and F. Miglior. (2024). Symposium review: Development of genomic evaluation for methane efficiency in Canadian Holsteins. JDS Communications, 5(6): 756-760. DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2023-0431 (IN)</li> <li>Geng, Y., T. Reponen, T, Zhao, L. Y., and Jepsen, S. D. (2026). Using a grain dust simulator with a manikin system to evaluate performances of commonly used respirators. Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, 32(3): 103-117. https://doi.org/10.13031/jash.16485 (OH)</li> <li>Aryal, B., Majeed, S., Shah, B.R., Khalid, N., Zhao, L.Y., Bielke, L., Wang, Q., Nazmi, A. (2026). Chronic heat stress compromises egg production and quality parameters through changes in blood biochemistry and uterine gene expression in laying hens raised under cage-free environment. Frontiers In Physiology, 17, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2026.1770955">https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2026.1770955</a> (OH)</li> <li>Zhu, H., E. Ozkan, J.G. Castilho Theodoro, H. Jeon, and L.Y. Zhao. (2025). Modification of an Open-Circuit, Push-Through, Low-Speed Wind Tunnel to Assist Pesticide Spray Application Advancements. Journal of the ASABE, 68(6): 1029-1039. doi: 10.13031/ja.16423 (OH)</li> <li>Pahlavanyali, K., Mahdaviarab, A., Cheng, R., Wang, X., Habib, M. R., Wang, H., & Liu, Z. (2026). Valorization of waste milk and dairy manure through black soldier fly larval bioconversion. Waste and Biomass Valorization. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-026-03616-w">https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-026-03616-w</a> (TX)</li> <li>Mahdaviarab, A., Wang, H., Wang, X., & Liu, Z. (2026). Solar-powered and self-guided floating electrochemical treatment platform for improving water quality of animal wastewater lagoons. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 87, 110107. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.110107">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.110107</a> (TX)</li> <li>Osei, E., Kan, E., Jafri, S. H., Lovell, A., Henson, L., Wellmann, K., Muir, J., Spencer, J., & Liu, Z. (2025). Economics of conventional dairy manure management in North Central Texas. Agriculture, 15(23), 2472. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15232472">https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15232472</a> (TX)</li> <li>Larson, R. A., M. T. Nilesb, S. Hegdec, H. Aguirre-Villegasa, M. Sharara, & D. Meyer. (2026). A Multidisciplinary review of the potential adoption and emission reductions of livestock manure acidification. Journal of Environmental Management, 408: 129920 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129920.hora">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129920.hora</a> (CA)</li> <li>Genedy RA, & Ogejo JA. (2026). Spatiotemporal variability of dairy manure temperature during storage in earthen pits: Associations with meteorological factors. PLoS One 21(5): e0347665. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0347665">https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0347665</a> (VA)</li> <li>Osuagwu, J. U., Merrill, S. C., & Smith, J. M. (2026). Development of an infectious disease vulnerability index (IDVI) for dairy farms: A data-driven approach to assessing risk and informing biosecurity practices. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 247: 106770. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106770">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106770</a> (VT)</li> </ol> Conference Proceedings  <ol> <li>Jones, K., and Sharara, M. (2025). Effect of Flush Water Nitrification on Swine Manure Digester Performance. ASABE Annual International Meeting. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, July 13-16, 2025, Toronto, Ontario. (NC)</li> <li>Abdalaal, Y., Sharara, M., Youssef, M., Shashaani, S., and Larson, S. (2026). Optimizing Swine Irrigation for Resilience and Sustainability: A Decision Support Tool. 2026 NC Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) Annual Conference, March 25-26, 2026, Raleigh, North Carolina. (NC)</li> <li>Sharara, M., Flory, G., Clark, B., Peer, B., and Hutchinson, M. (2025). Impacts of Swine Carcass Preparation & Carbon Material on Effectiveness of Shallow Burial. Waste to Worth 2025, Boise, Idaho, April 7 – 11, 2025. (NC)</li> <li>Ndeddy Aka, Robinson Junior, Hossain Md Mokter, Dinithi Mohotti, Alia Nasir, Ekow Agyekum-Oduro, Sarah Wu, and Jun Zhu. (2025). Simultaneous Recovery of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Poultry Litter Digestate via Integrated Electrolytic Struvite Precipitation and Ammonia Scrubbing. 2025 ASABE Annual International Meeting, Paper No. 2501327. doi:10.13031/aim.202501327. (AR)</li> <li>Chen, L, and A. K. Das. (2025). Electrochemical ammonia stripping to recover ammonia from liquid dairy manure. RAMIRAN 2025 Book of abstracts. Wageningen, The Netherlands, October 15-17, 2025. Available at: <a href="https://www.ramiran2025.nl/bookofabstracts">https://www.ramiran2025.nl/bookofabstracts</a> (ID)</li> <li>Islam, M. N., B. He, and L. Chen. (2025). Hydrothermal carbonization of liquid dairy manure: a sustainable approach for phosphorus recycling via hydrochar. RAMIRAN 2025 Book of abstracts. Wageningen, The Netherlands, October 15-17, 2025. Available at: <a href="https://www.ramiran2025.nl/bookofabstracts">https://www.ramiran2025.nl/bookofabstracts</a> (ID)</li> <li>Chen, L., and A. Das. 2025. Ammonia recovery from anaerobically digested dairy wastewater facilitated by in-situ acid and base generation in a transmembrane electro-chemisorption system. ASABE AIM 2025, Toronto, Canada July 13-17, 2025 (ID)</li> <li>Chen, L. 2026. Liquid dairy manure solid and nutrient separation. Lactalis Producers Workshop, Nampa, ID, May 20, 2026 (ID)</li> <li>Ojo, A.O., Mulim, H.A., Garcia, A., Retallick-Riley, K.J., Oliveira, H.R. (2026). Disentangling Mature Cow Weight and Body Condition Score: Comparative GWAS of Different Modeling Strategies. In: WCGALP - World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, 2026, Wisconsin, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Ogunbawo, A. R., Mulim, H. A., Ventura, H. T., Souza, N. O., Hidalgo, J., Lourenco, D., and Oliveira, H. R. (2026). Optimizing SNP Selection for Reduced-Density Genomic Panels: A Comparative Study Using Age at First Calving as a Model Trait. United States NRSP-8 Workshop: In PAG 33 Annual Meeting, 2026, Sandiego, California, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Campos, M. A. F., Costa, R. B., Mulim, H. A., Camargo, G. M. F. Oliveira, H. R. (2025). Genome-Wide Association Studies for Binary Traits: A comparison of methods. In: ASAS. American Society of Animal Science- Annual Meeting, 2025, Hollywood, Florida, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Ogunbawo, A. R., Hidalgo, J., Mulim, H. A., Carrara, E. R., Ventura, H. T., Souza, N. O., Lourenco, D., and Oliveira, H. R. (2025). Applying the algorithm for Proven and young in genome-wide association studies for reproductive traits in Nellore cattle. In: 2025 ASAS- CSAS-SSASAS Annual Meeting & Trade Show, 2025, Florida, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Mulim, H. A.; Campos, G. S.; Cardoso, F. F.; and Oliveira, H. R. The Genetic Cost of Inbreeding: Evaluating the Impact of Inbreeding on Angus Traits. In: 2025 ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2025, Hollywood, Florida, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Ojo, A.O., Campos, M.A., Mulim, H.A., Garcia, A., Retallick-Riley, K.J., Oliveira, H.R. (2025). PSVI-10 Genome-wide association study of mature cow weight in American Angus cattle. In: 2025 ASAS-CSAS Annual Meeting – American Society of Animal Science - Canadian Society of Animal Science, 2025, Florida, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Mulim, H. A.; Campos, G. S.; Boerman, J.; and Oliveira, H. R. Application of Generation Proxy Selection Mapping to Detect Polygenic Loci Under Selection in Holstein Cattle. In: 2025 ADSA Annual Meeting, June 2025, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Mulim, H. A.; Campos, G. S.; Cardoso, F. F.; and Oliveira, H. R. (2025). Mapping Inbreeding Depression A Genome-Wide Runs of Homozygosity Association Study in Brazilian Angus Cattle. In: PAG 32 - The International Plant and Animal Genome Conference, 2025, California, USA (IN)</li> <li>Wilford, R.; Huang, Y.; An, J.; Deng, Y.; Mulim, H. A.; Kaur, U.; Oliveira, H. R. (2025). Developing a Novel in-Vivo Robotic Rumen Bolus Sensor for Enhanced Phenotyping in Methane Emissions from Cattle. In: PAG 32 - The International Plant and Animal Genome Conference, 2025, California, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Moreira, R. P.; Vicari, M. R.; Mulim, H. A.; Casey, T.; Fu, X.; Boerman, J.; Oliveira, H. R. (2025). Deconvolution analysis of myofiber types in Holstein cows: Impact of reference breed on cell proportions. In: International Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG), 2025, San Diego, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Wilford, R.; Huang, Y.; An, J.; Deng, Y.; Mulim, H. A.; Kaur, U.; Oliveira, H. R. (2025). Developing a novel in-vivo robotic rumen bolus sensor for enhanced phenotyping in methane emissions from cattle. In: International Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG), 2025, San Diego, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Campos, M. F. A; Costa, R. B.; Camargo, G. M. F. Mulim, H. A.; Oliveira, H. R. (2025). Genome-wide association study for skin depigmentation in Nellore cattle. In: International Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG), 2025, San Diego, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Mulim, H. A.; Campos, G. S.; Cardoso, F. F.; Oliveira, H. R. (2025). Mapping inbreeding depression: a genome-wide runs of homozygosity association study in Brazilian Angus cattle. In: International Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG), 2025, San Diego, USA. (IN)</li> <li>Zong Liu. (2026). Evaluating the Performance of Thermal Dehydration for Poultry Mortality Disposal, 8th International Symposium on Animal Mortality Management, Stevens Point, WI. (TX)</li> <li>Zong Liu. (2026). Developing a Video-Based Education Platform for Animal Mortality Management, 8th International Symposium on Animal Mortality Management, Stevens Point, WI. (TX)</li> <li>Osuagwu, J. U., Merrill, S. C., Smith, J. M., Maciel, A., & Soares, R. (2025). Mitigating the impact of HPAI on dairy farms: bridging knowledge gaps in crisis communication, biosecurity, and public health [Proceedings]. International Crisis and Risk Communication Annual Reports, 13(1), 101-104. https://doi.org/10.69931/001c.142854 [Presented as a panel on March 11, 2025, Clemson, SC] (VT)</li> </ol> Thesis/Dissertations <ol> <li>Soler Diaz, F. D. (2025). Evaluation of ashed and dried swine lagoon sludge as a potential alternative dietary phosphorus source for swine. [Master’s thesis, North Carolina State University]. <a href="https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.20/45262">https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.20/45262</a></li> <li>Jones, K. E. (2025). Technical and economic considerations of anaerobic digestion in partially nitrified swine manure. [Master’s thesis, North Carolina State University]. <a href="https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.20/46298">https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.20/46298</a></li> <li>Osuagwu, Johnbosco Uchenna. (2026). Enhancing readiness of the New England dairy industry to mitigate foot-and-mouth disease impacts: Biosecurity, modeling, and policy approaches. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Vermont]. UVM Scholarworks. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14849/10111">https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14849/10111</a></li> <li>Asghar, Sehrish. (2025). Simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal in sequencing batch reactors to treat anaerobically digested liquid dairy manure. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Idaho]. (embargoed through August 21, 2026)</li> <li>Ogunbawo, Adebisi. (2024). Gene prioritization and genome-wide association study of traits of interest in Nellore cattle. [Master’s thesis, Purdue]. <a href="https://doi.org/10.25394/PGS.27952809">https://doi.org/10.25394/PGS.27952809</a></li> <li>Ojo, Ayooluwa. (2024). Optimizing genetic selection for mature cow size in North American and Australian Angus cattle. [Master’s thesis, Purdue]. <a href="https://doi.org/10.25394/PGS.27941184">https://doi.org/10.25394/PGS.27941184</a></li> <li>Leong-Machielse, K.J. (2026). The effects of novel oxidizing air purification technology on swine barn air quality, and pig health, performance, and behavior. [Master’s thesis, North Dakota State University].</li> <li>Mahdaviarab, Amirhossein. (2025). Smart Solutions for Sustainable Animal Waste Management. [PhD dissertation, Texas A&M University]. <a href="https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/items/cb8a82cc-d284-47f3-93cd-dea78ab9dde9">https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/items/cb8a82cc-d284-47f3-93cd-dea78ab9dde9</a></li> </ol> Extension and Outreach <ul> <li>Leadership Team – Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Community (LPELC) (NC)</li> <li>Leadership Team – NC State University Swine Innovation Forum (SIF) – Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Maxwell Center in Goldsboro, NC. (NC)</li> <li>Lead PI – New Training Material and Field Day, Liquid Swine Application Training – Playlist: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ9bB_O7DzuwJ_i8RIkpjYS4cvcrhFd0Y">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ9bB_O7DzuwJ_i8RIkpjYS4cvcrhFd0Y</a> (NC)</li> <li>Tang, Zepei, and Yiting Xiao. Managing Solids in Liquid Manure. FSA1041. University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service. (AR)</li> <li>University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and University of Georgia Department of Poultry Science. 2025. Poultry Litter Management Workshop. Fayetteville, Arkansas, August 28–29, 2025. Topics included poultry litter moisture, bird health and performance, ammonia production, ventilation, Salmonella control, air quality, and energy efficiency. (AR)</li> <li>Zhao, L.Y. 2025. Engineering technologies for air quality control in poultry houses. Invited presentation at 2025 Georgia Precision Poultry Farming Conference-Virtual. May 6, 2025. (OH)</li> <li>Zhao, L.Y., T. Lim, and L. Chai. 2025. A review of dust and pathogen control technologies in poultry production facilities. Invited presentation at Virtual Forum-Dust & Disease in Egg Production. June 12, 2025. (OH)</li> <li>Zhao, L.Y. 2025. A new ventilation system to improve indoor environment and abate pathogen transmission in layer houses. Invited presentation at Virtual Forum-Dust & Disease in Egg Production. June 12, 2025. (OH)</li> <li>Safety Training on Manure Management Safety, Dairy Animal Handling Certification by AgriLife Extension. Comanche, TX, May 2026. (TX)</li> <li>EcoDrum Composting Site Presentation, April 2026. (TX)</li> <li>Hullabloom Garden Festival on Composting Demonstration, Texas A&M University, TX, April 2026. (TX)</li> <li>AGSM 337 Guest Lecture on Lagoon Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, April 2026. (TX)</li> <li>Central Texas DOPA Conference on Manure Management Safety, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, April 2026. (TX)</li> <li>Community Composter Setup and Outreach Activity, WI, April 2026. (TX)</li> <li>SCSC 455/657 Lecture on Environmental Soil and Water Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, March 2026. (TX)</li> <li>AGSM 337 Lecture on Environmental and Natural Resource Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, March 2026. (TX)</li> <li>TCEQ Land Application Team Presentation and Updates, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, January 2026. (TX)</li> <li>Dairy Committee Meeting Presentation on Manure Management Updates, TX, January 2026. (TX)</li> <li>Enhancing Animal Wastewater Management with Satellite Remote Sensing and AI Technologies, XIX World Water Congress, International Water Resources Association (IWRA), Marrakech, Morocco, December 2025. (TX)</li> <li>East DOPA Conference on Manure Management, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, October 2025. (TX)</li> <li>Southwest Dairy Day on Manure Management and Bioenergy, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, October 2025. (TX)</li> <li>TAMMI 2025 Conference, Fort Worth Historic Stockyards, TX, September 2025.</li> <li>“Dead Bird Disposal” at Texas Broiler Symposium, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, September 2025. (TX)</li> </ul> Other <ul> <li>Slaton, Nathan A., Rajveer Singh, Uzair Ahmad, Cheri Villines, Russell Delong, and Otis Robinson. (2026). University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Database of Dairy, Poultry, and Swine Manure/Litter Chemical and Physical Properties. 2026 release. Ag Data Commons / Figshare. (AR)</li> <li>Liu, Zong (2025). Closure of Lagoons, Settling Basins, or Manure Storage Ponds in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. AgriLife Extension. <a href="https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/asset-external/closure-of-lagoons-settling-basins-or-manure-storage-ponds-in-concentrated-animal-feeding-operations/">https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/asset-external/closure-of-lagoons-settling-basins-or-manure-storage-ponds-in-concentrated-animal-feeding-operations/</a> (TX)</li> <li>Ogejo, J.A. & Genedy, R.A. (2025). Spatiotemporal analysis of meteorological factors on dairy manure temperature during storage in an earthen pit, located in Franklin County, Virginia, U.S.A. <a href="https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/29631641">https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/29631641</a> (VA)</li> </ul>

Impact Statements

(CA, IA, NC, VT, WI) Policy makers developing regulations to minimize the environmental impacts of animal agriculture do not always have a thorough understanding of production systems or the limits of the available scientific data and innovative technologies. Members of multi-state project S1074 work on both state-specific and sector-wide projects to advance efficient production management systems and effective technologies to protect the environment. They contribute their knowledge to policy discussions such as informing recommendations on climate smart agriculture from the Natural Resources Conservation Service so that cost-share programs consider the effectiveness of the technologies being implemented.
(ND) Researchers in North Dakota have secured three collaborative grants during the reporting period that directly advance sustainability assessment and technology appraisal. These projects are (1) investigating renewable energy, environmental performance, and reproductive efficiency across beef production systems; (2) characterizing GHG emissions and feed efficiency at varying production stages of sheep, an underrepresented sector in national assessments; and (3) addressing air quality and animal health as interconnected sustainability dimensions in swine production systems, while evaluating technology at the farm level. These assessments and the application of advanced technologies will help food animal producers meet the complex challenges they face while providing food to a growing population and protecting the environment.
(NC, IA, VA) Research and outreach conducted through this multistate effort provided data, information, and training to improve manure management practices, adopt technologies to recover value, and use manure and derived products more sustainably. These efforts are (a) expanding markets for manure-derived products, (b) creating new uses for U.S. agricultural byproducts, and (c) promoting soil health to regenerate long-term productivity of the land. As a result, farmers and rural communities benefit from economic development, increased competitiveness of the U.S. food animal sector, and reduced impacts of food animal systems on the environment.
(IN) Researchers with S1074 and their collaborators are developing new genetic/genomic evaluation tools to increase production efficiencies in the dairy, beef, and swine industries, thereby reducing the excretion of excess nutrients and greenhouse gases into the environment. Collectively, these outcomes advance the 2026 USDA priorities of increasing the profitability of American farmers and ranchers and promoting the long-term productivity of agricultural land and resources, while strengthening the scientific and technological infrastructure for sustainable animal agriculture at the state, regional, and national levels.