Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Secretary S-1032: Jun Zhu Professor Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering University of Minnesota St. Paul, MN 55108 Zhuxx034@umn.edu 507-837-5625 Attendees List: Attached May 18, 2011 " Introduction and opening remarks joint with S-1025 convened from 2 PM to 5 PM. o Opening remarks and introductions facilitated by Kelly Zering (North Carolina State University) o Opening presentations featured three speakers. Mary Ann Rozum (USDA, NIFA) started her presentation with brief introductions of the current USDA organizational structure and the goals and objectives of the Obama administration. Climate change is the top priority and bioenergy gains focus across the board. Emphasis is put on renewable energy for the time being. The future of agricultural subsidies is unknown at this point in time. The USDA budget is heavy on food stamps (75%). The food standards are normally being set up by industries, while government only sets up minimum standards. Due to the uncertainty of future federal budget, all USDA grant programs will only guarantee funding for the first two years for the funded projects. If the project period is longer than two years, requests for continuing funding have to be made every year after the first two years and whether there is money available will depend upon the then budget. Mr. Ben Weinheimer, who is the vice president of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, was the second speaker and he talked about the current cattle feeder issues including nutrient management, carbon sequestration, and NAAQS (PM and NOx/ammonia). The herd size is large in Texas  27,000 head per feed yard is typical. The third speaker, Mr. Chad Gregory, was from the United Egg Producers. Egg producers are becoming very large these years. 56 family farms produce 89% eggs in the US. A farm with 3000 hens or less is considered small farm. May 19, 2011 " S-1032 meeting from 8 AM to 12 PM. o S-1032 project will end on 9/30/2012. A final report is required and the rewrite of the project should start. Discussions centered on how to write the final report. Stakeholders concerns on life cycle assessment are important. How to improve tweeter as a vehicle to disseminate information was discussed. Currently, video is increasingly becoming recognized as a formal extension publication. As to the report, Brent Auvermann made specific comments as follows: § Scope related decisions " Refereed journal articles should be included for S-1032 and beyond. " Major grant projects should be included from S-1032, and others, too? " Relevant models will also be included (BESS, NRC, others?). " How far back from 2011 should we include? o One year extension of S-1032 project was agreed upon by the committee. Zering asked if we need to form a team to write the final report and work on metadata. McCaskey mentioned that some project results such as extension impact may not come up until six months later. Auvermann asked if all the results were of values and how to interpret the results. He suggested that each of us went through 5 articles, one of our own, to look at the importance of these papers, not regurgitating them but extrapolating them, starting with articles in 2010-2011. Conversation has been going on to flesh out the conceptual model. Classon added that framework needed to be done before going too far. " S-1032 meeting from 1:30 PM to 5 PM. o Continuing discussions on writing the final report went on. Safferman suggested that we needed to develop a logical model for the final report as well as the next project. Without a logical model, it is hard to connect the dots and tie all individual projects into a well-organized overarching project. Auvermann followed with a few ideas about the logical model. A logical model is best suited for 5-year strategic planning so we can use this model as a tool to solidify our 5-year vision for the new project. Others at the meeting all seconded the idea of using a logic model to direct our efforts in writing the final report and the new project. o A writing team was formed including Kelly Zering, Brent Auvermann, John Classon, Steve Safferman, Wendy Powers, and others?? The first draft of the final report needs to be hashed out by Nov. 15, 2011. May 20, 2011 " S-1032 business meeting from 8 AM to 10 AM. o The S-1032 business started with the following attendants: Ted Funk (UIUC), Tom McCaskey (Auburn), Steven Safferman (MSU), Larry Newton (UGA), Allan Skokes (NPB), Saqib Mukhtar (Texas A&M), John Classon (NCSU), Brent Auvermann (Texas A&M), Wendy Powers (MSU), Bob DeOtte (West Texas A&M), Shafi Rahman (NDSU), Ron Lacewell (Texas A&M), Kelly Zering (NCSU), and Angela Green (UIUC). o Before the meeting, Larry Newton from UGA made announcement that this would be his last S-1032 meeting due to his retirement. He attended almost all the S-1032 meetings since its inception in 1974. The members at the meeting all commended Larrys contributions to the group over the years and wished him well in his retirement. Larry will be missed. o Dr. Green from Illinois was invited to the group to give a briefing on her indoor air quality research related to animal welfare. She talked about her projects, the current research direction, and the future development in this particular area. She left the meeting after she completed her talks. o The group then elected a new secretary, John Classon. Motion carried and his starting time would be Oct. 1, 2011. o The group then discussed the S-1032 meeting next year § The meeting location was selected, which will be in East Lansing, MI. § The meeting time was tentatively determined to take place between May 14 and 25, 2012. § The format of station report will remain the same as used in this year, i.e., posters and/or computer presentation. § Probably a half-day field trip will be included in conjunction with S-1025 group to tour MSU research facilities and projects. § John Classon, Wendy Powers, Steven Safferman, and past chairs will form the planning committee to work out the logistics for the next years meeting. o The group continued to share thoughts on final report planning and new project writing § The writing team for the final report needs to be aware of its due date, which is September 2013. § Subcommittee volunteers to develop bibliography for model development. § Safferman will develop a logic model for new project planning and circulate it among the new project writing team members, including John Classon, Bob DeOtte, Steven Safferman, Todd Applegate, and Shafi Rahman. The first draft of the new project should be ready for the next meeting in 2012 and the final version needs to be submitted to Ron Lacewell by December 2012. Classon will contact Deanne Meyer on writing the new project. o The group spent some time on discussion of Objective 1 It was realized by the group that the reported projects conducted by the member institutions mostly fell under Objective 2 with only a few projects addressing the needs of Objective 1. An argument made by Mukhtar was that the focus of Objective 1 was to develop models for each animal industry, which was not our strength. Therefore, an appropriate question became whether we should include the research addressed by Objective 1 in our future project proposals. With the current expertise in the group, it would be difficult to achieve the goals and objectives listed in Objective 1. No conclusions as to how to handle this were reached at this point in time. o New business: The poor attendance of S-1032 in recent years has brought up serious concerns among the present meeting attendees. To address the issue, Brent Auvermann proposed to develop a survey for people who did not attend the meeting with questions about the states they represent and the reasons for not attending. Brent will take the charge in developing the survey and sending it out to all the official representatives of S-1032 in different states. The survey outcome will be shared in the next meeting. " Meeting adjourned at 10 AM. Submitted by Jun Zhu

Objective 1. Develop preliminary models of each animal industry that describe its cumulative ecological risk, emergy flows or ecological footprint as a dynamic, nonlinear function of the stocks, flows and transformations of matter and energy comprising CAFO systems. (CA) Describe manure flow paths for corral and freestall based dairy operations Dairy operators in Tulare and Glenn Counties were surveyed in 2007 to identify predominant methods of manure management. Data collected through survey were combined with data submitted to water regulatory agency on manure management to develop complete diagrams of manure flow through dairy operations. Baseline information was established on dairy manure management in the Central Valley of California. Educational document was developed on anaerobic digesters based on information obtained during survey process. (MN) Reducing the Environmental Footprint of Swine Buildings A final report was prepared and sent to the funding organization (National Pork Board) that includes four green pig barn (GPB) design variations. Version A features pens with partially slatted floors and in-floor heating and cooling in the solid floor section, shallow gutters under the slats with mechanical scrapers for manure removal to an outside covered manure storage tank, and an evaporative cooling system. Version B is similar to Version A but integrates a mechanical (geothermal) cooling system (rather than evaporation pads). Version C is similar to Version A, but has fully slatted floors and is cooled only with evaporative cooling pads. Version D is similar to Version B (mechanical cooling) but has fully slatted floors. All GPB design versions use shallow gutters with mechanical scrapers and an in-ground, covered, concrete manure storage tank located adjacent to the barn. All versions of the GPB are expected to save energy in the winter due to better insulation and environmental control. Reduced emissions are also expected due to the lack of long term manure storage inside/under the barn and to the incorporation of barn cooling. Building construction costs per pig space, which includes an outside, covered, in-ground concrete manure storage tank, are expected to be 1.3 to 2 times higher than typical construction of the baseline tunnel ventilation (TV) barn. These costs are offset by a 3-7% increase in average daily gain and 5-10% decrease in feed consumption per pound of pork produced. Other benefits include better pig health and worker environment. Using these assumptions in a standard economic projection, annualized net present value per pig space is between $2.43 and $9.03 with 6.0 to 12.8 years to payback over the baseline tunnel ventilated facility. These economic projections would improve significantly with additional gains in animal performance. Results from the project indicate that current facilities in the upper Midwest can be modified or managed to reduce energy inputs. Results also indicate that there are alternatives to the current finishing facilities in the Midwest that could result in reduced energy and emissions per pound of meat produced while still being economically viable. Objective 2. Continue the development and performance evaluation of process-level strategies and tactics to reduce environmental pollution at the process level from confined animal feeding operations. (AL) Criteria for efficient composting of poultry mortalities Poultry mortalities can be effectively composted at C:N ratios as low as 7.3:1 provided the compost mixture is turned one time during the composting process. Turning was necessary to achieve a compost temperature of 55 C for 3 consecutive days required to kill enteric pathogens. Recipes with only mortalities and litter did not achieve this criterion during first stage composting but after turning recipes with 5 parts litter plus 1 part added water to 1 part mortalities achieved the time/temp. criterion. (CA) Evaluate exposed surface area of silage piles to determine facility exposed surface area and potential compliance with Rule 4570 Surface area on 47 silage piles was measured to determine if facilities (n=20) would be able to comply with proposed silage surface area mitigation measures. Most facilities would be able to comply with proposed mitigation measures based on measured exposed surface area. However, additional facilities would be able to comply if a refined definition to include 'recently' exposed surface area was included in the mitigation measure. (GA) Development of Floating Vegetated Mat Treatment Systems for Improving Wastewater Quality A study evaluating use of floating vegetated mats as a treatment system for aquaculture wastewater was continued during 2010. The replicated study started on May 26-27, 2009 with planting of variegated iris, soft rush, and cattail in aquaculture tanks. The treatment systems consists of three tanks in series with the wastewater being rotated from the aquaculture pond to tank 1, tank 1 to tank 2, and tank 2 to tank 3 every 3 weeks. Findings from both 2009 and 2010 showed that the iris was the only species well suited to the aquaculture wastewater. The iris flourished while the soft rush barely survived and the cattail died. Water quality analyses showed reduction in PO4-P concentrations from tank 1 to tank 3 in the treatment systems using iris, indicating that the iris were effectively removing P from the wastewater. Two cuttings of the plants were made in 2010. This project will be completed at the end of the 2011 growing season. (GA) Evaluation of the effects of farm ponds on the survival and transport of pathogens in runoff from beef cattle pastures where cattle use some of the ponds as a water source and for cooling. The work is currently in the final stages of summary and analysis. (GA) Utilization of settling, anaerobic digestion, and hydroponic treatment of digester effluent to recover nutrients and renovate flushed wastewater. The most productive bermudagrass varieties, under the thin film hydroponic system, tend to survive as thick mats for only 1 - 1.5 years, while less productive cultivars maintain thick stands. As a result, while faster growing plants initially result in superior nutrient removal, somewhat slower growing plants remove more nutrients and produce more forage after 1-2 years. We have had very limited success in establishing annual forages from seed under this system, as seedling survival has been poor. (GA) Culture of black soldier fly on waste products to reduce waste nutrients and volume and recover valuable products for use as feed or other uses. The value of the larvae or prepupae should be enhanced if they can be fractionated into protein, lipid, and possibly other fractions. We have most recently been focusing on procedures for accomplishing these separations. (IL) Extension Certified Livestock Manager Training Continued training program for Illinois livestock producers, and collaborated with other states in helping them use and develop similar efforts. Proven statewide training program that teaches many-faceted program of environmental protection, safety training, and manure management practices to Illinois livestock producers. In the three-year certification cycle, we train approximately 1,000 producers who manage over a million animal unit equivalents of livestock capacity. (IL) Hydrothermal processing of swine manure and other agro-waste materials into crude oil Continued experiments are carried out with a variety of feedstocks to gain further understanding of the hydrothermal process for converting wet biowaste materials. Ability to convert many types of wet biowaste into crude oil via the hydrothermal liquefaction process has been demonstrated. Integrated with an algae water treatment system, the E2-Energy process provides a system platform for producing energy from low-cost or negative cost feedstocks while performing environmentally friendly water treatment and nutrient capture functions. (IL) USDA integrated gas-phase biofilter grant proposal We have defined physical characteristics of eleven different media types and mixtures to determine airflow vs. pressure, and proposed a refined predictive equation for biofilter design. We explored the ammonia mitigation efficiency of media as a time and load response. We came up with innovations in understanding gas-phase biofiltration of ammonia-laden ventilation exhaust air and improvements in design processes for low-cost agricultural biofilters. (IN) Diet and post-excretion amendments on air emissions from laying hens and turkeys Four studies evaluated dietary and post-excretion amendments ability to reduce air emissions. Strategies entailed reducing sulfur inputs (via methionine content of diet), use of distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS), addition of an organic acid in combination with application of sodium bisulfate to the manure, as well as amino acid density and additional supplemental amino acids. The results show that feeding hens less DL-methionine can reduce H2S emissions by 46% but resulted in less cumulative egg mass. Feeding diets with 20% DDGS decreased NH3 emitted by 16%, however, with increased mass of excreta and mass of nitrogen. Substitution of inorganic trace mineral sources with organic sources did not alter air emissions. Surface amendment of manure with sodium bisulfite resulted in a 41 % reduction in manure N loss during the first 7 d of storage and a 14.7 % reduction from 7 to 14 d of storage. Feeding turkeys a 110 % NRC diet increased NH3 emission by 17 % compared to a 100 % NRC diet. A 2 supplemental AA diet increased NH3 emission by 31 % compared diets with 3 supplemental AA. (KY) Impact of media moisture on biofilter performance treating ammonia Drying curves were developed to provide a basis for determining a (media specific) critical moisture content which occurred just prior to the transition from a constant drying rate of the material to a falling drying rate phase. This critical point was characterized by minimum N2O production (at or below background levels) and relatively high NH3 removal. Media moisture conditions above the critical point showed slightly higher removal rates for NH3, however, N2O production was also significantly higher. This suggests incomplete denitrification of NH3 may act as a trigger for N2O production. (KY) Field study of management strategies and barn design factors that result in good performance of a compost bedded pack (CBP) dairy barn. Producers with Successful CBPs Reported: 1) lameness, mastitis and cull rates were lower after moving into CBP barn, some said they were the same, 2) bulk tank SCC rates were lower after moving into CBP barn, some said they were the same, 3) kiln dried sawdust was preferred but green sawdust can be acceptably managed, 4) consistently said simplicity of CBP barn was best reason to use, 5) CBP consistently stirred 2x per day, 6) windward side wall curtains a must in winter to prevent cooling CBP, 7) flies and odors were reduced around CBP barns. (KY) Over the past several years, we have assessed the effects of feeding diets with added phytase on utilization and excretion of phosphorus by pigs. The results have demonstrated that supplementing the diet with phytase increases the bioavailability of feed phosphorus, thus allowing one to reduce the inorganic phosphorus in the diet which reduces the phosphorus in the manure. We have assessed the impact of several antibiotics on phosphorus utilization and excretion by growing-finishing pigs. One antibiotic (virginiamycin) significantly improves the phosphorus digestibility and reduces phosphorus excretion, apparently due to a shift in the microbial population in the gut. Another antibiotic that we evaluated did not have this effect. We have evaluated the bioavailability of zinc from an inorganic and organic source on accumulation of zinc in liver and bone. We have conducted several experiments to more accurately identify the ideal ratio of certain essential amino acids in the diet for growing pigs. (LA) Value added products from dairy wastes and poultry litter Most of the 2010 research was focused on separation of dairy manure from liquid stream, drying, pelletization, and gasification of manure pellets. For the gasification research, an in-house built, down-draft biomass gasifier was used. A masters student successfully defended his thesis on feedstock suitability for biomass gasification in December 2010. Tars from biomass gasifiers pose major operational problems for downstream components. For this reason, it is important to remove tars from syngas. To address this problem a master's student was hired to assess the performance of various catalysts. The student conducted the majority of his experiments in 2010. The most significant impact of this research was the commercialization of an in-house developed, inclined gravity, dairy manure and sand separator. This unit separates the larger organic particles in the manure (or approximately 50-60% of excreted wastes) and more than 80-90% of the sand in the waste slurry as two separate piles. A provisional patent application for the dairy manure/sand separator was filed by the LSU AgCenter. The ongoing gasifier and catalyst research is anticipated to open new doors for utilization and valorization of animal wastes. (MD) Utilize epigeneti approaches to obtain broilers (poultry) that can more efficiently utilize phosphorus, resulting in lower requirements and lower excretion rates into manure Early diet conditioning was evaluated for improving phosphorus (P) utilization. Broilers were fed either a control (C) or low (L) diet from hatch to 90h then fed a C diet (NRC, 1994 Ca and P) until d 22. From d 22 to 38 birds were either maintained on a C or L diet. Broilers fed the L diet to 90hr had better P utilization when fed a P deficient diet in the grow/finish phases. Broilers fed the L diet for 90h and then after 21 d were heavier (P<0.05) at 38 d of age had better feed efficiency and P retention than those fed the C diet for 90 hr and the L diet after 21 d. Thus, permanent modifications are occurring post-hatch that are long-term and allow for feeding P deficient diets in the grow/finish phases. A short term (90h) deficiency of phosphorus modifies gene expression and allows for the feeding of lower phosphorus diets. Work must be done to quantitate the impact on reducing phosphorus excretion. (MI) Diet modification to reduce air emissions Daily emissions of NH3 and H2S from 21 to 26-wk old laying hens decreased when DDGS were included in the diet at 20%. Overall the results suggest that feeding a diet containing 20% DDGS could decrease NH3 emissions (mg/g N intake) by 24% and H2S emissions (mg/g S intake) by 58%. The effect of feeding higher DDGS to laying hens on long-term emissions from stored manure, however, remains to be determined. Daily emissions of NH3 and H2S from 21 to 26-wk old laying hens decreased when DDGS were included in the diet at 20%. (MI) The effects of uncovered, intact carcass, large-animal mortality composting on water quality Phosphorus leaving an active mortality compost pile in runoff as produced by a 25-year, 24-hour storm simulation ranged from 4.6 grams to 0.1 grams. Total COD in runoff ranged from 94 to 888 grams. Data indicated that the majority of nutrients in effluent leaving a pile from a 25-year, 24-hour storm event infiltrates the soil surface. Total nitrogen load infiltrating the soil was estimated to range between 362 to 1778 grams under various management stages. (MI) Livestock grazing and vegetative filter strip buffer effects on sediment, nitrate, and phosphorus losses with runoff. In this three-year central Iowa study, we measured the amounts of sediment, nitrate, soluble P, and total P in runoff water from pastures managed three different ways. Data were collected from 12 natural rainfall events during 2001 to 2003. We found that forage management did not affect the amounts of sediment and P lost in runoff water. The amount of nitrate lost was greatest from the ungrazed paddocks in 2003. These results and other research findings suggest that the relatively higher amount of rain and subsequent runoff in 2003, as well as forage nutrient cycling processes, may have contributed to the elevated nitrate losses in the ungrazed areas. Results also suggest warm-season grasses, such as switchgrass, could be incorporated into certain paddock areas in a rotational grazing management program to improve grazing efficiency and reduce nutrient losses. (MI) The effects of uncovered, intact carcass, large-animal mortality composting on water quality Phosphorus leaving an active mortality compost pile in runoff as produced by a 25-year, 24-hour storm simulation ranged from 4.6 grams to 0.1 grams. Total COD in runoff ranged from 94 to 888 grams. Data indicated that the majority of nutrients in effluent leaving a pile from a 25-year, 24-hour storm event infiltrates the soil surface. Total nitrogen load infiltrating the soil was estimated to range between 362 to 1778 grams under various management stages. (MI) Milking center wastewater management Three Michigan Bark Mounds have been constructed and two are currently being monitored for the removal of carbon and nutrients and for metal leaching. Good nutrient removal has been demonstrated but metal leaching is possible. Testing on one vertical constructed wet land is complete. Removals of COD, ammonia, total solids, and nitrate all are above 98%. Capital and operational costs annually normalized are less than those required for hauling and land application. Vertical constructed wetlands have been found to effectively remove carbon and nitrogen from milking parlor wash water during both cold and warm weather. (MI) Farm runoff treatment using vegetated filter strips Three agricultural filter strips were assessed for the treatment of dairy farmstead waste. Soil type was a significant factor in predicting removal rates. Sandy soils resulted in lower average concentrations of COD, ammonia, and TKN in the subsurface, compared to sandy loam soils. Sandy loam soils increased manganese leaching, as compared to sandy soils. Nitrate concentrations were above standard drinking water limits in leachate. The difference in performance is attributed to the increase in oxygen diffusion through the sandy soil resulting in more complete carbon removal and the prevention of anaerobic conditions that result in metals serving as electron acceptors and becoming mobile. Agricultural filter strips treating runoff from a dairy farm lowered the concentrations of carbon and nutrients but, under some conditions, can cause metals to mobilize. (MI) Biomass energy inventory to support renewable energy development Databases for large farms, landfills, wastewater treatment plant biosolids, schools, universities, and prisons were incorporated into the interactive, GIS based Michigan Biomass Inventory. Net energy modeling for 5 conversion technologies (anaerobic digestion, gasification, ethanol, biodiesel, and direct combustion) is incorporated into the tool. Currently, the databases are being updated, food processing waste is being added, and the databases are being mined to locate the best locations to initiate waste to resource technologies. Further, spreadsheets for all energy conversion technologies will be available to be used independently of the mapping tool. The Michigan Biomass Inventory returns the amount of waste biomass available for the selected site and specified radius and estimates the net energy available for waste to resource conversion technologies. The resource also allows for the estimation of the best locations to site a waste to energy technology. (MI) Biogas potential assay in support of renewable energy Over 40 biomass blends, including various animal manures and food processing wastes, have been tested to determine their biogas potential. The percentage of methane and carbon dioxide produced and the amount of COD and volatile solids reduction are monitored. These biogas assays help determine if further consideration for establishing a renewable energy system is warranted for a specific waste blend. Further, the impact of amendments such as trace nutrients, enzymes, and microorganisms on the digestion process has been tested on several blends. A database is currently being developed to conveniently represent synergistic, additive, and antagonistic blends. A database of the anaerobic digester biogas potential from blended wastes, including manure and food processing residuals, has been established. (MN) Biohydrogen-based biofuel cells: highly efficient and clean electricity generation using mixed wastewater feedstocks - a rural development project We successfully engineered and expressed the hydrogenase in E Coli. Synechocystis PCC6803 was collected from ATCC and cultured with BG-11 medium. The cell paste was harvested by culturing at 26oC (room temperature) and a lit area of 2,000 to 3,000 Lux. Then the DNA encoding the bi-directional hydrogenase Hox EFUYH was extracted from Synechocystis PCC6803 after harvesting the cell culture. We developed a novel carbon fiber electrode with branched carbon nanotubes (CNT) for enhanced electrochemical performance. Extensive experiments using mixed substrates of swine manure and molasses were conducted under different HRTs and pHs with much higher biogas production rates and H2 contents obtained. The best results were observed for pH 5.0 and 5.5 using the mixing ratio of 1:1. Under this combination, both the biogas and H2 production rates reached the highest (29.1 L/day and 2.25 L/day/L reactor volume). The significance of this project lies in that two waste streams (swine manure and sugar processing wastewater) are brought together in one treatment and used as complementary substrates to produce bioenergy, which has never been reported before. The breakthrough of this project demonstrates that it is feasible and possible to generate clean energy solely from major waste streams from agricultural production without needing expensive chemicals. (MN) Co-digesting the wasted milk from dairy operations with cattle slurry to reduce water pollution The project is still ongoing (second year). Bench-scale experiments using 1 L flasks as digesters were completed and a total of seven milk addition levels in terms of percent liquid volume in the digester were tested, i.e., 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, 9%, 14%, and 19%, together with a control (no milk addition). The second part of the project, in which a pilot-scale digester of 1500 gallons was constructed, is still ongoing to investigate biogas production for dairy manure mixed with the wasted milk in terms of digester performance and methane productivity. Given the size of the digester, only one milk level (3%) was chosen for the pilot-scale experiment based on the results from the bench scale tests. It is expected that all the work, including data analysis, will be completed by June 30, 2011, which is the ending date of the project. Some have thought that milk was difficult to digest in stable fashion. Since removal of COD is one of the major objectives for anaerobic treatment, a large loading of COD to an anaerobic digester may potentially overload the system, causing performance deterioration or system upset. The impact of this project lies in that it alleviates such a fear so dairy farmers can adopt anaerobic digesters on their farms without concerning about the milk inclusions. (MN) Lactic acid fermentation using dairy manure as the sole carbon and nitrogen source First, manure particle size distribution was determined. The particles ranging from 0.15 mm to 0.25 mm in size accounted for 42%, while particles with size above 1.4 mm and below 0.15 mm only accounted for 19%, with the rest between 1.0-1.4 mm. Second, the change of carbohydrates versus reaction time was determined. In general, the carbohydrate content in the treated rose with the reaction time but showed huge differences in the early state. The optimal conditions for carbohydrate release were either particle size of 1.0-1.4 mm, pH 13, and reaction temperature of 90oC or particle size 0.15mm, pH2.0 and temperature 90 oC. The result also indicated that small particle sizes didnt guarantee the easy release of carbohydrates due possibly to lignin that ties up the carbohydrates. Decreasing the particle size from 1.41.0 to 0.250.15mm enhanced carbohydrate concentration. However, further decreases in particle size resulted in almost no change in carbohydrate concentration, suggesting that the size of particles was not a limiting factor when below 0.15mm. In view of nearly 640 million tons of dairy manure produced annually in the United States, this project has the potential to greatly diversify the use of dairy manure by producing an important industrial biopolymer (poly-lactic acid) that is biodegradable. This will ameliorate the pollution problem in land application and protect water quality. (NC) Underfloor belt manure system A project was initiated to install and evaluate an underfloor belt manure collection system on three commercial gilt replacement barns. The goal of the system is to recover manure for use in energy conversion technologies, to recover nitrogen with less ammonia losses and to reduce odor at the property boundary. The housing and belt system is under design with construction and installation expected in the second half of 2011. (ND) Demonstration and Evaluation of Vegetative Buffer Strips to Minimize Runoff Pollution from Feedlot Significant runoff data were collected in 2010. Results indicated that the vegetative filter strips (VFS) reduced the concentration of total solids (TS) by 33.73%, total suspended solids (TSS) by 67.97%, total phosphorous (TP) by 29.87%, ortho-phosphorous (OP) by 19.27%, ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) by 31.76%, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) by 35.56%, and potassium (K) by 19.80%. Performance of the VFS indicated that it can be used to reduce runoff pollution that comes directly from a feedlot into the VFS without passing through a settling basin. A longer buffer length may be required to reduce soluble pollutants. In North Dakota, NRCS is establishing vegetative filter strips (VFS), but there were no scientific data to support the effectiveness of VFS. Current study is providing field based scientific information to producers, stakeholders, and state regulatory agencies to revisit their VFS design. (OH) Educational program for nutrient management: 1) Manure Science Review, 2) Ohio Compost Operator Course, 3) Composting in Ohio Tour 1) Full-day program provided information on best practices for management of manure. Topics included impacts of nutrient loading in Lake Erie, manure plot study results, nitrification inhibitors, and control structures. Field demonstrations illustrated potential for liquid manure to flow into subsurface drainage via cracks and worm tubes and the use of cover crops to manage nutrients. 2) Two-day course includes science of composting, siting, operations, management, and utilization. 3) Full-day tour to three sites illustrated effective composting to create a value-added product from a variety of feedstocks. 1) Attendance of 134 included farmers, public agency personnel, and state and private consultants who work with farmers. 2) Attendance of 28 (class limit) included commercial composter, educational personnel, regulatory agencies and farmers. 3) Attendance of 50 included commercial composter, educational personnel, regulatory agencies and farmers. (OH) (1) Fate of Antibiotic Resistance Genes during Swine Manure Treatment (2) Bioluminesence Imaging to Monitor Campylobacter Survival in Chicken Litter (1) Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in swine manure was measured during manure treatment. Lab simulations were run using conditions present during composting (55C with modest aeration) and lagoon storage (25C with surface aeration). Results confirmed that composting was more efficacious than lagoon storage in reducing AMR. (2) Novel approach to characterize growth and persistence of Campylobacter in different poultry-rearing environments and monitored survival in bedding material. Found reused litter can potentially predispose chickens to Campylobacter contamination and clean litter could reduce colonization. The impact includes (1) Confirmed composting is an effective method for reducing AMR in livestock manure and (2) Demonstrated a simple, sensitive and rapid approach for analyzing growth dynamics. Highlighted the role of litter material in maintaining these pathogens in the chicken environment. (OH) Performance of Small Wastewater Treatment Systems in Ohio A pilot plant was built at a turkey processing facility to optimize bioreactor systems to treat wastewater. Various media options were evaluated to evaluate cost, ease of construction, transport of media to site. Removal up to 70% BOD was observed but decreased at low temperature during winter. An NPDES permit and Permit to Install was issued by Ohio EPA to construct a full size treatment plant at a Turkey processing facility. The OSU design was used to prepare the application. The system will be constructed in Spring 2011. The system cost is 1/4 the cost of connecting to a nearby community sewer system and 1/2 the cost of the commonly used onsite treatment system. The OSU research on system maintenance resulted in a smaller facility than first required, saving about $250,000 of construction costs. This research effort kept the plant from closing saving 130 jobs in rural Ohio. (OH) (1) Membrane Filtration System (MFS) for Nitrogen Recovery (2) Wet Scrubbers for Recovery of NH3 Emissions (1) MFS developed to concentrate wet scrubber effluent from the animal production unit for use as N fertilizer. Studied effects of applied pressure, flow rate, and NH3 concentration in the feed stream on the performance of the MFS. Under optimal conditions, process can retain more than 99% of the N-NH3 with reverse osmosis membranes. (2)Scale up and field testing of wet scrubbers for emissions from 3 sites: swine manure storage, poultry manure composting, deep-pit swine barn. Data collection and analysis is ongoing. (1) The MFS can convert the wet scrubber effluent from animal production facilities to N fertilizer, which will also reduce the NH3 emissions and generate a value-added product. (2) Enhanced understanding of design and testing methods for developing acid NH3 spray scrubbers for high speed, low pressure drop axial fans. The fertilizer generated by the process will enhance farm income or reduce needs for purchasing commercial N fertilizer. (OH) (1) Integrated Anaerobic Digestion Systems (iADs); (2) Small-scale anaerobic digestion (AD); (3) Temperature-phased anaerobic digestion (TPAD); (4) Loading rate impacts on AD (1) Use of effluent from a liquid AD as inoculum and N source for biogas production from lignocellulosic biomass. Evaluated system performance for differences in effluent, inoculum to feedstock ratios, and moisture. (2) Studied CH4 and electricity production and wastewater transformations for an AD system that combines biogas from swine and dairy digesters in Costa Rica. Built small-scale reactor for dairy at OSU. (3) Overview of TPAD, which separates the process into temperature phases, enhancing digestion efficiency and process robustness. (4) Assessment of impacts of loading rate on high solids AD. The impacts are (1) Reduced footprint of solid AD system and demonstrated a new alternative use for liquid AD effluent. (2) Showed small scale, affordable digesters effective in warmer climates. (3) Identified additional research needed for commercial use of TPAD. (4) Lab-scale study suggests that performance and stability as well as the archaeal community structure in a HSAD system is unaffected by increasing the OLR by nearly 50% and that this increase results in a similar increase in the amount of methane generated. May enable smaller reactor sizes to be used to treat manure than those currently in use, thereby reducing capital costs. (OH) Effects of Methanogenic Inhibiros on Methane Production and Abundance of Methanogens and Celluloytic Bacteria in In Vitro Ruminal Culture Evaluate and compare effects of select antimethanogen compounds on CH4 production, feed digestion and fermentation, and populations of ruminal bacteria and methanogens using in vitro cultures. Seven compounds were tested, with three greatly reducing methane production, volatile fatty acids, acetate, and propionate. Guide future in vivo studies on mitigating CH4 emissions from ruminants. (TX) Demonstration and Evaluation of Vegetative Buffer Strips to Minimize Runoff Pollution from Feedlot Significant runoff data were collected in 2010. Results indicated that the vegetative filter strips (VFS) reduced the concentration of total solids (TS) by 33.73%, total suspended solids (TSS) by 67.97%, total phosphorous (TP) by 29.87%, ortho-phosphorous (OP) by 19.27%, ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) by 31.76%, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) by 35.56%, and potassium (K) by 19.80%. Performance of the VFS indicated that it can be used to reduce runoff pollution that comes directly from a feedlot into the VFS without passing through a settling basin. A longer buffer length may be required to reduce soluble pollutants. In North Dakota, NRCS is establishing vegetative filter strips (VFS), but there were no scientific data to support the effectiveness of VFS. Current study is providing field based scientific information to producers, stakeholders, and state regulatory agencies to revisit their VFS design. (TX) Continuous ammonia emission measurements from a commercial beef feedyard in Texas Large AFOs were required to be reporting emissions of NH3 and H2S under EPCRA in 2010. This study is one of the few to publish long-term continuous NH3 concentrations and emissions from beef cattle feedyards in the Texas High Plains. This provides field based data for producers, stakeholders, and regulatory agencies for reporting requirements of emissions under EPCRA. Mean annual NH3 concentrations were 0.57 ppm, with a monthly average low of 0.37 ppm in December 2007 and a monthly average high of 0.77 ppm in August 2007. Flux densities were calculated using a backward Lagrangian stochastic model (WindTrax 2.0.7.8). Mean annual flux density was 70.7 g/m2/sec (2.2 kg/m2/year). Mean monthly flux density ranged from 42.7 to 123.1 g/m2/sec (0.11 to 0.32 kg/m2/month) in November and April 2007, respectively. Both concentration and flux density had a diurnal distribution with minima during the nighttime hours and maxima during the early afternoon. On an annual basis, 48.8% of fed N was volatilized as NH3. The inverse modeled daily ammonia production per head was 85.3 g NH3-N/ (head fed)/day. (TX) Ogallala Aquifer Initiative: Overcoming impediments to use of water from feedyard runoff retention structure for dust mitigation activities The project has been hindered by the most serious drought in Texas history, but we plan to begin collecting waste water for a feedlot runoff retention structure the week of July 4 - 8. If successful, we will design a small scale treatment system to make water reclaimed from the runoff retention structure effective for dust control rather than using water from the Ogallala Aquifer which is a non-renewing aquifer.

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