Impact of hydrology and effluent quality on the management of woodchip pads for overwintering cattle. II. Effluent analysis and nutrient balance

2012 ◽  
Vol 151 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-286
Author(s):  
D. R. JACKSON ◽  
D. R. CHADWICK ◽  
M. CROOKES ◽  
E. SAGOO ◽  
K. A. SMITH
Keyword(s):  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Nutrient Balance ◽  
Organic N ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Nutrient Balances ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Dirty Water ◽  
Animal Excreta ◽  
Commercial Farms ◽  
The Uk

SUMMARYWoodchip pads can be a sustainable alternative to the overwintering of stock on grassland or in conventional housing and can offer benefits in improved animal performance, improved health and environmentally sustainable options for the management of the effluent resulting from the animal excreta (dung, urine and rainfall over the pad). Detailed observations were made on effluent flow and quality from woodchip pads on two commercial farms in the UK, one in Powys (Wales) and the other in Leicestershire (England), over a period of 8 months in 2009/10. Flow data and hydrological characteristics, reported in the companion to the current paper (Jackson & Smith 2012), were combined with the results of effluent sample and soiled woodchip analyses, together with records of animal numbers and activity on the pads, to calculate nutrient fluxes and nutrient balances across the pad for defined periods. Nutrient balances showed that, of the estimated nutrient inputs in animal excreta deposited on the pad, only 0·05–0·10 of the N and P were contained in the effluent draining from the pad, with the rest (>0·90 of N and P inputs) retained in the solids accumulating in the surface layers of soiled woodchip, ‘spent timber residues’ (STR). The STR was similar in analysis to straw-based farmyard manure (FYM), high in organic N, and land spreading of this material should be managed in a similar way to FYM. It also appears suitable for application to grassland, except when based on coarse woodchips. These results confirm the hypothesis that the effluent draining from the pads should be considered as consistently similar to dirty water rather than slurry, as in the current rules associated with Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) in England and Wales.

Impact of hydrology and effluent quality on the management of woodchip pads for overwintering cattle. I. Development of monitoring methodology and sampling strategies

2012 ◽  
Vol 151 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-278
Author(s):  
D. R. JACKSON ◽  
K. A. SMITH
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Information ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Effluent Quality ◽  
Flow Monitoring ◽  
Absorption Studies ◽  
Animal Excreta ◽  
Commercial Farms ◽  
Water Wheel ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Design Construction

SUMMARYWoodchip pads can be a sustainable alternative to the overwintering of stock on grassland or in conventional housing and can offer benefits in improved animal performance, improved health and environmentally sustainable options for the management of animal excreta (dung, urine and the resulting effluent). Novel flow measuring equipment was developed to monitor effluent drainage from two woodchip pads sited on commercial farms in the UK, one in Powys (Wales, UK) and the other in Leicestershire (England, UK). Observations were made over 8 months in 2009/10. The aim was to assess both hydrological characteristics and nutrient fluxes. Flow monitoring, based on the use of tipping bucket or the principles of an overshot water wheel, was required to be capable of diverting a sample into a storage tank for sub-sampling and subsequent analysis. Estimates of pad outputs through evaporation and sub-surface drainage accounted for 0·98–1·01 of total inputs from precipitation and animal excreta, with evaporation and pad drainage representing 0·47–0·63 and 0·34–0·51 of total inputs, respectively. The resulting scientific information is of value in the synthesis of guidelines for design, construction and management of woodchip pads. Detailed analysis of flow and precipitation data, coupled with column absorption studies to evaluate moisture retention in the woodchip matrix, were used to consider the development of modelling approaches, with the potential to predict drainage outputs across a range of geographical, weather and pad management situations.

Economic optimisation of soil testing on commercial farms: space, time and variables

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taro Takahashi
Keyword(s):  
Concave Function ◽  
Information Value ◽  
Spatial Sampling ◽  
Soil Testing ◽  
Biological Interactions ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
The North ◽  
Incremental Value ◽  
Commercial Farms ◽  
The Uk

<p>A holistic evaluation of agricultural systems requires mechanistic understanding of physical, chemical and biological interactions both aboveground and belowground, yet obtaining this information on commercial farms is a challenging task. In order to support practical decision making by commercial producers, it is therefore necessary to identify system-wide performance indicators that are observable presently and cost-effectively. Data acquired through commercial soil testing satisfy these conditions; however, the relationship between the density of information — thus the cost of testing — and the value of information as a guideline for on-farm managerial changes is not well-understood.</p><p>Using high-resolution soil data from the North Wyke Farm Platform in the UK as a case exemplar, this solicited talk discusses theoretical and computational frameworks to quantify the value of an information package defined by soil testing strategies. A bootstrapping experiment revealed that the information value is often a concave function of the spatial sampling frequency, indicating that “half-hearted” soil data are unlikely to be able to inform optimal farm management. On the other hand, a high degree of serial correlation as well as atemporal inter-variable correlation resulted in some measurements identified as being redundant, as the incremental value of additional information was often found to be small and occasionally negative. Given the time and budgetary constraints, therefore, it is suggested that more effort should be spent on snapshot spatial sampling of a small number of variables, rather than continuous spot sampling of a large number of variables.</p>

scholarly journals Rice-Residue Management Practices of Smallholder Farms in Vietnam and Their Effects on Nutrient Fluxes in the Soil-Plant System

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dao Trong Hung ◽  
Harold Hughes ◽  
Markus Keck ◽  
Daniela Sauer
Keyword(s):  
Crop Residue ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Nutrient Balance ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Residue Management ◽  
Nutrient Cycles ◽  
Nutrient Balances ◽  
Smallholder Farms ◽  
Direct Incorporation ◽  
Rice Residues

In Vietnam, approximately 39 million tons of rice (Oryza sativa) residues accrue every year. In this study, we quantified soil nutrient balances of paddy rice fields under different crop-residue management practices in northern Vietnam. On twelve farms, we calculated nutrient balances for the four prevalent rice-residue management practices, i.e., (1) direct incorporation of rice residues into the soil, (2) application of rice-residue compost, (3) burning of rice residues on the field, and (4) the use of rice residues as fodder for livestock. Soils under practices (1) to (3) showed a positive nutrient balance, which indicates that soil fertility can be maintained under these practices and that the amounts of chemical fertilizers can be considerably reduced. If not, there is a risk of eutrophication in the surrounding surface waterbodies. Practice (4), in contrast, resulted in a negative nutrient balance, which indicates the need for returning nutrients to the soils. From our findings we conclude that knowledge about the effects of rice-residue management practices on nutrient cycles may help to optimize the use of fertilizers, resulting in a more sustainable form of agriculture.

scholarly journals Access Over Ownership: Case Studies of Libraries of Things

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 7180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Baden ◽  
Ken Peattie ◽  
Adekunle Oke
Keyword(s):  
Public Support ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Equitable Access ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Individual Ownership

Over the last decade there has been increasing interest in the concept of the sharing economy, which replaces the focus on individual ownership with a focus on access to goods and services through borrowing, hiring or sharing. This study investigates the efficacy of extending the library concept to include more items, such as those that are used infrequently. The aim is to explore how Libraries of Things (LoTs) operate and the potential to broaden their appeal, reach and sustainability. This study adopts a multiple case study method to provide a snapshot of six LoTs in the UK. Findings indicate that all LoTs shared common environmental and social values, with the most prevalent values being to use the library concept to reduce resource use and waste and to enable more equitable access to goods. All relied on volunteers and public support, in the form of free or discounted space and none were yet economically self-sufficient. This poses important questions about the future for LoTs and whether they could or even should, transition towards the mainstream to make a more substantive contribution to creating a more socially equitable and environmentally sustainable economy.

Response of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Munch) and Chemical Characteristics of Soil to Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Kenyan Lower Midlands Acid Soil

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
P. O. Kisinyo ◽  
P. A. Opala ◽  
S. O. Gudu
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Available P ◽  
Triple Superphosphate ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Inorganic Fertilizers ◽  
Calcium Ammonium Nitrate ◽  
Total N ◽  
Sorghum Grain

Soil acidity, low level of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and soil organic matter are major constraints to sorghum production in Kenya. We investigated the effect of farmyard manure (FYM) and combined application of inorganic nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers applied as calcium ammonium nitrate and triple superphosphate respectively, on soil pH, available P, total N, organic carbon and sorghum grain yield, on a smallholder farm in Siaya County, Kenya. The experiment was a randomized complete block design consisting of four treatments i.e., FYM applied at 0 and 4 t ha-1 in a factorial arrangement with inorganic fertilizers applied to provide 0 and 26 kg P ha-1 + 75 kg N ha-1, replicated three times. The study was conducted during the long rains of March to June and short rains September to December, 2017. Farmyard manure was applied only during the long rains season of 2017, while P and N fertilizers were applied in both cropping seasons. Soil sampling was done before treatment applications and at harvest time. Soil analysis revealed that the soil was acidic (pH = 4.9) with low available P (5.3 mg kg-1 and N (0.08%) but moderate amounts of C (2.0%) and Ca (3.4 cmol kg-1). The effect of sole application of FYM on soil P, N and grain yield were lower than those of the inorganic fertilizers. Farmyard manure increased soil pH because of its alkalinity (pH = 7.1) while triple superphosphate reduced it due to release of phosphoric acid into the soil. The mean annual (average of two seasons) grain yield increments, above the control with no nutrient inputs, due to 4.0 t FYM, 26 kg P ha-1 + 75 kg N ha-1 and 4.0 FYM + 26 kg P ha-1 + 75 kg N ha-1 were 64, 191 and 259%, respectively. Therefore combined applications of FYM and N and P fertilizers have the potential to increase sorghum grain yield on Kenyan acid soils.

scholarly journals Modelling the health impact of environmentally sustainable dietary scenarios in the UK

2012 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 710-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Scarborough ◽  
S Allender ◽  
D Clarke ◽  
K Wickramasinghe ◽  
M Rayner
Keyword(s):  
Health Impact ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
The Uk

REPORT OF CO-ORDINATED TRIALS CARRIED OUT ON COMMERCIAL FARMS IN THE UK

1982 ◽  
pp. 131-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.L. MILLER ◽  
N.W. GALWEY ◽  
G. NEWMAN ◽  
I.H. PIKE
Keyword(s):  
Commercial Farms ◽  
The Uk

scholarly journals Wildlife-friendly farming increases crop yield: evidence for ecological intensification

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1816) ◽  
pp. 20151740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard F. Pywell ◽  
Matthew S. Heard ◽  
Ben A. Woodcock ◽  
Shelley Hinsley ◽  
Lucy Ridding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Ecological Intensification ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Habitat Creation ◽  
Commercial Farms ◽  
Field Edge ◽  
Business As Usual ◽  
Positive Effect

Ecological intensification has been promoted as a means to achieve environmentally sustainable increases in crop yields by enhancing ecosystem functions that regulate and support production. There is, however, little direct evidence of yield benefits from ecological intensification on commercial farms growing globally important foodstuffs (grains, oilseeds and pulses). We replicated two treatments removing 3 or 8% of land at the field edge from production to create wildlife habitat in 50–60 ha patches over a 900 ha commercial arable farm in central England, and compared these to a business as usual control (no land removed). In the control fields, crop yields were reduced by as much as 38% at the field edge. Habitat creation in these lower yielding areas led to increased yield in the cropped areas of the fields, and this positive effect became more pronounced over 6 years. As a consequence, yields at the field scale were maintained—and, indeed, enhanced for some crops—despite the loss of cropland for habitat creation. These results suggested that over a 5-year crop rotation, there would be no adverse impact on overall yield in terms of monetary value or nutritional energy. This study provides a clear demonstration that wildlife-friendly management which supports ecosystem services is compatible with, and can even increase, crop yields.

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