by Cheung Yun Hing Richard. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1981. / Bibliography: leaves 182-206.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on March 17, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Thesis advisor: Dr. Laura McCann. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

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Organic phosphorus (P$ sb{ rm o}$) in farm animal wastes must be mineralized to inorganic P for subsequent plant use. This study was conducted to determine if feed additives affect P$ sb{ rm o}$ mineralization, manure decomposition, and plant growth. Feed additives in aqueous systems affected the P mineralization of inositol hexaphosphate by phytase and of adenosine monophosphate by alkaline phosphatase. Pronounced effects were produced by bacitracin and both enzymes and by neomycin on phytase. Feed additives in dairy cattle (Bos taurus L.) manure produced effects on microbial activity as measured by gas production that differed from those produced on fecal phosphatase activity. Additives applied directly or with manure to Ste. Rosalie clay, Greensboro loam, or silica sand had no effect on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) yield but did produce additive, rate, growth medium, and manure dependent effects on plant P concentration and soil phosphatase activity. Therefore, each feed additive must be independently evaluated to determine its effect on biological systems.

A race track type oxidation ditch with a disc aerator was constructed on a model scale. Tests were conducted in deionized water to study the effect of some disc design parameters and system operating parameters on the oxygen transfer rate was affected by the disc speed, disc thickness, hole diameter, immersion depth and number of discs operated in parallel. / The effect of the manure concentration on the microbial growth was investigated in a batch culture operation. High manure concentration had an inhibitory effect on the microbial growth. / Data from batch culture operation were used to design a continuous culture operation. The latter was used to evaluate the concept of minimal aeration of swine manure for odor control. The effluent quality (as measured by odor level and the concentrations of COD, nitrogenous componds and solids) was dependent on the initial manure concentration and on the retention time. The effluent from the ditch was free of offensive odor and can be spread on land without causing odor pollution problem.

A roof over a manure reservoir eliminates the entry of precipitations, reduces odour and volatile gas emissions, lowers the storage and handling costs and alleviates environmental impacts. / Structural analysis and testing were carried out to establish the feasibility of geodesic domes as manure reservoir roofting. A stress analysis, conducted by computer was used to determine maximum compression loads on roof members. Compression tests were carried out in the laboratory to test two laminated designs and to evaluate the performance of a member joint. / Structural analysis showed that the Lamella type dome, with a diameter/height ratio of 4, offers the best geometry considering design criteria for manure roofs. Compression tests confirmed that laminated members, made of 38 x 89 mm and 38 x 140 mm pieces, can resist the design stress developed in a 22 meter diameter dome. / Loading tests revealed that non laminated wood members failed at 80% of the design load. However, the joints (formed by two 3,1 mm thick steel plates bolted to the members) were still able to resist an increase in loading. / Data obtained from the tests were used for a preliminary design of a geodesic roof taking into account specific conditions such as humidity and manure gas. However further study is required to adapt this concept to real conditions over a manure reservoir. / The cost of a 22 meter diameter dome, for covering manure reservoirs, is estimated at 79$/m$ sp2$ which is more expensive than the cost of the currently used, least expensive manure pit roof (wood truss design).

Incubation mixtures of liquid hog manure (LHM), with and without monocalcium phosphate (MCP) were added to an Ormstown silty clay loam and a Ste. Rosalie clay. Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) was cultivated in a pot study in order to determine yield, total P uptake and soil P content as affected by various P and manure treatments. / Aeration of LHM with MCP was successful in reducing ammonia volatilization by 62.4%. However, for both soils, neither of the treatments; LHM amended and aerated with MCP and applied at 32 t ha$ sp{-1}$ LHM containing 513 kg $ rm P sb2O sb5 ha sp{-1}$ from MCP nor LHM aerated without MCP applied at 32 t ha$ sp{-1}$ LHM, plus 513 kg $ rm P sb2O sb5 ha sp{-1}$ from MCP, significantly affected ryegrass yields compared to the lone addition of MCP fertilizer (513 kg $ rm P sb2O sb5 ha sp{-1}).$ Total P uptake in ryegrass was significantly higher for the incubated treatments in the Ste. Rosalie soil alone. / Although additions of LHM or MCP and LHM-MCP combinations affected Mehlich-III and Hedley P fractions, the incubation of MCP with LHM did not significantly increase either inorganic- or organic-P fractions when compared to MCP alone. Therefore, premixing MCP with the LHM had no effect on improving P availability in either the Ormstown or Ste. Rosalie soils.

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Two underground concrete manure reservoirs of 70 m$ sp3$ were tested for their infiltration rate to water as well as to 1% and 3% total solid dairy manure. Positive and negative infiltration were measured for the water test while only negative infiltration was measured with the manure. / Positive infiltration is met when the water table into the soil is above the liquid level into the reservoir. In that case, the water is moving from the outside to the inside of the reservoir. An opposite situation is met when the infiltration is negative. / From the results, the infiltration rate varied from 0.00 to 6.684 $ times$ 10$ sp{-7}$ m/s. The minimum value was recorded at the reservoir 55 with 1% of total solid manure and the maximum value was recorded with same reservoir with positive pressure to water.

Liquid hog manure (LHM) obtained from the Macdonald College farm was used in experiments aimed at (a) reducing the odor associated with LHM during handling and (b) conserving the fertilizer capacity of LHM. Various chemical treatments and sphagnum moss (SM) were evaluated to achieve the above objectives. Direct acidification to $<$ pH 5.0, sphagnum moss (SM) and its combination with aluminum sulfate (AS) resulted in significant (p $<$ 0.05) reduction in ammonia losses during storage of LHM. The SM and SM/AS combination also significantly (p $<$ 0.05) reduced both odor presence and offensiveness. Gas chromatographic (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis indicated the absence of certain malodor compounds and lower peak areas of certain compounds in the SM and SM/AS treatments when compared to the controls. Investigations with barley seeding revealed that treatments which reduced the malodor of the LHM did not significantly (p $<$ 0.05) affect the nitrogen fertilization capacity of the LHM, as indicated by plant dry matter yield.