The Upper North Bosque River (UNBR) watershed is under a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) mandate to reduce Phosphorus (P) due to excess nutrients in the watershed. To address these problems, Texas A&M University researchers have developed a turfgrass sod Best Management Practice (BMP) to remove excess nutrients from impaired watersheds. Turfgrass harvest of manure fertilized sod removes a thin layer of topsoil with most of the manure applied P. Plot and field scale research has demonstrated the effectiveness of turfgrass to remove manure phosphorus (P). In order to assess the impact of the turfgrass BMP on a watershed scale, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to predict water quality in the UNBR watershed. The SWAT model was modified to incorporate turfgrass harvest routines to predict manure and soil P export through turfgrass sod and soil during harvest. SWAT simulations of the BMP predicted stream load reductions of 20 to 36% for P loads in the UNBR depending on the implementation scenario, an average reduction of 31% for total N and 16.7% for sediment for all the scenarios, at the watershed outlet. The SWAT model also predicted up to 176 kg/ha P removed per sod harvest when fertilized with 100 kg manure P/ha, and 258 kg/ha of P removed per sod harvest when the manure P application rate was 200 kg/ha. In addition, depending on the implementation scenario, the turfgrass BMP could export between 262 and 784 metric tons of P out of the UNBR watershed every year. Manure fertilized turfgrass has the advantage of slow releasing nutrients from the composted dairy manure, so it would not require any additional P for life. This means reduced urban non-point source pollution and lower maintenance cost compared to regular sod. These modeling simulations complement the wealth of research that shows the effectiveness of the turfgrass BMP.

A total maximum daily load (TMDL) assessment in the Upper North Bosque River (UNBR) has mandated reductions of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP). The large concentrations of dairies in the UNBR watershed have been identified as a source of the SRP. Agricultural best management practices (BMPs) can be used to reduce in-stream loads of manure nutrients from confined dairy feeding operations (CAFOs). A new BMP utilizes turfgrass sod to export composted dairy manure nutrients out of the impaired watershed in a sustainable manner. Previous plot-scale experiments have showed that 46 to 77% of applied phosphorus (P) and 36 to 47% of applied nitrogen (N) were removed in a single sod harvest. Two, 1.4 ha turfgrass fields were instrumented to measure runoff flow and sediment and nutrient transport. One turfgrass field was topdressed with composted dairy manure and fertilizer N and the other with fertilizer N only. A total of 3.5% of the applied manure P and 3.1% of applied manure N were lost in the surface runoff over a 1.5 year period. The runoff data from the experimental fields were used to calibrate and validate Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model simulations of flow, sediment, organic, and mineral nutrients. The Nash-Sutcliffe model fit statistic was greater than 0.6 for flow, sediment, and nutrients during the calibration period and greater than 0.3 during the validation period. Research results indicated that turfgrass sod can be used to export composted dairy manure out of impaired watersheds to improve water and soil quality.

Tez (Doktora) - Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Bahçe Bitkileri Anabilim Dalı, 2008. / Kaynakça var.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2009. / Open access. Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-64).

M. Tech. Civil Engineering / Rural communities in South Africa and Africa as a whole are faced with a problem of the lack of reliable, efficient, sustainable and affordable energy sources. This problem serves as a catalyst to the slow economic development of the rural communities. In order to eradicate the problem and expedite economic development, a need exists to expand energy supply from the national grid or introduce alternative clean, sustainable, environmentally friendly and affordable energy sources to rural areas. However, expanding the national grid would not be sustainable in the long term because 80% of the national grid energy in South Africa is generated from burning fossil fuels, which is neither environmentally friendly nor renewable. The aim of this study was to address the above challenge through scientific investigation of the feasibility of introducing biogas as an alternative source of energy in rural areas. The investigation was to establish a mix ratio of the three types of domestic animal waste namely cow dung, pig dung and chicken droppings, which would optimise biogas production. Biogas, which is a mixture of mainly methane and carbon dioxide gases would in turn be used for cooking. Therefore, the broad objective of the study was to optimise methane gas production through the anaerobic digestion of domestic animal waste.

Thesis (MTech. degree in Agriculture)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2011.

published_or_final_version / Botany / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

Baigiamasis darbas atliktas Lietuvos žemės ūkio universitete, 2009 metais. Darbo apimtis 52 puslapiai jame yra: 15 paveikslų, 11 lentelių, 6 priedai. Literatūros apraše yra 31 šaltinis. Magistrantūros darbo tikslas - nustatyti dujų emisijos intensyvumą iš įvairaus mėšlo ir jos poveikį tvarto mikroklimatui bei aplinkos oro taršai. Atlikus informacijos šaltinių apžvalgą yra išanalizuotos gyvulių laikymo technologijos, aptarti veiksniai įtakojantys kenksmingų dujų sklidimą į aplinką. Įvertinti tvarto mikroklimato parametrai, mėšlo laikymo trukmės įtaka amoniako emisijai, priemonės jai mažinti. Atlikus eksperimentinius tyrimus nustatėme amoniako ir anglies dvideginio dujų emisiją iš įvairaus mėšlo. Stende nustatyta, kad didžiausia amoniako emisija yra iš skysto mėšlo - 216 mg/(m2•h). Mažiausia amoniako emisija užfiksuota iš tiršto mėšlo - 88 mg /(m2•h). Apibendrinus skaičiavimo rezultatus gauname, kad didžiausias vėdinimo intensyvumas reikalingas vandens garų pertekliui pašalinti Todėl projektuojant tvartų vėdinimo sistemas, pakanka oro apykaitą skaičiuoti pagal vandens garų kiekį. Jeigu tvarte užtikrinsime ne per didelį oro drėgnumą, tai kartu bus ir nedidelė anglies dvideginio bei amoniako koncentracija. / Final work was accomplished at Lithuanian University of Agriculture in 2009. The scope of the work is 52 pages: 15 pictures, 11 tables, 6 appendixes are included. 31 sources of literature were referred to in this work. The aim of this Master degree‘s final work is to set gas emission intensity of various manure and her impact stables microclimate and ambient air pollution. Following the review source of information the analysis assessed of livestock keeping technologies, discuss the factors affecting the spread of harmful gases into the environment. The analysis of microclimate parameters in the farm was implemented, manure holding time to ammonia emision was implemented, measures to reduce emission. Following the experimental studies found ammonia and carbon dioxide gas emissions from various manure. The plaque states that the higest emission of ammonia from liquid manure - 216 mg / (m2•h). The minimum intensity in the ammonia emissions from thick manure - 88 mg / (m2•h). The summarize results of the calculation we get that the maximum intensity of ventilation required to remove excess water vapor. Therefore, the farm designed of ventilation systems, air circulation is sufficient to estimated under the water vapor content. If we make sure to do not to much air humidity in the cowshed then carbon dioxide and ammonia concentration it will be not to high.

This study investigates the impact of nutrient management regulations on pig farms in Ontario, Canada. Using mathematical programming, small, medium and large farrow to finish and finishing pig farms are examined using uniform and crop requirement based manure application. The model scenarios characterize the cost of compliance when nutrient application standards are applied from the Nutrient Management Act and a previously proposed standard from the Clean Water Act. Compliance costs for scenarios with uniform manure application are ≤6.47%; while compliance costs for scenarios with crop requirement based manure application are ≤0.25%. The Nutrient Management Act has two calculations for nutrient application standards, producers must comply with the less binding calculation. Compliance costs for producers under the less binding standard following a uniform manure application strategy are ≤1.53%; while producers following a crop requirement based manure application strategy have no compliance costs. The proposed Clean Water Act standard is more restrictive than the Nutrient Management Act standards. / Ontario Pork, OMAFRA