A research team is working on how adding alum as an amendment to poultry litter. This reduces ammonia and greenhouse gas concentrations and emissions, specifically carbon dioxide, in poultry houses.
The University of Delaware's Hong Li is part of a research team looking at how alum can reduce green house emissions in poultry.
Acid-based chemical compounds, alum and PLT -- another amendment -- that are added to the bedding material in poultry houses prior to the birds entering have proven to be a very effective tool in controlling ammonia emissions.
In the poultry industry, ammonia build up is a major concern and ammonia concentration is usually high during the growth period .
Ammonia can do a lot of damage to the animal, especially the respiratory system, and can effect overall animal health and welfare.There is a need to control the ammonia, not only for the animal health but also for the public health implication.
Adding alum to poultry litter is known to reduce ammonia concentration in poultry houses, its effects on greenhouse gas emissions had been unknown.
MODE OF ACTION; The carbon dioxide was reduced in two ways.First, because alum is an acidic product, it reduces microbial activity in the litter and reduces the ammonia emissions.
.Ammonia comes from uric acid being broken down by bacteria and enzymes. Once the uric acid is broken down, two products are created -- one is ammonia and one is carbon dioxide..By reducing the bacterial activity, the ammonia concentration and also the carbon dioxide reduce.
Second: by using acid-based litter amendments in poultry litter, growers can reduce the ventilation rate and reduce fuel used for heating the poultry houses, especially during the winter.
In the broiler industry, there is a need to control ammonia to improve animal health and welfare. They have to keep the bird comfortable with optimum temperatures.
However, if you want to have lower ammonia level you have to bring in more fresh air to remove more of the ammonia-laden air. This will result in over ventilation of the house,resulting in more cost to keep the house warm.
The use of the acid-based litter amendments, will reduce the ventilation rate and the rate of fuel used, which reduces the carbon dioxide emission from the house through the heating process.
Thus if the microbial activity is reduced and also reduce the heating, there will be lower carbon dioxide emissions.
Story source; papers from university of Delaware.
Agribusiness, Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, Cassava, Garri, food security, Agritech and the Red Meat Value Chain.
Showing posts with label alum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alum. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Agribusiness ideas.
Popular Posts
-
Five ways agriculture could benefit from artificial intelligence. Agriculture is the industry that accompanied the evolution of humanity ...
-
Funding opportunities for agricultural projects. International Tropical Timber Organization — Freezailah Fellowships 2017. ITTO makes grant...
-
This is an awareness campaign drive to educate kids about rabies . This campaign will birth the creation of the dog health club in schools. ...
-
AGRIBUSINESS: WHY GOAT MILK FETCHES MORE CASH THAN COW’S. Dairy goat farming is on a steady rise not only in Kenya but throughout the regi...
-
WITH the holidays upon us, some smartphone apps can let you help someone in need with just a few taps of your finger. ShareTheMeal is a fa...
-
AFDB approves $280m to support Nigerian youths in agriculture.The President of the African Development Bank (AFDB), Akinwumi Adesina, says...
AGRIBUSINESS EDUCATION.
Translate
I-CONNECT -AGRICULTURE
AGRIBUSINESS TIPS.
AGRIBUSINESS.
The Agriculture Daily
veterinarymedicineechbeebolanle-ojuri.blogspot.com Cassava: benefits of garri as a fermented food. Cassava processing involves fermentation which is a plus for gut health. The fermentation process removes the cyanogenic glucosides present in the fres...