Manure Management Get’s a Boost

A Consortia of Microbes Assist in Manure Management in Livestock

Boost is a product utilizing the digestion abilities of special bacteria and natural enzymes cultured for their ability to digest organic matter quickly, efficiently and without odor. These strains will work both in the presence of oxygen as well as in its absence. The natural enzymes quickly break down proteins, starch, carbohydrates, animal, and vegetable fats & oils as well as paper.

The composition of Boost includes a unique micro-nutrient enriched carrier to provide accelerated germination, growth, and superior enzyme production while reducing odor, BOD, COD, suspended solids, turbidity, and ammonia concentrations. Stable bacteria spores enhance shelf life and guarantee microbial concentration. Spore-form allows it to resist chlorine, disinfectants, and high-water temperatures.

Considering the attributes of Boost in the digestion of organic materials, this consortium of bacteria proves to be a multi-functional/use means of preconditioning livestock manures in advance of field application. Boost accelerates the transition of raw organics into plant-available nutrients reducing the stress on depleted indigent soil microbial bacteria. This process of preconditioning raw organics is not limited to poultry litter, livestock beddings, forage, and feed wastage.

The organic digestive ability of Boost bacteria has decreased the time required to compost whole livestock carcasses in mass to include the bones, viscera, hide, feathers, and bulking materials. In the interest of on-farm biosecurity measures, the ability to dispose of animal/poultry carcasses at thermophilic temperatures at accelerated rates of decomposition decreases the exposure to trafficked disease while allowing for a field-ready, rich nutrient by-product.

In terms of poultry health and housing, Boost will reduce the measurable levels of ammonia ppm generated from litter after one application for an entire grow-out season significantly reducing flock mortality. In the reduction of ammonia, the reduction of chick death loss due to blindness, respiratory infections, and footpad issues are noted.

In terms of swine health, applied to deep or shallow pull-plug pits, the ability of Boost to degrade organic materials reduces the levels of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methane from the pits. As with poultry, the reduction of pit gasses decreases the damage to ISOwean pig lungs, increases the rate of gain, and lessens effects of heat stress in confined livestock.

UC Researchers Trying to Understand Roll of Green Waste and Manure

Almond Growers Are Asked to Return Survey

Researchers are trying to find out the benefit of adding green waste from animal manure and adding it to the soil of permanent crops, and they are looking for information from local growers.

A team of UC Davis and UC Merced researchers are trying to find how and why fruit and nut growers are using organic matter amended to their soils. These amendments might include green waste composted or non composted animal manure.

The goal of this survey is to help develop better approaches so the organic matter amendment can be used more safely, according to Daniel Schellenberg, postdoctoral scholar at UC Davis, who is the coordinator of the project.

“We’re hoping to find out the benefit to the orchard for using these types of materials and how they might improve environmental quality but as well as to find out are they benefit tree nutrition are they changing the biology in the soil, or they simply increasing the capacity of the soil to hold water.” said Schellenberg.

All California almond growers will be getting a survey in their mailboxes this week.

“We’re working with in partnership with the Almond Board of California we were able to have a mailing that will go out to almond growers about their practices and have also built a website that will allow all growers of trees, fruits, and nuts to be able to take the survey.” said Schellenberg

The survey can be found here.

Previously, the Almond Board of California stated that growers should not use these amendment due to food safety, but there has been no field trials to show the risk. A research goal is to find how amends can be used safely, and to determine how much nitrogen certain amendments can provide for tree and vines.