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Ammonia (NH3) emission can cause acidification and eutrophication of the environment, is an indirect source of nitrous oxide, and is a precursor of fine dust. The current mechanistic NH3 emission base model for explaining and predicting NH3 emissions from dairy cow houses with cubicles, a floor and slurry pit is based on measured data from a limited number of studies. It requires input values for numerous variables, but the empirical equations for the model parameters in the literature vary. Furthermore, many of the input variables cannot be assessed accurately, and their actual influence on the prediction is unknown. We aimed to improve NH3 emission modelling, by assessing the contribution to the variation in NH3 emission of each input variable and each model parameter related to a single urine puddle. We did so for 27 candidate models, created by each possible combination of three equations per model parameter: the acid dissociation constant, Henry’s law constant, and the mass transfer coefficient. After analysing each candidate model with a Global Sensitivity Analysis we found that at least 71% of the model variation in NH3 emission for each candidate model was explained by five puddle related input variables: pH, depth, area, initial urea concentration and temperature. NH3 emission was not sensitive to the other four variables: air temperature, air velocity, maximum rate of urea conversion and the MichaeliseMenten constant for urea conversion. Based on these results we recommend simplifying the model structurally and reducing the number of input variables.

In Europe, dynamic olfactometry, as described by the European standard EN 13725, has become the preferred method for evaluating odor emissions emanating from industrial and agricultural sources. Key elements of this standard are the quality criteria for trueness and precision (repeatability). Both are linked to standard values of n-butanol in nitrogen. It is assumed in this standard that whenever a laboratory complies with the overall sensory quality criteria for n-butanol, the quality level is transferable to other, environmental, odors. Although olfactometry is well established, little has been done to investigate inter laboratory variance (reproducibility). Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the reproducibility of odor laboratories complying with EN 13725 as well as to investigate the transferability of n-butanol quality criteria to other odorants. Based upon the statistical analysis of 412 odor measurements on 33 sources, distributed in 10 proficiency tests, it was established that laboratory, panel and panel session are components of variance that significantly differ between n-butanol and other odorants ( α = 0.05). This finding does not support the transferability of the quality criteria, as determined on n-butanol, to other odorants and as such is a cause for reconsideration of the present single reference odorant as laid down in EN 13725. In case of non-butanol odorants, repeatability standard deviation ( s r ) and reproducibility standard deviation ( s R ) were calculated to be 0.108 and 0.282 respectively (log base-10). The latter implies that the difference between two consecutive single measurements, performed on the same testing material by two or more laboratories under reproducibility conditions, will not be larger than a factor 6.3 in 95% of cases. As far as n-butanol odorants are concerned, it was found that the present repeatability standard deviation ( s r = 0.108) compares favorably to that of EN 13725 ( s r = 0.172). It is therefore suggested that the repeatability limit ( r ), as laid down in EN 13725, can be reduced from r ≤ 0.477 to r ≤ 0.31.

The concentration and size distribution of airborne particles were measured inside and outside typical animal houses such as broilers, broiler breeders (both floor housing with litter); layers (floor housing system and aviary housing system); turkeys (floor housing with litter), pigs: fattening pigs (traditional houses, low emission houses with dry feed, and low emission houses with wet feed), piglets, sows (individual and group housing); cattle (cubicle house), and mink (cages). Using an aerosol spectrometer, particles were counted and classified into 30 size classes (total range: 0.25 – 32 µm). Particles were measured on for two days, one in spring and the other in summer, in two of each species/housing combination during 30 min inside and outside the animal house. Outside temperature and relative humidity were also measured. Particle counts in the different size classes were generally higher in poultry houses than in pig houses, and counts in pig houses were generally higher than those in cattle and mink houses. The particle counts in animal houses were highest (on average 87%) in the size classes 2.5 µm (on average 97%). Most particles outside were in the size class

[EN] The objectives of this paper are: 1) to give an overview of the development of methods for measuring emission rates from naturally ventilated livestock buildings over the last decade, 2) to identify and evaluate strengths and weaknesses, 3) to summarise and conclude the current state-of-art of available measurement concepts and their perspectives for improvement. The methods reviewed include determination of concentration and air exchange rate separately, tracer gas ratio, passive flux samplers, flux chambers, and combined downwind measurement and dispersion modelling. It is concluded that passive flux samplers, flux chambers and combined measurement and dispersion modelling are useful, but for limited fields of application only and require further development and validation against reference methods. The most robust method to investigate emission rates available at this stage is the tracer gas ratio method, but improvements are required. They include more detailed estimates of CO2 release rates (when using CO2 as a tracer) and research into optimising dosing performance of tracer gas release systems. The reliability of tracer gas ratio methods applied in buildings with large ventilation openings needs to be improved by a more profound understanding of tracer-pollutant ratios and their spatial variability, and the development of improved sampling methods for concentration ratios. There is a need for a field reference method against which other methods can be evaluated. None of the diicussed measurement methods can be marked as a solid reference for all conditions; tracer gas ratio methods are the most likely candidate but need further improvement. (C) 2012 IAgrE. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved., The contribution to this paper of N. Ogink and J. Mosquera was financially supported by the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment.

Production of feed is an important contributor to life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, or carbon footprints (CFPs), of livestock products. Consequences of methodological choices and data sensitivity on CFPs of feed ingredients were explored to improve comparison and interpretation of CFP studies. Methods and data for emissions from cultivation and processing, land use (LU), and land use change (LUC) were analyzed. For six ingredients (maize, wheat, palm kernel expeller, rapeseed meal, soybean meal, and beet pulp), CFPs resulting from a single change in methods and data were compared with a reference CFP, i.e., based on IPCC Tier 1 methods, and data from literature. Results show that using more detailed methods to compute N2O emissions from cultivation hardly affected reference CFPs, except for methods to determine $$ \mathrm{NO}_3^{-} $$ leaching (contributing to indirect N2O emissions) in which the influence is about −7 to +12 %. Overall, CFPs appeared most sensitive to changes in crop yield and applied synthetic fertilizer N. The inclusion of LULUC emissions can change CFPs considerably, i.e., up to 877 %. The level of LUC emissions per feed ingredient highly depends on the method chosen, as well as on assumptions on area of LUC, C stock levels (mainly aboveground C and soil C), and amortization period. We concluded that variability in methods and data can significantly affect CFPs of feed ingredients and hence CFPs of livestock products. Transparency in methods and data is therefore required. For harmonization, focus should be on methods to calculate $$ \mathrm{NO}_3^{-} $$ leaching and emissions from LULUC. It is important to consider LUC in CFP studies of food, feed, and bioenergy products.

Intensifying animal production is generally advocated to mitigate greenhouse gases emissions associated with production of animal-source food. Sheep farming systems (SFSs) in Spain are generally considered to be pasture-based and extensive, but large differences in input utilization, land use and intensification level exist. Their environmental impacts, therefore, are expected to differ also. We used life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions of three contrasting meat-sheep farming systems in Spain, which differed in their degree of intensification (reproduction rate, land use and grazing management). The GHGs emissions of these systems varied from 19.5 to 25.9 kg CO2-eq per kg of lamb live weight, or 39.0–51.7 kg CO2-eq per kg of lamb meat, with highest values referring to the pasture-based livestock system. In addition to meat, however, these SFSs also provide other services to society (e.g. public goods such as biodiversity and landscape conservation). We valued these services for each SFSs based on agri-environmental subsidies of the EU and used farm economic values to allocate GHGs emissions of SFSs between meat and cultural ecosystem services. When accounting for multifunctionality, GHGs emission per kg of lamb live weight among the SFSs was reversed: with lowest values for the pasture-based system (13.9 kg CO2-eq per kg of lamb live weight) and highest for zero-grazing system (19.5 kg CO2-eq per kg of lamb live weight). A comparison of GHGs emissions among SFSs should account for the multifunctionality of pasture-based livestock systems.

Koeien weiden is in de moderne bedrijfsvoering minder eenvoudig dan het lijkt. Tijdens de weidevakdagen doen veehouders nieuwe kennis op. Een ontmoeting met hangkoeien, grashoogtemeters en weidewassers.

Nitrogen present in animal manure can be a limiting factor when considering manure application rates onto arable land. EU-regulations triggered the development of a new ammonia exchange apparatus for the recovery of ammonia. The described apparatus has a liquid to liquid ammonia mass transfer coefficient of 0.0058 m/s. The results were fitted using a simple first order ammonia exchange model with constant time step that additionally predicted that 80% of the ammonia could be recycled from the liquid fraction of animal manure within a residence time of 10 h with addition of 0.2 M NaOH to the manure, yielding a liquid artificial fertilizer with a calculated achievable maximum concentration of about 18 % nitrogen.

The removal of ammonia (NH3) by a full scale packed-bed biotrickling filter (packing volume: 3.8 m3; water buffer tank: 20 m3) under fluctuating loading conditions was studied. The unit was operated at an animal house for treatment of exhaust air at an average air contact time of 1.2 s. Continuous long-term ammonia measurements showed average inlet and outlet air concentrations of 14 ppm and 2.4 ppm, respectively, and a removal efficiency of 82%. The average temperature of the water was 16 °C, the pH 6.6, the ammonium concentration 1.9 g N l−1, and the nitrate concentration 1.8 g N l−1; no nitrite was detected. The average ammonia loading and removal rate were 29 and 24 g NH3 m−3 h−1, respectively. A daily and seasonal pattern could be observed in the ammonia removal performance. With increasing outside temperature ammonia loading rate, ammonia removal rate, and ammonia outlet concentration increased, resulting in a net decrease of the ammonia removal efficiency. This phenomenon might be explained by the existence of equilibrium between the ammonia concentration in the outlet air and the concentration of dissolved ammonia in the water, which is influenced by fluctuating air and water temperature. A nitrogen balance indicated that 86% of the removed ammonia-N was discharged or accumulated in the water as ammonium and nitrate, and 5% was emitted as nitrous oxide (N2O). The fluctuating removal patterns that were found suggest that current regulatory performance monitoring practices need to be improved.

Purpose - The assessment of water footprints of a wide range of products has increased awareness on preserving freshwater as a resource. The water footprint of a product was originally defined by Hoekstra and Hung (2002) as the sum of the volumetric water use in terms of green, blue and grey water along the entire life cycle of a product and, as such, does not determine the environmental impact associated with freshwater use. Recently, several papers were published that describe building blocks that enable assessment of the site-specific environmental impact associated with freshwater use along the life cycle of a global food chain, such as the impact on human health (HH), ecosystem quality (EQ) or resource depletion (RD). We integrated this knowledge to enable an assessment of the environmental impact associated with freshwater use along the life cycle of milk production, as a case for a global food chain. Material and methods - Our approach innovatively combined knowledge about the main impact pathways of freshwater use in life cycle assessment (LCA), knowledge about site-specific freshwater impacts and knowledge about modelling of irrigation requirements of global feed crops to assess freshwater impacts along the life cycle of milk production. We evaluated a Dutch model farm situated on loamy sand in the province of Noord-Brabant, where grass and maize land is commonly irrigated. Results and discussion - Production of 1 kg of fat-and-protein corrected milk (FPCM) on the model farm in Noord-Brabant required 66 L of consumptive water. About 76 % of this water was used for irrigation during roughage cultivation, 15 % for production of concentrates and 8 % for drinking and cleaning services. Consumptive water use related to production of purchased diesel, gas, electricity and fertiliser was negligible (i.e. total 1 %). Production of 1 kg of FPCM resulted in an impact on HH of 0.8¿×¿10-9 disability adjusted life years, on EQ of 12.9¿×¿10-3 m2¿×¿year and on RD of 6.7 kJ. The impact of producing this kilogram of FPCM on RD, for example, was caused mainly by cultivation of concentrate ingredients, and appeared lower than the average impact on RD of production of 1 kg of broccoli in Spain. Conclusions - Integration of existing knowledge from diverse science fields enabled an assessment of freshwater impacts along the life cycle of a global food chain, such as Dutch milk production, and appeared useful to determine its environmental hotspots. Results from this case study support earlier findings that LCA needs to go beyond simple water volume accounting when the focus is on freshwater scarcity. The approach used, however, required high-resolution inventory global data (i.e. especially regarding crop yield, soil type and root depth), and demonstrated a trade-off between scientific quality of results and applicability of the assessment method.

1. The objective of this study was to determine the level and variation of the total mass, and load of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) excreted into the outdoor run of organic egg production systems. 2. Three egg production farms with an aviary system and an outdoor run were selected for this study. Four measurements, one per season, were executed on each farm. 3. Mean content of N and P of a manure dropping was 14·0¿g N¿kg-1 and 3·12¿g P¿kg-1, mean mass of a dropping was 6·36¿g and mean dry matter content of a dropping was 238¿g¿kg-1. Mean rate of excretion in the outdoor run was 2·99 droppings per hen per h. Mean percentage of hens outside during the time the outdoor run could be accessed was lowest on Farm 1 (1·7%), highest on Farm 2 (16·0%), and intermediate on Farm 3 (7·1%). 4. On all farms an exponential decrease of the number of hens and of the load of N and P with increasing distance from the hen house was found. Load of N exceeded the fertilisation standard (of 170¿kg¿ha-1¿y-1) in the region at a 0 to 19¿m distance from the hen house on Farm 1, 0 to 146¿m on Farm 2 and 0 to 52¿m on Farm 3. 5. It is concluded that the husbandry system should be redesigned to solve the problem of overloading, unwanted loss of N and P to the environment and loss of N and P from the organic production cycle.

Dairy production in the Netherlands is characterized by high stocking densities, high inputs of chemical fertilizer and concentrates and is facing multiple challenges on environment, landscape and welfare issues. This review focuses on nitrate, ammonia and methane emissions, and grazing. Emission reductions from dairy farms over the last twenty years have been realized by a combination of fundamental and applied research and active participation by farmers. An overview of participatory projects in the dairy sector is given. Although emissions of nitrate, ammonia and methane have been reduced in the period 1990–2010, strict environmental targets still have not been met and landscape and animal welfare issues present additional emerging challenges. Fundamental changes in dairy production systems might be needed, and the focus of participatory projects should shift from adjusting existing systems towards the exploration of new production systems.

Op Varkens Innovatie Centrum (VIC) Sterksel heeft eind 2012 en begin 2013 een onderzoek gelopen naar het frequent aflaten van mest uit mestpannen via onderdruk. Na enige aanpassingen is er een systeem voor de praktijk beschikbaar. In de afdeling voldeden composietroosters erg goed.

Snijmaïstelers kunnen veelal niet meer zoveel bemesten als ze in het verleden gewend waren. Verschillende firma’s hebben producten ontwikkeld om de beperking van de fosfaatbemesting op te vangen. Wageningen UR Livestock Research onderzoekt in een tweejarige veldproef een aantal typen van deze nieuwe fosfaatmeststoffen in opdracht van het Productschap Zuivel. Op basis van het bemestingsadvies voor snijmaïs en fosfaatproeven uit het verleden bestaat de verwachting dat deze niet overal nodig zullen zijn.

Properly managed manures have a high fertilizer equivalency and are thus a valuable source of nutrients in forage production systems. An efficient utilization of these nutrients, however, is limited by the crop's demand for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Moreover, environmental goals implied by the EU Nitrates Directive impose constraints on the use of manure and mineral fertilizer. Through calculations based on experimental data from various sources, the present study explores the limits on the use of cattle slurry and mineral fertilizer in grass and silage maize production on sandy soils in the Netherlands. The study concludes that cut grasslands can utilize cattle slurry up to average rates of 330?340 kg N/ha (120 kg P2O5) per year without exceeding a target value of 11.3 mg nitrate-N/l in the upper groundwater or accumulating P in the soil, provided that (i) appropriate amounts of mineral fertilizer N are supplemented, and (ii) growing conditions are good and the grassland is well-managed. When grassland is commonly used for both cutting and grazing, slurry rates have to be reduced by 60 kg N/ha per year (20 kg P2O5) to achieve these targets. Similarly, not more than 170 kg slurry-N/ha (60 kg P2O5) per year should be applied to silage maize. When grown on dry soils susceptible to leaching, slurry rates on maize land need a further reduction to 155 kg N/ha per year (=55 kg P2O5). When grass and maize are grown in rotation, cattle slurry and fertilizer applications to maize should be reduced even more drastically, whereas application rates to grassland can be extended to compensate for the temporal investment in the new sod. Consequently, from the point of view of N leaching and P accumulation, manure rates should be determined by (i) the harvest regime of the grass, (ii) the proportions of grass and maize in the farm area and the way they are positioned in a rotation, and (iii) the susceptibility to leaching (i.e. the hydrological situation). The study also indicates that reductions of 50?60 kg and 25?30 kg slurry-N/ha per year are required in grassland and maize, respectively, if growing conditions or cropping management are suboptimal.

Emissions of particulate matter (PM) from poultry and pig houses may contribute significantly to ambient concentrations. Yet, our knowledge on the accuracy and comparability of samplers available for measuring the high PM 10 concentrations (>100 μg m –3 ) in the inside air directly upstream of the ventilation exhausts of these buildings is very limited. The aim of this study was to provide insight into this matter for five candidate samplers: a filter-based cyclone sampler (CYS), the Thermo Scientific FH 62 I-R beta-attenuation sampler (BAS), the Thermo Scientific Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance, model 1400ab (TEOM), the TSI DustTrak model 8520 (DT), and the GRIMM Portable Aerosol Spectrometer model 1.109 (PAS). Equivalence tests were carried out following European Standard EN 12341 using two devices for each candidate sampler (CAS) and four filter-based low-volume reference samplers (RES). Measurements were performed inside three major animal housings (a fattening pig house, a laying hen house, and a broiler house) and inside an office room. Our key results and conclusions are: (1) neither one of the five CASs, nor the RES itself, met the EN 12341 requirement for comparability between devices of the same sampler type. Using a less strict boundary for this aspect – in concert with performing duplicate sampling – may be appropriate. (2) The CYS met the EN 12341 accuracy requirements in pigs and layers, but overestimated the RES concentration in broilers. The BAS, TEOM, and DT underestimated, and the PAS overestimated, RES concentrations in a systematic manner. The use of correction factors seems to be a promising method to calibrate measured values to RES concentrations. (3) The BAS, TEOM, DT, and PAS started to show scattered regression after 432–500 h of sampling, which stresses the need for shortened time intervals between full services. In conclusion, some of the samplers tested could be regarded acceptable when appropriate measures (such as duplicate sampling, correction factors, and more frequent servicing) are applied.

This report is an update of the formal report towards ANCA revision 2014.06. The Annual Nutrient Cycle Assessment (ANCA) model requires assurance for use as a dairy farmspecific environmental performance tool. Assurance can be given due to the fact that the electronic data it generates is produced using traceable and reliable input data.

This report is an update of the formal report towards ANCA revision 2014.06. The Annual Nutrient Cycle Assessment (ANCA) model requires assurance for use as a dairy farmspecific environmental performance tool. Assurance can be given due to the fact that the electronic data it generates is produced using traceable and reliable input data. KringloopWijzer als systeem voor verantwoording van bedrijfsspecifieke milieuprestaties voor de melkveehouder vraagt om borging. Dit is te organiseren omdat de gegevens, welke als input worden als voor de KringloopWijzer (versie 2014.06) digitaal beschikbaar zijn.

Bij vergisting van mest ontstaat biogas dat met een WKK kan worden omgezet in elektriciteit en warmte. Probleem is vaak dat de warmte onvoldoende benut wordt. Het opwerken van biogas tot transportbrandstof kan een oplossing hiervoor zijn, waarbij gelet moet worden op schaalgrootte van vergisting, type opwerkingstechniek en afzetmarkt.

Het is bekend dat het P-gehalte van gras daalt naarmate het gras groeit. Uit onderzoek van Wageningen UR Livestock Research blijkt dat maaien van zwaardere sneden de P2O5-uitscheiding op bedrijfsniveau verlaagt, maar dat het forse consequenties heeft voor de bedrijfsvoering.

Nederlandse melkveehouders vinden het vaak lastig om de koeien goed te weiden. Om verschillende redenen. Het weer werkt vaak niet mee, goed weiden vraagt aandacht, maar er is ook onbekendheid met effecten van weidegang. Vergelijking van bedrijfsresultaten op het gebied van economie, gezondheid en voeding met groepsgemiddelden geeft inzicht in de effecten van weidegang. Een benchmark gebaseerd op verschillen in weidegang motiveert tot beter weiden en meer inkomen.

In het project Mijn Duurzaamheid hebben zestig melkveehouders in een traject van acht bijeenkomsten ervaren hoe ze hun eigen duurzame bedrijfsstijl kunnen ontwikkelen. Wat blijkt: dé duurzame bedrijfsstijl bestaat niet. Iedereen kan en wil op zijn eigen unieke manier werken aan meer duurzaamheid. Duurzaamheid betekent denken en werken vanuit het evenwicht tussen de boer, het bedrijf, zijn dieren, het milieu en de maatschappij. Dit is een noodzakelijk evenwicht om ook in de toekomst boer te kunnen blijven.

Background The prediction accuracy of several linear genomic prediction models, which have previously been used for within-line genomic prediction, was evaluated for multi-line genomic prediction. Methods Compared to a conventional BLUP (best linear unbiased prediction) model using pedigree data, we evaluated the following genomic prediction models: genome-enabled BLUP (GBLUP), ridge regression BLUP (RRBLUP), principal component analysis followed by ridge regression (RRPCA), BayesC and Bayesian stochastic search variable selection. Prediction accuracy was measured as the correlation between predicted breeding values and observed phenotypes divided by the square root of the heritability. The data used concerned laying hens with phenotypes for number of eggs in the first production period and known genotypes. The hens were from two closely-related brown layer lines (B1 and B2), and a third distantly-related white layer line (W1). Lines had 1004 to 1023 training animals and 238 to 240 validation animals. Training datasets consisted of animals of either single lines, or a combination of two or all three lines, and had 30 508 to 45 974 segregating single nucleotide polymorphisms. Results Genomic prediction models yielded 0.13 to 0.16 higher accuracies than pedigree-based BLUP. When excluding the line itself from the training dataset, genomic predictions were generally inaccurate. Use of multiple lines marginally improved prediction accuracy for B2 but did not affect or slightly decreased prediction accuracy for B1 and W1. Differences between models were generally small except for RRPCA which gave considerably higher accuracies for B2. Correlations between genomic predictions from different methods were higher than 0.96 for W1 and higher than 0.88 for B1 and B2. The greater differences between methods for B1 and B2 were probably due to the lower accuracy of predictions for B1 (~0.45) and B2 (~0.40) compared to W1 (~0.76). Conclusions Multi-line genomic prediction did not affect or slightly improved prediction accuracy for closely-related lines. For distantly-related lines, multi-line genomic prediction yielded similar or slightly lower accuracies than single-line genomic prediction. Bayesian variable selection and GBLUP generally gave similar accuracies. Overall, RRPCA yielded the greatest accuracies for two lines, suggesting that using PCA helps to alleviate the “n ≪ p” problem in genomic prediction. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12711-014-0057-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Recently several manufacturers of nitrifying biotrickling filters for ammonia (NH3) removal at animal houses have started to add a denitrification step to the installation, aiming to reduce the amount of discharge water by conversion of NH3 to nitrogen gas (N2). The aim of this research was to quantify the possible formation of nitrous oxide (N2O), which is a potent greenhouse gas, in three of these farm-scale installations. Furthermore, the removal efficiency of NH3 and odor was determined. All installations were successful in reducing the amount of discharge water. The average NH3 removal efficiency for the three locations was 85, 71 and 86%, respectively. However, a significant part of the NH3 removed from the inlet air was not converted to N2 but to N2O, which is a potent greenhouse gas. The part of the inlet NH3-N that was converted to N2O-N amounted to 17, 66 and 24%, respectively. The high N2O production might have been caused by a too low scarcity of biodegradable carbon/N ratio for complete denitrification. The average odor removal efficiency was 21, 32 and 48%, respectively. Further research is necessary to explore how process conditions can be adjusted and controlled in order to reduce the production and emission of N2O from these types of systems.

Emissions of dust, pathogens and gases have been measured in two goat houses during the summer and autumn. Coxiella burnetii, the bacteria responsible for Q-fever, could be detected in a number of dust samples. De emissies van stof, (ziekte)kiemen en gassen zijn gemeten in twee geitenstallen gedurende de zomer en herfst. Coxiella burnetii, de veroorzaker van Q-koorts kon in een aantal stofmonsters worden aangetoond.

Nitrogen balances, total gaseous nitrogen emissions from barn and farmland, and manure quality of bedded-pack barns are compared with the free-stall barn. Omschakeling van de huisvesting van koeien in een ligboxenstal met productie van drijfmest naar een vrijloopstal met organische bodem en productie van gecomposteerde mest heeft gevolgen voor - 1) de gasvormige emissies van stikstof uit de stal en na uitrijden van mest/compost op het het land, - 2) de kwaliteit van de geproduceerde mest/compost , en - 3) de bruikbaarheid van deze mest/compost voor de bemesting van gewassen en het onderhoud van bodemvruchtbaarheid. In dit rapport wordt verslag gedaan van de resultaten van onderzoek naar deze gevolgen.

In this study requirements and example designs are given to decrease ammonia emission from houses for growing-finishing pigs with sawdust bedding. Een aantal jaren geleden is het zogenaamde ‘Canadian bedding system’ geïntroduceerd in Nederland. In dit systeem wordt veel strooisel, meestal zaagsel of houtkrullen, gebruikt waarin de varkens kunnen liggen en wroeten. Deze stal is nu omgedoopt tot de ‘wroetstal’. In deze studie worden de eisen gegeven voor en voorbeelden gegeven van emissiearme wroetstallen voor vleesvarkens.

The aim was to assess the environmental impact of a biotrickling filter with nitrification only and with subsequent denitrification. Life cycle assessment was applied to assess greenhouse gases, nitrate, ammonia and fossil fuel depletion. The biotrickling filter with nitrification and denitrification had higher greenhouse gas emission, whereas nitrification only had higher nitrate leaching and ammonia emission from field application of discharge water

Daglicht in de stal verlaagt de elektriciteitsrekening, is milieuvriendelijk en wordt gezien als een bijdrage aan het welzijn van de dieren. Maar hoe kun je uiteenlopende daglichtsystemen met elkaar vergelijken en waarderen in de Maatlatten Duurzame Veehouderij? Wageningen UR voerde in opdracht van het Ministerie van EZ en Stichting Milieukeur een beknopte studie uit en bedacht een waarderingsmethode.

Het Handboek Melkveehouderij is hét naslagwerk voor melkveehouder, agrarisch adviseur, docent en student. De opgenomen informatie is bruikbaar voor de ondersteuning van het dagelijks management én voor het management op de lange termijn.

Animal manure is a key component that links crop and livestock production as it contains valuable nutrients for the soil and crop. Manure is also a source of environmental pollution through losses of nutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and losses of carbon (C). These losses are largely determined by the way manure is managed. Technologies to reduce nutrient and C losses from manure mainly focused on reducing a single emission while unwillingly increasing another emission at the same time; a phenomenon called pollution swapping. To prevent pollution swapping, we need to gain insight into the integral environmental consequences of technologies and use these insights to (re)design the manure management chain. The aim of this thesis, therefore, was to provide knowledge and insight into the environmental consequences of current and future strategies for manure management. The environmental consequences of the following technologies were assessed: mono- and co-digestion of liquid manure; high-tech separation of liquid manure with further dewatering of the liquid fraction; and segregating fattening pig urine and feces inside the housing system. Following, we designed new strategies for integrated manure management that prevent pollution swapping, and assessed the environmental consequences of these strategies. Life cycle assessment was used to calculate the environmental impacts of current and future strategies. For the design, we adapted and used a structured approach to engineering design to create new strategies for integrated manure management. It was concluded that mono-digestion of liquid manure reduced the environmental impact compared to conventional manure management, but has a low potential to produce bio-energy. Co-digestion with waste and residues, such as roadside grass, increased bio-energy production and further reduced the environmental impact. Co-digestion with substrates that compete with animal feed increased bio-energy production, but also the overall environmental impact from producing a substitute for the used co-substrate. Separating liquid manure into liquid and solid fractions with further de-watering of the liquid fraction increased the environmental impact compared to manure management without processing. A combination of separation and anaerobic mono-digestion of the solid faction reduced climate change and fossil fuel depletion. Segregating fattening pig urine and feces in the housing system reduced climate change, terrestrial acidification, and particulate matter formation and provided a sound basis for environmentally friendly manure management. Applying a structured design approach enabled the design of new strategies for integrated manure management that prevented pollution swapping. The approach proved to be successful because the environmental impact reduced throughout the manure management chain by at least 57% and more than doubled the nitrogen use efficiency compared to current North Western European manure management practices.

The aim was to assess the environmental impact of a biotrickling filter with nitrification only and with subsequent denitrification. Life cycle assessment was applied to assess greenhouse gases, nitrate, ammonia and fossil fuel depletion. The biotrickling filter with nitrification and denitrification had higher greenhouse gas emission, whereas nitrification only had higher nitrate leaching and ammonia emission from field application of discharge water

Nitrogen balances, total gaseous nitrogen emissions from barn and farmland, and manure quality of bedded-pack barns are compared with the free-stall barn.

Landbouwkundige activiteiten zijn een belangrijke bron van ammoniak (NH3), stikstofoxide (NO), lachgas (N2O), methaan (CH4) en fijn stof in Nederland. De emissies voor de periode 1990-2012 zijn berekend met NEMA. In 2013 is NEMA uitgebreid met modules voor N2O, NO, CH4 en fijn stof. De rekenmethodiek gaat bij de berekening van de ammoniakemissie uit van de hoeveelheid totaal ammoniakaal stikstof (TAN) in de mest. De ammoniakemissie uit dierlijke mest en kunstmest bedroeg in 2012 ruim 108 miljoen kg NH3, 5 miljoen kg minder dan in 2011, voornamelijk door een lagere stikstofuitscheiding in dierlijke mest en een toename van de mestexport. In lijn hiermee nam de N2O-emissie af van 22,4 tot 21,7 miljoen kg. De NO-emissie nam af van 19,9 naar 19,1 miljoen kg. Sinds 1990 is de ammoniakemissie uit dierlijke mest en kunstmest met bijna 70% gedaald, vooral door een lagere stikstofuitscheiding door landbouwhuisdieren en emissiearme toedieningstechnieken. Lachgas en stikstofoxiden daalden in dezelfde periode eveneens, maar minder scherp (ca. 40%) vanwege hogere emissies door ondergronds aanwenden van mest (N2O) en door de omschakeling van stalsystemen met dunne naar droge mest bij pluimvee (N2O en NO). De totale emissie van methaan veranderde tussen 2011 en 2012 nauwelijks, en komt uit op 437,3 miljoen kg. Tussen 1990 en 2012 daalde de emissie met 14%, wat vrijwel geheel verklaard kan worden door een afname in de dieraantallen. Fijn stof ten slotte, daalde van 6,6 naar 6,4 miljoen kg PM10 als gevolg van het toenemende aandeel stallen met luchtwasser. Hiervan is 0,6 miljoen kg PM2,5.

Op Varkens Innovatie Centrum (VIC) Sterksel heeft eind 2012 en begin 2013 een onderzoek gelopen naar het frequent aflaten van mest uit mestpannen via onderdruk. Na enige aanpassingen is er een systeem voor de praktijk beschikbaar. In de afdeling voldeden composietroosters erg goed.

Bloedluis of vogelmijt is een serieus probleem in de pluimveehouderij. De huidige bestrijdingsmiddelen bieden geen totaaloplossing. Binnen het project ‘Beheersen Bloedluisproblematiek’ wordt nu een slimme monitor ontwikkeld die pluimveehouders moet helpen om de bloedluisproblematiek op hun bedrijf te minimaliseren. Een werkend prototype is inmiddels gebouwd, in 2014 wordt deze gevalideerd.

Het Handboek Melkveehouderij is hét naslagwerk voor melkveehouder, agrarisch adviseur, docent en student. De opgenomen informatie is bruikbaar voor de ondersteuning van het dagelijks management én voor het management op de lange termijn.

Free range and organic systems expose the laying hen more to unexpected events and adverse climatic conditions than barn and cage systems. In France, The Netherlands and Switzerland the requirements for a hen suitable to produce in free range and organic systems were discussed with farmers. The farmers preferred for these systems a more ‘robust’ hen, more specifically defined as a heavier hen with good eating capacity. Benchmarking of flocks in a web-based management program in The Netherlands from layer flocks finished in 2008 – 2013 indicated that in earlier years indeed mortality among organic and to a lesser extent free range hens was higher than among barn or cage hens. Feed conversion (kg feed/kg eggs) is higher, but the gap is closing. Improvements in management of the hens during rearing and in the layer phase in free range and organic systems seem to be important. Breeding companies take behaviour and performance in non-cage systems into account in their selection programs. Heavier hens need a diet with a lower protein to energy ratio. From model calculations we concluded that in organic systems a heavier hen might be economically profitable, as total feed costs are lower for the heavier hen then for a hen with a lower body weight requiring a diet with a high protein content. For conventional free range hens this is not the case as then the protein content can be adapted by synthetic amino acids. Field studies and cooperation between farmers and breeding organisations will have to show if a strain of heavier hens will be successful in the rather small organic market.

The objective of this study is to update ammonia emission factors of cattle categories in the Regulation on ammonia and livestock in the Netherlands. The study evaluates the representativeness of emission factors for current management conditions and the availability of new information on emission. It is advised to increase the emission factor for conventional housing of dairy cattle (loose housing with slatted floors) and listed low emission housing systems by 18%.

The objective of this study is to update ammonia emission factors of cattle categories in the Regulation on ammonia and livestock in the Netherlands. The study evaluates the representativeness of emission factors for current management conditions and the availability of new information on emission. It is advised to increase the emission factor for conventional housing of dairy cattle (loose housing with slatted floors) and listed low emission housing systems by 18%. Het doel van deze studie is de ammoniakemissie factoren in de Regeling ammoniak en veehouderij te actualiseren voor rundvee. De representativiteit van de emissiefactoren voor de huidige praktijk en nieuwe informatie wordt geëvalueerd. Geadviseerd wordt de emissiefactor voor conventionele huisvesting van melkvee en de huidige emissiearme huisvesting te verhogen met 18%.

High microbial concentrations and emissions associated with livestock houses raise health and environmental concerns. A pilot-scale ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation (UV-PCO) scrubber was tested for its efficacy to inactivate aerosolized Enterococcus faecalis and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). Microbial reduction was determined by the difference in microbial concentrations measured in the upstream and downstream isolators that were connected to the two ends of the UV-PCO scrubber. Two UV irradiance levels were tested by using one or two UV lamps. The theoretical average UV irradiances were 6,595 microW cm(-2) with one UV lamp and 12,799 microW cm(-2) with two UV lamps. At the tested ventilation rate (70 m3 hr(-1)), the contact time was 1 sec. Reduction rate and other two indexes (k-value and Z-value) that normalized UV radiation were calculated to describe the extent of microbial inactivation. The UV-PCO scrubber eliminated99.7% of airborne E. faecalisfrom the incoming airstream under one UV lamp irradiance, and the reduction was further increased by 0.2-0.3% when the second UV lamp was added. The reduction rate for airborne IBDV was 72.4% with one UV lamp. The calculated k-values were 0.501-0.594 cm2 mJ(-1) for airborne E. faecalis and 0.217 cm2 mJ(-1) for IBDV The Z-value of airborne E. faecalis to UV irradiance was 9.3 (+/- 1.6) x 10(-4) cm2 microW(-1) sec(-1). The results indicate that a UV-PCO scrubber can serve as an effective and efficient technology for inactivating airborne bacteria and virus. Scaling up of the pilot-scale scrubber for field use will require considerations such as design air treatment capacity, UV irradiance level, contact time, dust concentration, susceptibility of target microorganisms, and expected reduction rate.This work demonstrated that a UV-PCO scrubber can be used to inactivate animal-associated airborne microorganisms, thus reducing microbial emissions from livestock houses and minimizing the biological impact to ambient environment. The microbial reduction efficiency by the UV-PCO scrubber varied depended on the level of UV irradiation and the target microbial species. The tested viral species (infectious bursal disease virus) was more resistant to the UV-PCO scrubber as compared to its counterpart bacterial species (E. faecalis).

De Nederlandse Zuivel Organisatie (NZO) en LTO Nederland hebben hun krachten gebundeld in de Duurzame Zuivelketen. Het streven is om samen met de betrokken zuivelondernemingen en de melkveehouders, die bij hen aangesloten zijn, de Nederlandse zuivelsector wereldwijd koploper te maken op het gebied van duurzaamheid. Om die reden heeft de Duurzame Zuivelketen een aantal doelen geformuleerd, die gerelateerd zijn aan klimaat en energie, diergezondheid en dierenwelzijn, weidegang en biodiversiteit en milieu. Door middel van een enquête in het najaar van 2012 onder 150 gangbare en 23 biologische melkveehouders is onderzocht hoe melkveehouders tegen over de (haalbaarheid van de) door de Duurzame Zuivelketen geformuleerde doelen staan en tegenover de activiteiten van de betrokken zuivelondernemingen. Ook is gevraagd naar de maatregelen die melkveehouders al nemen of van plan zijn te gaan nemen om duurzaamheidsdoelen te realiseren en naar de invloed van de omgeving daarop.

Animal manure is a key component that links crop and livestock production as it contains valuable nutrients for the soil and crop. Manure is also a source of environmental pollution through losses of nutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and losses of carbon (C). These losses are largely determined by the way manure is managed. Technologies to reduce nutrient and C losses from manure mainly focused on reducing a single emission while unwillingly increasing another emission at the same time; a phenomenon called pollution swapping. To prevent pollution swapping, we need to gain insight into the integral environmental consequences of technologies and use these insights to (re)design the manure management chain. The aim of this thesis, therefore, was to provide knowledge and insight into the environmental consequences of current and future strategies for manure management. The environmental consequences of the following technologies were assessed: mono- and co-digestion of liquid manure; high-tech separation of liquid manure with further dewatering of the liquid fraction; and segregating fattening pig urine and feces inside the housing system. Following, we designed new strategies for integrated manure management that prevent pollution swapping, and assessed the environmental consequences of these strategies. Life cycle assessment was used to calculate the environmental impacts of current and future strategies. For the design, we adapted and used a structured approach to engineering design to create new strategies for integrated manure management. It was concluded that mono-digestion of liquid manure reduced the environmental impact compared to conventional manure management, but has a low potential to produce bio-energy. Co-digestion with waste and residues, such as roadside grass, increased bio-energy production and further reduced the environmental impact. Co-digestion with substrates that compete with animal feed increased bio-energy production, but also the overall environmental impact from producing a substitute for the used co-substrate. Separating liquid manure into liquid and solid fractions with further de-watering of the liquid fraction increased the environmental impact compared to manure management without processing. A combination of separation and anaerobic mono-digestion of the solid faction reduced climate change and fossil fuel depletion. Segregating fattening pig urine and feces in the housing system reduced climate change, terrestrial acidification, and particulate matter formation and provided a sound basis for environmentally friendly manure management. Applying a structured design approach enabled the design of new strategies for integrated manure management that prevented pollution swapping. The approach proved to be successful because the environmental impact reduced throughout the manure management chain by at least 57% and more than doubled the nitrogen use efficiency compared to current North Western European manure management practices.

Drijfmest moet zo snel mogelijk de vergister in. Alleen een snelle vergisting levert een maximale hoeveelheid biogas op. Uit onderzoek blijkt dat het biogaspotentieel van drijfmest maandelijks met zo’n 30 procent afneemt.

This brochure explores the Dutch approach to the sustainable and productive use of manure. It shows how the Netherlands prevents the dispersion of nutrients into the environment and optimises the value of manure. The Dutch manure policy and technology can also inspire other countries to develop their own manure management.

By cutting grass for silage at a later stage than usual it is possible to decrease the phosphorus excretion on dairy farms maximal about 5%. This saves costs for mowing but it increases the use of manufactured feed and grazing is harder to realise because it takes more time for a cut for silage to grow. Door zwaardere sneden dan gebruikelijk te maaien is het mogelijk om de fosfaatuitscheiding op melkveebedrijven te verlagen. Het melkvee zal bij zwaardere sneden minder van het oudere gras met de lagere kwaliteit opnemen en meer krachtvoer nodig hebben om de melkproductie te handhaven. Later maaien heeft ook effect op andere onderdelen van de bedrijfsvoering, zoals planning van de beweiding en oogstkosten. Het is daardoor lastig op bedrijfsniveau te voorspellen wat de gevolgen zijn van het verhogen van de snedezwaarte op P2O5-uitscheiding en bedrijfseconomie. Om dat te berekenen is de relatie van P-gehalte en snedezwaarte toegevoegd aan het rekenprogramma BedrijfsBegrotingsprogramma Rundveehouderij (BBPR). Dit programma berekent (milieu)technische en bedrijfseconomische kengetallen op basis van structuurkenmerken van melkveebedrijven. Met het programma zijn 7 modelbedrijven doorgerekend. Gevarieerd zijn grondsoort, aandeel snijmaïs in de voeding en beweidingssysteem.