Cover for Manure Storages: Workshop and Field Day
October 29, 2009
This workshop is targeted towards animal producers, allied industry, agriculture agency professionals and regulators. We will provide information on the benefits of installing a cover to manure storages and discuss carbon credits and US EPA regulations. The afternoon session will include a trip to a farm that currently has a working cover. For more information click here.
Brochure
Animal Welfare Symposium
Animal Welfare Symposium:
"Building Partnerships to Address Animal Welfare"
Friday, October 16 2009
The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Animal Sciences in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences are hosting an Animal Welfare Symposium, to celebrate the partnership with the Animal Welfare Science Centre of Australia. The symposium is planned for Friday, October 16, 2009 at the Nationwide and the Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive, Columbus, Ohio.
The goal of the symposium is to build partnerships to pro-actively address animal welfare issues in Ohio and beyond. Speakers will offer an examination of current research on animal welfare, and discuss the implications for livestock and poultry production.
For more info click here
Manure Science Review 2009
Two dates and two locations:
July 21: Rowe Dairy, Strasburg, OH
July 23: Brown Dairy, New Bemen, OH
This year's topics will included developing a nutrient management plan and an inventory and evaluation workshop that included an interactive on-site farm assesment. For more information click here.
2009 Upper Midwest Manure Handling Expo
This year's even will be held in Boone, Iowa. The show not only includes displays from several great exhibitors but also quality exentsion programming benefiting a number of farmers, consultants, extension personnel, commerical manure handlers, livestock owners, and educators. Demonstrations featuring both liquid and dry manure application and saftey issues will be included in the day's program.
Follow this link for more information: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/wastemgmt/expo_home.htm
GOT IDEAS?
OCAMM welcomes your suggestions of topics and/or speakers for future seminars. Please send your recommendations to wicks.14@osu.edu .
SEMINAR UPDATE:
On August 7, 2008, Dr. Eleco Franz, RIKILT-Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen University, presented the OCAMM Seminar. A summary of his presentation and the discussion that followed are below.
Present: Sandra M. Tirado, Sandra Viviana Munoz, Abdul Rauf, Yifan Zhang, Katie Dodson, Fred Michel, Harold Keener, Tom Zimmerman, Mark Duncan, Laura Harpster, Junnifer Van Pelt, Pam Schlegel, Amy Gill, Monte Tucker, Larry Goodride, Gireesh Rajashekara, Jeff LeJeune, Bijay Adhikari, Dharaech Gangariah, Dan Saul, Mark Murgia, Hadi Yassine, Mike Kauffman, Sukhibir grewal, Diane Borger, Christopher Abroham, Gayeon Won, Ryan Chapman, Brandy Lengacher, Kathy Bielek, Mo Saif, Warren Dick, Alexander Rodriguez, Jon Rausch, Mary Wicks, 3 Columbus participants
Fate of Foodborne Pathogens in Manure and Soil and its Implication for Food Safety
Dr. Eelco Franz
RIKILT-Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen University
Increases in outbreaks of illness associated with ready-to-eat-food (RTEV) have been observed internationally, with E coli O157:H7 and Salmonella contamination of lettuce and other salad foods most frequently implicated. Sources of contamination include irrigation water, manure amended soils, and proximity to livestock and wildlife. Reducing contamination cannot focus only on post-harvest sanitation; it requires a systems approach that includes reducing the prevalence of pathogens in livestock and reducing pathogen survival in the plant, manure and soil. A study using lettuce plants demonstrated that E coli can be found on the root surface and in intercellular spaces of vegetables grown in contaminated soil and appears to impact plant growth. Research on dairy farms in the Netherlands indicate that manure storage systems indicate that lower temperatures increase the survival rate of the pathogens but greater fluctuations in temperature decrease it. Anaerobic conditions also decrease the survival rate. A study of 25 dairy farms concluded that native microflora play a significant role in reducing the survival rate of the pathogens, which may reflect the importance of biodiversity in competing for nutrients or the presence of microorganisms harmful to the pathogens. Research on the role of nutrients in pathogen survival in manure indicated that survival decreased as pH and fiber content increased, indicating the role of nutrient availability in survival. The level of easily available carbon sources per unit microbial biomass was the most important factor in determining E. coli O157 survival in manure-amended soils (negative relation). Manure handling practices that increase the aging of the manure and the interval between application and planting can also help reduce contamination of RTEV’s.
Discussion:
Warren Dick (OSU): In reference to the finding that the animal pathogens can reside in the plant, what is the risk that it could re-inoculate the soil? Franz: The survival of the pathogen in the plant was relatively early in the production; there was no follow through to harvest. As long as we do not know the fate of pathogens residing on or into crops up to harvest, we cannot answer this question. It might however be relevant for green manuring.
Fred Michel (OSU): How was the biomass carbon (C) measured in the study that found that an increase in the dissolved organic C per unit of biomass C correlated with an increase in contamination? Franz: The biomass was fumigated then the carbon extracted.
Michel: Were E coli O157:H7 present in the natural flora? If so, how do you differentiate between it and the inoculated bacteria? Franz: Some manure were naturally contaminated with E. coli O157. We related the manure characteristics to this. In order to study risk factors for survival, we added an GFP E. coli O157.
Harold Keener (OSU): The pathogen survival rate showed little difference for sandy soils compared to loamy ones. At what temperature was the study conducted? Would you expect any change with different temperature regimes? Franz; The study was conducted at 15o C. Different results would be expected for outside conditions with variations in temperature.
Keener: The higher survival rate of the pathogens at the soil surface compared to below surface was unexpected as it is usually assumed that the UV light at the surface is effective in killing pathogens. Franz: Yes, that was the original thought but there is actually very little published to document that effect. It might be that pathogens below surface are more prone to the microbial activity and competition of the soil.
Question: Is the decreased survival correlated to increased microbial diversity the result of competition or another mechanism? Franz: Both. Competition for nutrients does negatively impact the pathogens. Generally, oligotrophic conditions lead to higher microbial diversity. Subsequently, there is more chance oon the presence of specific antagonists or competitors.
Mo Saif (OSU): What is the mechanism for contamination of the vegetables: surface injury or uptake via root system? Franz: That has not yet been determined.
Question: What is the location of the internalized E coli, i.e, is it in the roots or edible portion? Franz: There is high variability in the research results. Some only found E. coli in the below ground parts, others also in the edible part.
Saif: Does this research imply that human pathogens are becoming plant pathogens? Franz: No. While the pathogen does negatively impact plant growth, there is no mechanism for the organism to enter the plant as a plant pathogen would. The E coli probably enters passively when there is an opportunity.
Notes by Mary Wicks with clarifications by Dr. Franz.
The OCAMM (Ohio Composting and Manure Management) Program is funded by OARDC/OSU.
Mary H. Wicks
OCAMM Program Coordinator
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