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July 2016 Articles

Farmers hear updates on crops, research at LSU AgCenter field day in St. Joseph
Buddleia adds color, attracts butterflies to landscapes
Creep Feeding
feral hog damage of topic of workshop
La. farmers should scout for soybean rust disease
Mulching trees needs to be done right
Where is the Love?
Senate Examines EPA's Unfunded Mandates
Interior Appropriations Bill Advances through Committee
Cover crops offer farmers benefits
You can control fire ants
Farm Bureau Hails Supreme Court Victory: Farmers and Ranchers May Sue to Stop Cl
Reducing the RFS, Bad for the Environment and Economy
Environmental Best Management Practices for Poultry Production in Louisiana
• Fan Dust Evaluation
Red River Station field day focuses on water use
4-H day at the capitol
Louisiana state 4-H, FFA horse show set for July 9-13 in Gonzales
Louisiana, Mississippi county agents hold joint meeting
Just Rambling July 2016

(20 articles found)

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Fan Dust Evaluation

Fan Dust Evaluation To evaluate the impact of fan dust on runoff water quality, water samples were collected from plots at areas of high and low fan dust accumulation. Plots with and without grass buffer strips were utilized. Samples were collected after each sufficient rain event and evaluated for total phosphorus, total nitrogen, nitrate and dissolved phosphorus. A total of 36 rainfall events were evaluated over a two-year period from October 2013 to June 2015. Results indicate that fan dust caused an increase in nitrate in runoff water but did not exceed EPA-established limits of 10 milligrams per liter. There was also a slight increase in phosphorus and no increase in total nitrogen. The presence of a vegetation buffer reduced the amount of nitrate and total phosphorus present in runoff water. In-House Pasteurization of Broiler Litter Poultry litter is the poultry bedding and poultry waste that accumulate in the house as each flock grows. After each flock, some of the litter is removed, and new bedding is added before the next flock. Periodically, all of the litter in a house is removed, and new bedding is added. Many broiler producers re-use litter from previous flocks to help reduce the amount of litter for disposal and to help defray production costs. In-house pasteurization of broiler litter can be a good litter management tool to allow re-use of litter. In this process the litter is pulled into long rows, called windrows, within the house. Each windrow is approximately 1.5 feet high and 4 feet wide. The poultry litter will then self-heat or compost, resulting in a reduction of moisture, ammonia and bacterial pathogens. This process, when properly done, allows the litter to be re-used safely. Two local poultry producers participated in a project to demonstrate and evaluate in-house pasteurization of litter. Windrows were evaluated at the houses of these two producers and the Hill Farm for five flocks. The Hill Farm poultry houses were windrowed seven times during the demonstration. In addition, stacked litter – which is the litter removed and stored outside – at the Hill Farm was sampled for comparison to windrows for four flocks. Litter was sampled and analyzed for total bacteria count and moisture content. Litter temperature was measured during pasteurization. Results indicate that in-house pasteurization allowed litter to reach temperatures above 130 degrees F, resulting in substantial reduction of bacterial pathogens in litter and reduction of moisture. These beneficial effects were seen in both the producer houses and the Hill Farm houses. The most notable issue to in-house pasteurization is having enough time to windrow the litter with the short turnaround schedule often required by the industry. Proper windrow techniques were demonstrated to producers at the field days. These training sessions on BMPs and nutrient management practices were conducted within the framework of the Louisiana Master Farmer Program, which was initiated more than 14 years ago in response to growing concern of impending regulations for agricultural producers across the state, regardless of commodity. Through voluntary certification, producers are learning about environmental stewardship through education, demonstrations and implementation of conservation practices. This, along with NRCS recommendations and expertise, will help maintain water quality standards and provide evidence to regulatory agencies that agriculture can be self-regulating in this critical area. William E. Owens is a professor and resident coordinator at the Hill Farm Research Station in Homer. Theresia A. Lavergne is a professor and poultry extension specialist. Jason Holmes is an LSU AgCenter county agent and works with Louisiana’s poultry producers. Ernest Girouard is the state coordinator and Donna S. Morgan is the regional coordinator of the Louisiana Master Farmer Program. Corrine Ray and Neal Hickman are research associates at the Hill Farm.

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