Recent work completed at Prairie Swine Centre shows that Phytase, used to make better use of the phosphorous in grains, also has a beneficial effect on protein digestion and thus potentially reducing nitrogen excretion. In years 2 and 3of the demonstration project, two rooms at the Elstow Research Farm will be used to demonstrate the effect of low protein diets on gaseous emissions. Approximately three production cycles will be completed, providing a continuous display to any visitor.

Shelter belt Development

An irrigation system and shelterbelt will be constructed at the Elstow Farm in year 2 of the project (summer 2004). The equivalent of one kilometer of trees and shrubs will be planted in the first year, with provisions for more planting in future years. This shelterbelt will provide long-term carbon sequestration on the site, and will provide barriers to wind movement, which can impact on energy usage on the site and disrupt air patterns and assist in odour dispersion from site.

Demonstration and Visitor Education

Demonstration of room GHG changes in the room will supplement a major GHG display in the interpretative centre. This display will include general information on GHG production and mitigation techniques, presented in a fashion similar to the other displays. It is envisioned that the display may include continuous measurements of the CO2 using a gas analyzer, with a display booth designed and installed in the viewing gallery to demonstrate the instantaneous differences in the gases from the two low-protein diet rooms.

The display booth may include meters showing the instantaneous values of CO2 in the two rooms, or light sources with different intensities, which are representative of the level of the gases present in the rooms. The display will draw its inputs from the gas analyser but will have an easy to read interface. Further, it is proposed to have the display capable of presenting real-time GHG (CO2, CH4) data from the covered EMS, and two research size EMS structures yet to be constructed on site.

The Bottom Line

The role of pork production in odour and GHG emissions is becoming better understood. Projects like this one will allow pork producers easy access to determine the technologies which show promise as well as gaining valuable information on the cost and challenges of operating these best management practices

Source - Prairie Swine Centre - November 2003