Manure and Runoff Water Quality from Feedlots as Affected by Diet and Pen Surface

Environmental management of confined animal feeding operations is closely regulated. Hence, understanding management practices that affect nutrient outputs and the potential risk of transport in the environment is of importance. The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact of feeding corn-based wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) and the type of pen surface material on manure nutrient composition and runoff water quality. Rainfall simulations were conducted at an experimental feedyard that contained soil and fly ash surfaced pens. Two diets, steam-flaked corn (SFC) and 30% WDGS, were fed to cattle on each surface type. Diets containing WDGS resulted in greater manure nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations than SFC diets. Runoff volumes were significantly higher from soil pens where WDGS diets were fed. Runoff volumes were consistent for fly ash pens; however, there was a 3-fold difference between soil surfaced pens, indicating great variability between soil surfaced pens. Feeding WDGS increased soluble reactive P (SRP) concentrations in runoff water by 38% and total P concentrations by 27% compared to SFC. This increase in P runoff concentrations as a result of feeding WDGS was expected, as manure WEP concentrations were greater in pens where WDGS was part of the diet. Pen surfaces with fly ash resulted in increased total P and ammonium-N (NH4-N) concentrations in runoff water. Mass losses of SRP, total P, NH4-N, and total Kjeldahl N (TKN) were highest from soil surfaced pens in which cattle were fed WDGS. While manure nutrient concentration can be an excellent indicator of the potential of nutrient runoff, hydrological properties can be the single most important factor in actually transporting nutrients offsite.

[1]  F. Larney,et al.  Quantity and quality of runoff from a beef cattle feedlot in southern Alberta. , 2004, Journal of environmental quality.

[2]  L. N. Mielke,et al.  Infiltration of Water on a Cattle Feedlot , 1976 .

[3]  A. Saxton.  A Macro for Converting Mean Separation Output to Letter Groupings in PROC MIXED , 1998 .

[4]  Awwa,et al.  Standard Methods for the examination of water and wastewater , 1999 .

[5]  R. Train,et al.  Development Document for Proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines and New Source Performance Standards , 1974 .

[6]  G. Erickson,et al.  Feeding corn milling byproducts to feedlot cattle. , 2007, The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice.

[7]  D. Marx,et al.  Nutrient and Bacterial Transport in Runoff from Soil and Pond Ash Amended Feedlot Surfaces , 2009 .

[8]  T. C. Daniel,et al.  Development of a phosphorus index for pastures fertilized with poultry litter--factors affecting phosphorus runoff. , 2004, Journal of environmental quality.

[9]  J. Schoenau,et al.  Using manure from cattle fed dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) as fertilizer: Effects on nutrient accumulation in soil and uptake by barley , 2010 .

[10]  A. Batal,et al.  Mineral Composition of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles , 2003 .

[11]  T. C. Daniel,et al.  A Portable Rainfall Simulator for Plot-Scale Runoff Studies , 2002 .

[12]  A. Sharpley,et al.  Hydrologic Controls on Phosphorus Loss from Upland Agricultural Watersheds , 1998 .

[13]  M. Greenquist,et al.  Nutrient mass balance and performance of feedlot cattle fed corn wet distillers grains plus solubles. , 2012, Journal of animal science.

[14]  John M. Sweeten,et al.  Combustion-Fuel Properties of Manure or Compost from Paved vs. Un-paved Cattle Feedlots , 2006 .

[15]  David B. Parker,et al.  Chemical Composition of Pen Surface Layers of Beef Cattle Feedyards1 , 2009 .

[16]  C. Buckner,et al.  Total and Water Soluble Phosphorus Content of Feedlot Cattle Feces and Manure , 2008 .

[17]  X. Hao,et al.  Effects of dried distillers' grains with solubles (wheat-based) in feedlot cattle diets on feces and manure composition. , 2009, Journal of environmental quality.

[18]  P. H. Groenevelt,et al.  Self-sealing of earthen liquid manure storage ponds. II: Rate and mechanism of sealing , 1985 .

[19]  Roger A. Eigenberg,et al.  Comparing Soil and Pond Ash Feedlot Pen Surfaces for Environmental Management , 2007 .

[20]  L. N. Mielke,et al.  Soil Profile Conditions of Cattle Feedlots , 1974 .

[21]  R. N. Clark,et al.  Analysis of Runoff from Southern Great Plains Feedlots , 1975 .

[22]  M. Spiehs,et al.  Nutrient excretion and odorant production in manure from cattle fed corn wet distillers grains with solubles. , 2009, Journal of animal science.

[23]  David B. Marx,et al.  Spatial Variations in Nutrient and Microbial Transport from Feedlot Surfaces , 2008 .

[24]  J. Sweeten.  Cattle Feedlot Waste Management Practices For Water and Air Pollution Control. , 1990 .

[25]  Andrew N Sharpley,et al.  Effect of mineral and manure phosphorus sources on runoff phosphorus. , 2002, Journal of environmental quality.

[26]  D. Marx,et al.  NUTRIENT TRANSPORT IN RUNOFF FROM FEEDLOTS AS AFFECTED BY WET DISTILLERS GRAIN DIET , 2010 .