Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #141107

Title: DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL SYSTEM TO STUDY IMPACTS OF MANURE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON MICROBIOLOGICAL WATER QUALITY

Author
item El Balaa, Mohamad
item Brink, Geoffrey
item ADELI, A - MISS STATE UNIVERSITY
item Rowe, Dennis

Submitted to: Poultry International Exposition
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/20/2003
Publication Date: 1/20/2003
Citation: El Balaa, M.F., Brink, G.E., Adeli, A., Rowe, D.E. 2003. Development of a model system to study impacts of manure management practices on microbiological water quality [abstract]. International Poultry Scientific Forum. p. 14.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Time-based comparative microbiological analysis is critical to understanding the impacts manure management practices have on environmental water quality. Field studies rarely lend themselves to well controlled experiments due to climatic, topographic and hydrological factors. This is particularly true of runoff studies, where several factors, such as time of rain, sample collection and transport methods, elapsed time between collection, and analysis as well as other factors can influence microbiological analysis. This work describes the development of an experimental model to measure the impacts of manure management practices on water quality. The system consists of soil troughs, a rain simulator, and aseptic collectors for surface and sub-surface runoff. This study has focused on time-based parameters not readily measured under field conditions to include: 1) elapsed time between collection and analysis, 2) time of manure application to time of rain, 3) elapsed time between repeated rain events, 4) frequency, intensity and length of a rain event, and 5) impact of repeated rain events on the microbiological quality of runoff water from control and manure amended troughs. Parameters critical to manure management practices and their impacts on water quality are readily investigated and modeled with the developed system.