Showsilkies - Development of Management Tools for Reducing Phosphorus Availability in Animal Manures

Development of Management Tools for Reducing Phosphorus Availability in Animal Manures

Monday, 09 June 2008

By Dr Valtcho Jeliazkov, Mississippi State University and presented by the Canadian Poultry Industry Council.

The Challenge

The phosphorus (P) from plant-based poultry diets is difficult for poultry to utilize, so poultry diets are supplemented with inorganic P. As a result, the manure produced by poultry can contain up to four times more P than other types of manure. This increases the potential for P to escape into the environment and eventually into water courses. This in turn leads to the growth of oxygen-depleting plant life, which causes harm to other organisms - a process known as eutrophication. The application of P-rich manure therefore creates an increased environmental risk.

Dr Valtcho Jeliazkov of Mississipi State University, and adjunct professor at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, has been investigating agronomically, economically and environmentally viable methods of reducing P availability in manures. Research has shown that solubility of P in manure can be reduced by incorporating aluminium-based compounds.

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