Suchergebnisse

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is an organic manure that can be used with advantage in agriculture. Under European Union (EU) (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations, SMS cannot be applied to land over the winter months and must be stored on concrete surfaces, either covered or uncovered, to prevent nutrient-rich runoff seeping into groundwater. Spent mushroom substrate at four storage facilities, two covered and two uncovered, was analysed for physical and chemical characteristics after storage for up to 12 mo. Significant differences (P<0.05) were identified for all parameters across the four sites, except for pH, but there were no consistent differences that correlated with uncovered or covered storage conditions. The content of nitrogen (N) and manganese (Mn) was significantly lower in uncovered SMS, while the content of iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) was significantly higher. The chemical nitrogen-phospous-potassium (NPK) fertiliser equivalent value of SMS, when applied at a rate of 10 t/ha, was between €105 and €191 per hectare. Nitrogen-phospous-potassium concentrations per kg wet weight were all higher in SMS that was stored under cover, meaning higher chemical fertiliser savings are possible. The high pH of stored SMS (7.8–8.1) means it could be used with good effect on acid soils instead of ground limestone. The low bulk density of SMS (0.545–0.593 g/cm 3) makes it an ideal amendment to soils to improve soil structure and quality. There is some variability in the nutrient content of SMS from different sources, so it is advisable to get the material analysed when including in nutrient management plans. ; Teagasc

Agriculture is responsible for 98% of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) in Ireland, of which pigs and poultry produce 7%; with laying hens specifically contributing 0.6%. Though a small proportion of the national NH3 total emissions, the ecological impacts on sensitive sites attributed to laying hen farms can be substantial. NH3 emission monitoring was conducted in Spring (February to March) and Summer (July to August) 2016 to account for seasonal variation. The total average emission and ventilation rate was 0.25 g bird−1 day−1 and 931 cm3 s−1 bird−1. This is lower than the previously used emission factor for the Irish national inventory of 0.5 g bird−1 day−1, but broadly similar to factors reported in the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). Dispersion modelling using monitored data indicated potentially acute effects within 84 m, critical level exceedance within 312 m and exceedance of 0.3 kg N ha−1 year−1 deposition within 2.9–5.2 km. The sensitivity of the model was tested using SCAIL-Agriculture emission and ventilation rates which showed P-values for one tailed critical level below 0.01 for all models, indicating that when normalised the maximum extents modelled by AERMOD were significantly different. This analysis showed emission rate having more influence than ventilation rate. Both parameters combined had the greatest increase in dispersion extent, on average 55.8% greater than the use of monitored rates. A deposition rate of 0.3 kg N ha−1 year−1 was modelled to occur within 5.1–7.7 km when using SCAIL-Agriculture rates. Indicating that the use of SCAIL-Agriculture recommended emission and ventilation rates would have been sufficiently precautionary to assess negative ecological effects on a Natura 2000 site under the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). In relation to Appropriate Assessment (AA) screening, the use of any contribution from a source within a set distance may be an appropriate full AA trigger. ; Environmental Protection Agency

Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) 2020 Spring Conference (CIEEM 2020), Sheffield, United Kingdom, 4 March 2020 ; Since 2016 Ireland has exceeded it's National Emissions Ceilings Directive limit for ammonia. With government led agricultural expansions (Food Wise 2025) it will be difficult for Ireland not only to meet targets required by the NECD Directive, but also to comply with the EU Habitats Directive to protect against environmental impacts on sensitive sites. ; Environmental Protection Agency