Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T19:47:39.807Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Survey of current Swiss pig feeding practices and potential for ammonia emission reduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2014

P. Spring*
Affiliation:
Berne University of Applied Sciences, HALF-Agricultural Sciences, Länggasse 85, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
A. Bracher
Affiliation:
Berne University of Applied Sciences, HALF-Agricultural Sciences, Länggasse 85, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland Agroscope, Rte de la Tioleyre 4, 1725 Posieux, Switzerland
*
Corresponding author:[email protected]

Summary

Controlling potentially harmful and polluting emissions from farms is important in the developed world, where legislation exists in many countries limiting emissions such as ammonia and controlling how manure is disposed of from intensive farming operations. In Switzerland, there are legal agreements concerning controls of ammonia emissions, most especially from farms. Ammonia production from pig farms can be controlled by dietary intervention, such as reducing protein levels, which in turn reduces excretion, mainly via urine. The following paper surveys current practices for nitrogen use on Swiss pig farms, and how feeding strategies may assist in controlling ammonia production from pig production systems. The survey found that 70-75% of all feeds used for pigs of all categories were reduced in protein and nitrogen, with 90% being reduced in protein in high animal density areas. Regression analysis showed that CP levels explained up to 49% of the nitrogen efficiency, suggesting that other factors are important in pollution control. Although piglet diets are more tightly regulated in terms of controlling N input, excessive protein levels in so-called reduced protein diets for finisher pigs and dry sows are common in the market. Hence, there is considerable potential to reduce N-input and ammonia emissions from Swiss pig production, which could be implemented at no or minimal extra cost.

Type
Original Research
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Journal of Applied Animal Nutrition Ltd. 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

ALP, Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux. (2004) Fütterungsempfehlungen und Nährwerttabellen für Schweine. (LmZ, Zollikofen).Google Scholar
BLW, Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft. (2010) Weisungen zur Berücksichtigung von nährstoffreduziertem Futter in der Suisse-Bilanz. http://www.qualinova.ch/upload/qualinova/files/Weisungen_NPr-Futter_Suisse-Bilanz.pdfGoogle Scholar
Bracher, A. and Spring, P. (2010) Survey of current Swiss pig feeding practices and potential for ammonia emission reduction. Book of abstract of the 61s Annual Meeting of the EAAP, Heraklion, p. 326.Google Scholar
Bracher, A. und Spring, P. (2010) Möglichkeiten zur Reduktion der Ammoniakemissionen durch Fütterungsmassnahmen bei Schweinen. Bericht der Vorstudie. Publ. SHL Zollikofen und Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux ALP, Zollikofen. 98 S. pp 22. http://www.agroscope.ch/schwein/01780/index.html?lang=en&sort%5B3_0%5D=0&dir%5B3_0%5D=asc&page%5B3_0%5D=3Google Scholar
Canh, T.T., Aarninka, A.J.A., Schutte, J.B., Sutton, A., Langhout, D.J. and Verstegen, M.W.A. (1998) Dietary protein affects nitrogen excretion and ammonia emission from slurry of growing–finishing pigs. Livestock Production Science, 56: 181191.Google Scholar
Dourmad, J.Y., Guillou, D. and Noblet, J. (1992) Development of a calculation model for predicting the amount of N excreted by the pig: effect of feeding, physiological stage and performance. Livestock Production Science, 31: 95107.Google Scholar
EVD, Eidgenössisches Volksdepartment. (2010) Verordnung des EVD über die Produktion und das Inverkehrbringen von Futtermitteln, Zusatzstoffen für die Tierernährung, Silierungszusätzen und Diätfuttermitteln (Futtermittelbuch-Verordnung, FMBV). http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/9/916.307.1.de.pdfGoogle Scholar
Heo, J., Kim, J.C., Hansen, C.F., Mullan, B.P., Hampson, D.J. and Pluske, J.R. (2009) Feeding a diet with decreased protein content reduces indices of protein fermentation and the incidence of postweaning diarrhea in weaned pigs challenged with an enterotoxigenic strain of Escherichia coli. Journal of Animal Science, 87: 28332843.Google Scholar
Kupper, T., Bonjour, C., Zaucker, F., Achermann, B. and Menzi, H. (2010) Agrammon: An internet based model for the estimation of ammonia emissions, in: Cordovil, C. & Ferreira, L., (Eds.) pp. 334337. (Lisbon, Portugal).Google Scholar
Jongbloed, A.W., Aarnink, A.J.A., and Van Der Peet-Schwering, C.M.C. (2007) Nutritional options to reduce ammonia emission from excreta of pigs, in: Monteny, G.J. & Hartung, E. (Eds) Ammonia emissions in agriculture, p.403 (Wageningen, Academic Publishers).Google Scholar
Jongbloed, A.W. and Lenis, N.P. (1992) Alteration of nutrition as means to reduce environmental pollution by pigs. Livestock Production Science, 31: 7594.Google Scholar
Kessler, J., Zogg, M. and Bächler, E. (1994) Ein kritischer Blick in den Schweinetrog. Agrarforschung 1: 313316.Google Scholar
KOLAS, Konferenz der Landwirtschaftsämter der Schweiz (Eds). (2006) Empfehlungen zur Reduktion der Ammoniakverluste aus der Landwirtschaft. Sissach 28. Juni 2006, 27 S.Google Scholar
Le Bellego, L. and Noblet, J. (2002) Performance and utilization of dietary energy and amino acids in piglets fed low protein diets. Livestock Production Science 76: 4558.Google Scholar
Le, D.P. (2006) Odour from pig production: its relation to diet. Dissertation. Wageningen.Google Scholar
UNECE. (2010) Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone. http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/multi_h1.htmGoogle Scholar