The National Pork Board announces a call for research and literature review proposals for environment and public health.
The topic areas in environment include: best management practices (BMPs) or technologies regarding whole-farm ammonia emissions; technologies and management strategies to improve traditional broadcast manure land application while effectively managing odor and ammonia emissions; and development of a database of proven air emission reduction BMPs based on scientific research.
For public health, the focus is to develop validated measurement tools to assess whether hormone-like compounds exist around hog farms, manure storage/treatment and after land application. Also, the call is to find out if very small amounts of antimicrobials affect the development and persistence of drug resistance in bacteria.
“Often, pork producers don’t have the sound science to provide all the answers,” says Lynn Harrison, Elk Mound, WI, pork producer who sits on the National Pork Board’s Environment Committee.
The research call also asks for an assessment of the scientific literature on pathogens and manure, drug-resistant genetic elements in the environment and hormone-like compounds in manure.
For more information, go to www.porkboard.org and click on the “Environmental Special Solicitation” area.