Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Play Audio Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.

Farm-Scape, Episode 1149

A University of Manitoba study has shown the micronization of feeds can dramatically reduce the volume of manure excreted by pigs and the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in that manure.

The 16 month study was conducted by the University of Manitoba in partnership with the Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative and the Pulse Growers Association of Manitoba.

The project involved a diet which consisted of 45 percent micronized peas, 50 percent barley and vitamin and mineral supplements.

Assistant Professor Dr. Martin Nyachoti says the moisture content of the peas was increased to about 25 percent then they were put through an infrared heating unit and heated to 110 to 115 degrees Celsius for about 15 seconds which altered the composition of the starch and the fibrous content of the peas.

"We got some very interesting results actually.

As I indicated, we included peas at 45 percent in the diet and overall we got about a 20 percent reduction in nitrogen excretion in the manure and about a 16 percent reduction for phosphorus. Also there was some significant reduction in the total volume of manure that these pigs were excreting.

In terms of the volume of manure, it's just that the overall dry matter digestibility increased because that's the impact that micronization has on the processed feed stuff.

In terms of the other two nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, they were better utilized. They were made available because the feed generally was more digestible than it normally would be."

Dr. Nyachoti says researchers now hope to conduct some large scale studies, based on these results, in order to analyze the economics of the micronization process.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.