Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-p2v8j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-06T17:21:46.624Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Economic and Environmental Assessment of Proactive Phosphorus Control Measures for Broiler Operations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 July 2005

Keith O. Keplinger ,
Joju Abraham ,
Larry M. Hauck  and
Ali Saleh
Keith O. Keplinger
Affiliation:
Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas
Joju Abraham
Affiliation:
Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas
Larry M. Hauck
Affiliation:
Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas
Ali Saleh
Affiliation:
Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas
Get access

Abstract

Duck Creek watershed, a small watershed in east-central Texas, experienced an influx of broiler growing operations in the later half of the 1990s. Preliminary results indicated that year 2000 levels of broiler litter land application do not pose a water quality concern but that a significant expansion of broiler production would more than double ambient phosphorus loads in the watershed. Environmental and economic modeling were used to assess the effects of phosphorus control measures designed to proactively mitigate the environmental impacts from further broiler industry expansion. Results of best management practice (BMP) simulations indicate that ambient phosphorus loads from broiler litter can be reduced by reducing the rate of litter application, by hauling off litter, by adding phytase to broiler feed, and by amending broiler litter with aluminum sulfate (alum). Reduced-rate scenarios were substantially more cost-effective than haul-off scenarios. Simulations of the phytase and alum BMPs produced net economic benefits in addition to reducing phosphorus loads. Model results thus indicated that relatively low-cost BMP options or ones yielding net monetary benefits (e.g., phytase and alum) would protect water quality in Duck Creek in the event of a low, moderate, or even a very significant expansion of the regional broiler industry. Subsequent to this research, the broiler integrator conducted field trials that confirmed the economic benefits of phytase but not alum. Alum addition did not produce the expected economic benefits, primarily because of the regional climate, which differed from that assumed in the analysis.

Type
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Information
Environmental Practice , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , June 2005 , pp. 74 - 86
Copyright
© 2005 National Association of Environmental Professionals

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

REFERENCES

Arnold, J. G., R. Srinivasan, R. S. Muttiah, and J. R. Williams. 1998. Large Area Hydrologic Modeling and Assessment—Part 1: Model Development. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 34:73–89.Google Scholar
Bosch, D. J., and K. B. Napit. 1992. Economics of Transporting Poultry Litter to Achieve More Effective Use as Fertilizer. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 47(4):342–346.Google Scholar
Brazos River Authority. 2003a. Balancing Economic Development with Water Quality Protection. In Quality Water for the Brazos Community. Fact Sheet #1, February. Brazos River Authority, Waco, TX.
Brazos River Authority. 2003b. Proactive Measures Ensure Poultry Industry Has Positive Impacts on Economy and Environment. In Quality Water for the Brazos Community. Fact Sheet #2, February. Brazos River Authority, Waco, TX.
Brazos River Authority. 2003c. QWBC Efforts to Culminate in Master Watershed Action Plan. In Quality Water for the Brazos Community. Fact Sheet #3, October. Brazos River Authority, Waco, TX.
Ferguson, N. S., R. S. Gates, J. L. Taraba, A. H. Cantor, A. J. Pescatore, M. L. Straw, M. J. Ford, and K. J. Burnham. 1998. The Effect of Dietary Protein and Phosphorus on Ammonia Concentration and Litter Composition in Broilers. Poultry Science 77:1085–1093.Google Scholar
Gassman, P. W., E. Osei, A. Saleh, and L. M. Hauck. 2002. Application of an Environmental and Economic Modeling System for Watershed Assessments. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 38(2):423–438.Google Scholar
Govindasamy, R., and M. J. Cochran. 1995. The Feasibility of Poultry Litter Transportation from Environmentally Sensitive Areas to Delta Row Crop Production. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 24(1):101–110.Google Scholar
Huff, W. E., P. A. Moore, Jr., P. W. Waldroup, A. L. Waldroup, F. M. Balog, G. R. Huff, N. C. Rath, T. C. Daniel, and V. Raboy. 1998. Effect of Dietary Phytase and High Available Phosphorus Corn on Broiler Chicken Performance. Poultry Science 77:1899–1904.Google Scholar
Keith, G., S. Norvell, R. Jones, C. Maguire, E. Osei, A. Saleh, P. Gassman, and J. Rodecap. 2000. CEEOT-LP Modeling for the Upper Maquoketa River Watershed, Iowa. Report No. PR0003. Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX, 146 pp.
Kellogg, R. L., C. H. Lander, D. C. Moffitt, and N. Gollehon. 2000. Manure Nutrients Relative to the Capacity of Cropland and Pastureland to Assimilate Nutrients: Spatial and Temporal Trends for the United States. Publication No. nps00-0579. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Economic Research Service, Washington, DC, 93 pp.
Keplinger, K., and J. Abraham. 2002a. Baseline Report: CEEOT-LP Modeling for Duck Creek Watershed, Texas. Report No. TR0218. Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX, 66 pp. Available at http://tiaer6.tarleton.edu/pdf/TR0218.pdf.
Keplinger, K., and J. Abraham. 2002b. Technical Report: CEEOT-LP Modeling for Duck Creek Watershed, Texas. Report No. TR0219. Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX, 45 pp. Available at http://tiaer6.tarleton.edu/pdf/TR0219.pdf.
Kornegay, E. T., D. M. Denbow, and Z. Zhang. 1998. Keeping Current: Phytase Supplementation of Corn-Soybean Meal Broiler Diets from Three To Seven Weeks of Age. BASF Corporation, Mount Olive, NJ, 11 pp.
Letson, D., and N. Gollehon. 1996. Confined Animal Production and the Manure Problem. Choices 11(3):17–24.Google Scholar
Letson, D., and N. Gollehon. 1998. Spatial Economics of Targeting Manure Policy. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 34(1):185–193.Google Scholar
McNitt, J., R. Jones, E. Osei, L. Hauck, and H. Jones. 1999. Livestock and the Environment: Precedents for Runoff Policy: Policy Options—CEEOT-LP. Report No. PR9909. Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX, 91 pp.
Miles, D. M., P. A. Moore, Jr., D. R. Smith, D. W. Rice, H. L. Stilborn, D. R. Rowe, B. D. Lott, S. L. Branton, and J. D. Simmons. 2003. Total and Water-Soluble Phosphorus in Broiler Litter over Three Flocks with Alum Litter Treatment and Dietary Inclusion of High Available Phosphorus Corn and Phytase Supplementation. Poultry Science 82:1544–1549.Google Scholar
Moore, P. A., Jr., T. C. Daniel, and D. R. Edwards. 1997. Evaluation of Aluminum Sulfate as a Broiler Litter Amendment. In Demonstration of Nutrient Management for Poultry Litter Using Alum Precipitation of Soluble Phosphorus, P. A. Moore, Jr., B. E. Haggard, T. C. Daniel, D. R. Edwards, B. R. Shreve, and T. J. Sauer, principal investigators. Final Report to US Environmental Protection Agency for Federal Assistance Project No. 9006749920. US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Fayetteville, AR, 6–27.
Moore, P. A., Jr., T. C. Daniel, and D. R. Edwards. 1999. Reducing Phosphorus Runoff and Improving Poultry Production with Alum. Poultry Science 78:692–698.Google Scholar
Moore, P. A., Jr., T. C. Daniel, D. R. Edwards, B. R. Shreve, and T. J. Sauer. 1997. Effect of Aluminum Sulfate Additions to Poultry Litter on Phosphorus Runoff. In Demonstration of Nutrient Management for Poultry Litter Using Alum Precipitation of Soluble Phosphorus, P.A. Moore, Jr., B.E. Haggard, T.C. Daniel, D.R. Edwards, B.R. Shreve and T.J. Sauer, principal investigators. Final Report to US Environmental Protection Agency for Federal Assistance Project No. 9006749920. US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Fayetteville, AR, 28–53.
Moore, P. A., Jr., T. C. Daniel, D. R. Edwards, and D. E. Womack. 1999. A Fact Sheet For Treating Poultry Litter With Aluminum Sulfate. US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 4 pp.
Neitsch, S. L., J. G. Arnold, and J. R. Williams. 2000. Soil and Water Assessment Tool User's Manual, version 2000. Agricultural Research Service, Temple, TX, 346 pp.
Newman, S., R. Angel, T. J. Applegate, W. J. Powers, W. W. Saylor, N. Tamim, and T. Shellem. 2002. Impact of Dietary Non-Phytin Phosphorus, Added Phytase and Excreta Treatment on Total and Soluble Phosphorous in Broiler Excreta. Poultry Science 80(Supplement 1):75.Google Scholar
Perry, J., B. David, and R. Green. 1999. Broiler Farms' Organization, Management, and Performance. Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 748. Resource Economics Division, Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, 35 pp.
Pratt, S., R. Jones, and C. A. Jones. 1997. Livestock and the Environment: Expanding the Focus: Policy Options—CEEOT-LP. Report No. PR9603. Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX, 53 pp.
Raboy, V. 1990. Biochemistry and Genetics of Phytic Acid Synthesis. In Inositol Metabolism in Plants, D. J. Moore, W. Boas, and F. A. Loewus, eds. Wiley-Liss, New York, 55–76.
Radcliffe, S. 2001. Personal communication. Professor, Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, April.
Sharpley, A. N. 1995. Soil Phosphorus Dynamics: Agronomic and Environmental Impacts. Ecological Engineering 5:261–279.Google Scholar
Sharpley, A. N., and S. Rekolainen. 1997. Phosphorus in Agriculture and Its Environmental Implications. In Phosphorus Loss from Soil to Water, H. Tunney, O. T. Carton, P. C. Brookes, and A. E. Johnston, eds. CABI Publishing, New York, 1–53.
Smith, D. R., P. A. Moore_Jr., D. M. Miles, B. E. Haggard, and T. C. Daniel. 2004. Decreasing Phosphorus Runoff Losses from Land-Applied Poultry Litter with Dietary Modifications and Alum Addition. Journal of Environmental Quality 33:1947–1953.Google Scholar
Sohail, S. S., and D. A. Roland, Sr. 1999. Influence of Supplemental Phytase on Performance of Broilers Four to Six Weeks of Age. Poultry Science 78:550–555.Google Scholar
Thompson, T. 2003. Personal communication. Production Manager, Sanderson Farms, Bryan, TX, January.
US Census of Agriculture. 1997. 1997 Census of Agriculture. http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/index1997.htm. Accessed February 2005.
US Environmental Protection Agency. 2002. National Water Quality Inventory: 2000 Report to Congress. EPA 841-R-02-001. Washington, DC, 84 pp.
Waldroup, P. W. 1999. Nutritional Approaches to Reducing Phosphorus Excretion by Poultry. Poultry Science 78:683–691.Google Scholar
WorldClimate. 2005. What the Weather Is Normally Like for Tens of Thousands of Places Worldwide! http://www.worldclimate.com. Accessed February 2005.
Yan, F., J. H. Kersey, C. A. Fritts, P. W. Waldroup, H. L Stilborn, R. C. Crum_Jr., D. W. Rice, and V. Raboy. 2000. Evaluation of Normal Yellow Dent Corn and High Available Phosphorus Corn in Combination with Reduced Dietary Phosphorus and Phytase Supplementation for Broilers Grown to Market Weights in Litter Pens. Poultry Science 79:1282–1289.Google Scholar