Valorizing pelletized hen manure as a nitrogen fertilizer for northern agriculture

La Ferme avicole Paul Richard et Fis Inc.于1954年在魁北克的Rivière-Héva建立了他们的家庭农场，并 发展了盈利的鸡蛋生产业务，雇用了20名全职、全年工作的员工和供应品 魁北克北部和安大略省北部的批发商和杂货店。该农场的愿景是增加 农业和农村经济发展，这是一个挑战，因为北方的气候和 土壤条件。公司特有的问题是如何保持土壤肥力，并获得良好的产量 高质量的谷物和油籽作物来喂养蛋鸡，而不是从卡车上运输玉米和大豆 魁北克南部。出于生态和经济原因，他们更愿意用当地的土壤保持肥力 施肥材料，而不是购买昂贵的无机肥料，这些肥料必须从 南。颗粒鸡粪是家禽养殖场的产物，是一种有价值的肥料。然而，它对 种植谷物的重粘性土壤在短生长季土壤氮素肥力很低 明白了。将颗粒鸡粪用作北方农业氮肥需要 关于鸡粪在牛舍和田间对氮挥发的敏感性的信息，如 以及颗粒鸡粪施入田间后的氮素释放规律。实验室和现场 通过与McGill合作可以进行的测试是从造粒中释放氮的科学基础 鸡粪在当前和未来的生长季节，通过控制培养，分析树脂萃取物 土壤中氨氮和硝酸盐的浓度以及大麦氮素吸收的评价。农场将受益 通过更好地了解颗粒鸡粪的氮肥价值，该粪便在650英亩的土地上应用 他们自己的农田。La Ferme avicole Paul Richard et Fis Inc.拥有比他们更多的颗粒母鸡粪便 使用，这个Engage项目将为他们提供必要的信息，将鸡粪作为一种更高的价值进行营销 肥料“，出售给农业生产者和工业(例如，用于植树造林和矿山土地复垦) Abitibi-Témiscamingue、ChiBougamau、魁北克北部和安大略省北部地区。

La ferme avicole Paul Richard et fis inc established their family farm in 1954 in Rivière-Héva, Quebec and developed a profitable egg production operation that employs 20 full-time, year-round employees and supplies wholesalers and groceries throughout northern Québec and northern Ontario. The farm's vision is to increase farming and rural economic development in their region, which is a challenge given the northern climate and soil conditions. The company-specific problem is how to sustain soil fertility and get good yields of high-quality cereal and oilseed crops to feed their laying hens, rather than trucking corn and soybean from southern Quebec. For ecological and economic reasons, they would prefer to sustain the soil fertility using local fertilizing materials, rather than purchasing expensive inorganic fertilizers that must be transported from the south. Pelletized hen manure, a product of poultry farms, is a valuable fertilizer. However, its contribution to soil nitrogen fertility in heavy clay soils for cereal production during a short growing season is very poorly understood. Valorizing pelletized hen manure as a nitrogen fertilizer for northern agriculture requires information on the susceptibility of the hen manure to nitrogen volatilization, in the barn and in the field, as well as the pattern of nitrogen release after pelletized hen manure is applied to the field. Laboratory and in-field testing that can be done by engaging with McGill are the scientific basis for nitrogen release from pelletized hen manure in current and future growing seasons, by controlled incubations, analysis of the resin-extractable ammonium and nitrate concentrations in soil, and evaluation of nitrogen uptake in barley. The farm will benefit from better knowledge of the nitrogen fertilizer value of pelletized hen manure, which is applied to 650 acres of their own farmland. La ferme avicole Paul Richard et fis inc has more pelletized hen manure than they can use, and this Engage project will give them the necessary information to market hen manure as a 'higher-value fertilizer', for sale to agricultural producers and industry (e.g., for afforestation and mine land reclamation) in the regions of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Chibougamau, northern Québec and northern Ontario.