AIMS: To understand the purpose of the environmental policies affecting livestock rearing and agriculture, the key emissions from ruminants and monogastrics and the effect on the environment and ways to reduce/mitigate them to reduce air and water pollution.
Ruminants
Candidates must be able to:
- Understand the main air and water pollutants associated with livestock production and agriculture and the UK and EU legislation introduced to control these pollutants.
- Understand the key emissions from ruminants and the sources of nitrogen, methane and phosphorus - utilisation by the animal, the impact they have on the environment and how these emissions can be reduced.
- Understand the purpose of UK’s Climate Change Act 2008, Greenhouse gas action plans (GHGAPs), The National Emissions Ceilings Directive (ammonia reduction strategy), the Water Framework Directive (Nitrogen and Phosphorus reduction strategy), EU Nitrates Directive (1991) and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and associated catchment-based approaches and how they affect the livestock industry.
- Nitrogen
- Understand the effect nitrogen (ammonia, nitrous oxide and nitrate) has on the environment and the EU Nitrates Directive (1991) developed to tackle pollution of waters caused by Nitrogen (N) from agricultural sources.
- Understand the sources of nitrogen inputs to ruminants, e.g. feed and fertilisers/manures.
- Understand the physiology of nitrogen utilisation in ruminants.
- Appreciate the negative impacts of excessive nitrogen in terms of livestock performance, monetary loss and / or impact on the environment.
- Be familiar with and understand data measures that indicate areas of excess nitrogen, e.g. milk urea, ration plans and potential risks of excess nitrogen, e.g. fertiliser / manure application rates in conjunction with / absence of nutrient management plan.
- Understand the Best Available Techniques (BAT) around raw material use, waste minimisation and slurry/manure management and be confident in communicating ways to reduce nitrogen emissions from ruminants including reference to fertiliser policy, grazing and sward management, silage clamp management, diet, housing, bedding and manure collection, storage and spreading management.
- Understand how correct manure management can minimise N losses by increased Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) through:
- Knowing the nutrient content of manure to be used by using standard figures (RB209) or analysis
- Minimising N losses by soil injection or timely incorporation
- Spread accurately and evenly
- Avoid spreading within 10m of any watercourse
- Build manure into the nutrient management plan
- Develop appreciation of feed protein sources in terms of rumen degradable and by-pass protein.
- Methane
- Understand the effect methane has on the environment.
- Appreciate the potential losses of avoidable methane emissions in terms of livestock performance, monetary loss and /or impact on the environment.
- Understand the physiology of methane utilisation in ruminants.
- Understand the ways to reduce methane emissions from ruminants including: -
- Influence and benefit of increase in yield / LWG to reduce methane per unit of production
- High health and fertility and status
- Ruminant replacement rates and optimal parturition age
- Forage quality, digestibility and spoilage management
- Diet composition and feeding management and mitigation additives
- Bedding type, manure management (system, storage and spreading)
- Phosphorus
- Understand the effect phosphorus has on the environment including the direct impact on water courses and ways to reduce Phosphorus (P) losses to water.
- Appreciate the benefits of optimal supply of phosphorus in terms of livestock performance, increasing nutrient use efficiency and the monetary losses and / or impact on the environment of excess.
- Understand the physiology of phosphorus utilisation in ruminants.
- Understand the ways to mitigate phosphorus related emissions from ruminants including
- Diet composition, mineral feeding and total feeding management
- Manure management (system, storage and spreading)
- Appreciate the simple concept of a whole farm phosphorus balance and ways to reduce farm surplus, by signposting farmers to relevant tools e.g. Tried & Tested, RB209 and Nutrient Management Plan.
Pigs
AIMS: To understand the purpose of the environmental policies affecting livestock rearing and agriculture, the key emissions from ruminants and monogastrics and the effect on the environment and ways to reduce/mitigate them to reduce air and water pollution.
Candidates must be able to:
- Understand the main air and water pollutants associated with livestock production and agriculture and the UK and EU legislation introduced to control these pollutants.
- Understand the key emissions from pigs and be able to understand the sources of nitrogen, and phosphorus, utilisation by the animal, the impact they have on the environment and how these emissions can be reduced.
- Have an understanding of the purpose of UK’s Climate Change Act 2008, Greenhouse gas action plans (GHGAPs), The National Emissions Ceilings Directive (Ammonia reduction strategy) the Water Framework Directive (Nitrogen and Phosphorus reduction strategy), EU Nitrates Directive (1991), Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and Environmental Permitting Regulations within the pig & poultry sectors and how they affect the livestock industry.
Nitrogen- Understand the effect nitrogen (ammonia, nitrous oxide and nitrate) has on the environment and the EU Nitrates Directive (1991) developed to tackle pollution of waters caused by Nitrogen from agricultural sources.
- Understand the sources of nitrogen inputs to pig enterprises e.g. feed and fertilisers/manures.
- Understand the physiology of nitrogen utilisation in pigs and poultry.
- Appreciate the negative impacts of excessive nitrogen in terms of livestock performance, monetary loss and/or impact on the environment.
- Be familiar with and understand data measures that indicate areas of excess nitrogen e.g. ration plans and potential risks of excess nitrogen, e.g. fertiliser/manure application rates in conjunction with/absence of nutrient management plan.
- Understand the Best Available Techniques (BAT) around raw material use, waste minimisation and slurry/manure management and be confident in communicating ways to reduce nitrogen emissions from pigs including soil management, bedding and manure collection, storage and spreading management e.g. the use of part slatted floors, frequent removal of slurry below slatted floors, covering slurry stores and the use of air scrubbers to mechanically ventilate pig housing.
- Understand the Best Available Techniques around raw material use, waste minimisation and slurry/manure management and be confident in communicating ways to reduce nitrogen emissions from poultry including reference to soil management, bedding and manure collection, storage and spreading management e.g. frequent removal of layer manure in belt cleaning systems, manure drying and the management of drinkers to keep manure dry.
- Phosphorus
- Understand the effect phosphorus has on the environment including the direct impact on watercourses.
- Appreciate the benefits of optimal supply of phosphorus in terms of livestock performance, increasing nutrient use efficiency, the monetary losses and/or impact on the environment of excess.
- Understand the physiology of phosphorus utilisation in pigs & poultry.
- Understand ways to mitigate phosphorus related emissions from pigs & poultry including:-
- Diet composition
- Manure management (system, storage and spreading)
Appreciate the simple concept of a whole farm phosphorus balance and ways to reduce farm surplus, by signposting farmers to relevant tools e.g. Tried & Tested, RB209 and Nutrient
Poultry
Candidates must be able to:
- Understand the main air and water pollutants associated with livestock production and agriculture and the UK and EU legislation introduced to control these pollutants.
- Understand the key emissions from pigs and be able to understand the sources of nitrogen, and phosphorus, utilisation by the animal, the impact they have on the environment and how these emissions can be reduced.
- Have an understanding of the purpose of UK’s Climate Change Act 2008, Greenhouse gas action plans (GHGAPs), The National Emissions Ceilings Directive (Ammonia reduction strategy) the Water Framework Directive (Nitrogen and Phosphorus reduction strategy), EU Nitrates Directive (1991), Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and Environmental Permitting Regulations within the pig & poultry sectors and how they affect the livestock industry.
- Nitrogen
- Understand the effect nitrogen (ammonia, nitrous oxide and nitrate) has on the environment and the EU Nitrates Directive (1991) developed to tackle pollution of waters caused by Nitrogen from agricultural sources.
- Understand the sources of nitrogen inputs to pig enterprises e.g. feed and fertilisers/manures.
- Understand the physiology of nitrogen utilisation in pigs and poultry.
- Appreciate the negative impacts of excessive nitrogen in terms of livestock performance, monetary loss and/or impact on the environment.
- Be familiar with and understand data measures that indicate areas of excess nitrogen e.g. ration plans and potential risks of excess nitrogen, e.g. fertiliser/manure application rates in conjunction with/absence of nutrient management plan.
- Understand the Best Available Techniques (BAT) around raw material use, waste minimisation and slurry/manure management and be confident in communicating ways to reduce nitrogen emissions from pigs including soil management, bedding and manure collection, storage and spreading management e.g. the use of part slatted floors, frequent removal of slurry below slatted floors, covering slurry stores and the use of air scrubbers to mechanically ventilate pig housing.
- Understand the Best Available Techniques around raw material use, waste minimisation and slurry/manure management and be confident in communicating ways to reduce nitrogen emissions from poultry including reference to soil management, bedding and manure collection, storage and spreading management e.g. frequent removal of layer manure in belt cleaning systems, manure drying and the management of drinkers to keep manure dry.
- Phosphorus
- Understand the effect phosphorus has on the environment including the direct impact on watercourses.
- Appreciate the benefits of optimal supply of phosphorus in terms of livestock performance, increasing nutrient use efficiency, the monetary losses and/or impact on the environment of excess.
- Understand the physiology of phosphorus utilisation in pigs & poultry.
- Understand ways to mitigate phosphorus related emissions from pigs & poultry including:-
- Diet composition
- Manure management (system, storage and spreading)
- Appreciate the simple concept of a whole farm phosphorus balance and ways to reduce farm surplus, by signposting farmers to relevant tools e.g. Tried & Tested, RB209 and Nutrient