BACKGROUND Epigeic earthworms are key organisms in organic matter decomposition because of the interactions they establish with microorganisms. The earthworm species and the quality and/or substrate availability are expected to be major factors influencing the outcome of these interactions. Here we tested whether and to what extent the epigeic earthworms Eisenia andrei, Eisenia fetida and Perio...

In Florida, dairies use water extensively for barn flushing and waste collection, because it is sanitary and less labor-intensive. However, the practice of hydraulic flushing results in greatly increased volumes of dilute wastewater. In addition, many dairies have incorporated fan and sprinkler cooling systems for cow comfort in the warm Florida climate, which contributes even more water to the...

Vermicomposting is a suitable technology for processing different wastes, to produce a valuable end product (vermicompost). However, the pathogenic load of the waste must be greatly reduced in order to prevent risks to human health. Although Eisenia andrei may reduce the levels of several pathogens, the feasibility of vermicomposting, with regard to pathogen reduction, has not been tested on an...

in order to effect of different mulch materials and optimal chemical, organic and biological fertilizer management on ecological agriculture characteristics in common purslane (portulaca oleracea l.) in khuzestan conditions, a filed experiment was conducted at experimental field of ramin agriculture and natural resources university in ahwaz, south-western of iran, during 2010- 2011 growing seas...

This studyis part of a collaborativeeffortbetweenMontanaTechand AtlanticRichfield Companyto find solutions for treating metal-contaminated surface runoff from the surrounding city of Butte, Montana. The runoff flows into a storm drai% which transports the suspended and dissolved metals into nearby Silver Bow Creek, a tributary of the Clark Fork River. The study compared percent removal of metrd...

The two-part objective of this study was to determine currently available H2S removal technologies suitable for use with farm biogas systems, and to test the feasibility of utilizing on-farm cow-manure compost as an H2S adsorption medium. Integrated farm energy systems utilize anaerobic digesters to provide a waste treatment solution, improved nutrient recovery, and energy generation potential ...

Background: Dairy cow manure applied to pastures is a significant potential source of estrogenic contamination in nearby streams. One possible pathway is through infiltration via preferential flow to drainage pipes, particularly after heavy rainfall events. In a period of 73 days in the spring of 2010, a drainage catchment in a cattle pasture in the Swiss lowlands was closely monitored. Manure ...

BACKGROUND The diverse microbial communities in agricultural biogas fermenters are assumed to be well adapted for the anaerobic transformation of plant biomass to methane. Compared to natural systems, biogas reactors are limited in their hydrolytic potential. The reasons for this are not understood. RESULTS In this paper, we show that a typical industrial biogas reactor fed with maize silage,...