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April 18,
2007 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Agri-Food
Research and Development Initiative (ARDI) recently awarded $1.8
million in research and development grants, supporting projects to
safeguard Manitoba’s environment and promote innovation in
agriculture and agri-food.
“Safe management of
animal waste is an essential part of caring for our land and
waterways,” said ARDI Chair David Gislason. “ARDI-funded research
will contribute to protecting our environment through novel ways of
dealing with livestock waste.”
Grants related to
environmental stewardship include:
·
Reducing Phosphorus in
Swine Manure. Using the
state-of-the-art facilities at the National Centre for Livestock and
the Environment, growing pigs will be fed different diets that
encourage balanced nutrition for complete use of feed and thereby
reduce phosphorus in swine manure. Dr. Martin Nyachoti
(Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba) will also
attempt to decrease the solubility of manure phosphorus, reducing
the risk of manure phosphorus leaving the soil and reaching surface
water. Manitoba Pork Council is a funding partner in this
project.
·
Improving Storage of
Corrosive Material.
Octaform Systems is partnering with the Department of Civil
Engineering at the University of Manitoba to test its unique storage
tank design. In Manitoba, concrete storage tanks are often
used on farms to store waste such as manure or fertilizer.
Over time, corrosion can occur, causing leaks and the need for
costly repairs. In this research project, Octaform will
monitor three concrete tanks fully enclosed by PVC panels. The
durability of different materials used in the construction of tanks
will be ascertained under field conditions in Brunkild, Manitoba.
These latest grants
bring the total value of ARDI’s contribution to manure and
phosphorus management projects to more than $2 million. ARDI’s
requirement for partners to contribute matching funds boosts total
spending in this area to $4 million.
For a complete list
of the most recently approved projects, please see ARDI’s website at
www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/research/ardi/.
ARDI is a research
and development granting program of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. It is funded
through the Agricultural Policy Framework, a
federal-provincial-territorial long-term action plan for
agriculture.
For more
information, please contact:
David
Gislason, ARDI Chair
(204) 376-5578
Rhea Yates, ARDI
Communications
Phone: (204) 896-6926 Cell:
(204) 232-0840
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