{"id":1684,"date":"2024-09-25T19:18:45","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T19:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/team-research\/?post_type=projects&p=1684"},"modified":"2024-09-25T19:18:45","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T19:18:45","slug":"developing-an-agricultural-circularity-assessment-protocol-a-cap-for-nutrient-cycling-in-the-georgia-poultry-industry","status":"publish","type":"projects","link":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/team-research\/projects\/developing-an-agricultural-circularity-assessment-protocol-a-cap-for-nutrient-cycling-in-the-georgia-poultry-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing an Agricultural Circularity Assessment Protocol (A-CAP) for Nutrient Cycling in the Georgia Poultry Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1727291922956{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1579011887505{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1727291917157{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

Teaming for Interdisciplinary Research Pre-Seed Program<\/span><\/h1>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=”bg_color” css=”.vc_custom_1718395996651{margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;background-color: #004e60 !important;}” bg_color_value=”#004e60″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1578671862861{background-color: #004e60 !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1719410065536{margin-left: 10px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

Developing an Agricultural Circularity Assessment Protocol (A-CAP) for Nutrient Cycling in the Georgia Poultry Industry<\/span><\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1642018498769{margin-right: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”922″ img_size=”full” alignment=”right” css=”.vc_custom_1719410955738{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;background-color: #004e60 !important;}”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1595855041843{margin-top: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]Background:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Circularity- <\/em>The Ellen MacArthur Foundation defines a circular economy based on three principles: eliminating waste and pollution, recirculating materials, and regenerating nature1<\/sup>. The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) recently developed the Circular Bioeconomy Systems Institute, with \u201cbioeconomy\u201d referring to agricultural products2<\/sup>. Agricultural circularity was originally practiced millennia ago by farms that raised crops to feed livestock and then used the manure to fertilize the crops. However, manure does not always provide a sufficient amount or the precise application of nutrients required for optimal crop growth. As the industrialization of agriculture evolved, synthetic fertilizers have become mainstream to provide optimal crop nutrition and maximize yields. Additionally, livestock operations have become separated from crop production.<\/p>\n

Now, these disjointed practices are causing nutrient imbalances, leading to consequences like poor air, water, and soil quality.<\/p>\n

Poultry Industry- <\/em>Georgia has been the top-producing state for poultry (broilers) for decades, with a farm gate value of $4.9 billion in 20213<\/sup>. The vertical integration of the poultry industry combines all aspects from poultry farmers, processors, and distributors under a single company\u2019s domain4<\/sup>. This organization could be beneficial to understanding and regulating waste streams across the product lifecycle. A recent survey from International Comparative Labor Studies on the impact of the poultry industry on Middle Georgia showed that at least 75% of surveyed participants believe the industry must pay the costs for chicken waste removal and do their part to keep the drinking supply safe5<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Our Research:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our research will characterize the current state of circularity in Georgia\u2019s poultry industry to help identify opportunities for improved nutrient management. We can then evaluate what-if scenarios to understand how changes in the poultry industry would affect nutrient cycling and its impact on water, air, and soil quality. We will consider nutrient pathways such as runoff and air emissions from poultry housing and processing facilities, nitrogen and phosphorus in chicken feed, storage and transportation of poultry litter, application techniques for poultry litter field application, plant uptake, soil storage, or surface<\/p>\n

runoff following application, and alternative methods for processing poultry litter such as composting or anaerobic co-digestion. A framework for assessing the circularity of a system has been previously defined by Dr. Jenna Jamback in the Circularity Informatic Lab at UGA. This Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP) was developed as a \u201chub and spoke\u201d model identifying inputs, community, product design, use, collection, end-of-cycle, and leakage within urban systems for plastic pollution. This CAP was adapted to create an Agricultural Circularity Assessment Protocol (A-CAP) as shown here. For an A-CAP, we intend to employ the hub-and-spoke model to holistically characterize nutrient dynamics in agricultural systems, including inputs, transformation and cycling within the system, and outflows in the form of crop and commodity production or leakages into the environment.<\/p>\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1The Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Circular Economy Introduction. https:\/\/www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org\/topics\/circular-economy-<\/a> introduction\/overview<\/a><\/p>\n

2ASABE. Circular Bioeconomy Systems Institute. https:\/\/www.asabe.org\/cbsi<\/a><\/p>\n

3UGA Extension. Ag Snapshots 2023 (anuual publication 129-1). 2023.<\/p>\n

4Bryant, R.B., Endale, D.M., Spiegal, S.A., Flynn, K.C., Meinen, R.J., Cavigelli, M.A., and Kleinman, P.J. 2022. Poultry manureshed management: Opportunities and challenges for a vertically integrated industry. Journal of Environmental Quality<\/em>. 51:540-551. DOI: 10.1002\/jeq2.20273.<\/p>\n

5International Comparative Labor Studies, Morehouse College. 2023. Coming Home to Roost: The Hidden Impacts of a Powerful Poultry Industry on Middle Georgia Residents. https:\/\/morehouse.edu\/icls<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Team Lead<\/h4>\n

Whitney Pagan<\/strong>
\nwl59680@uga.edu<\/a>
\nEngineering
\nSchool of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural, and Mechanical Engineering<\/p>\n

Team Members<\/h4>\n

Jenna Jambeck<\/strong>
\njjambeck@uga.edu<\/a>
\nEngineering
\nEnvironmental, Civil, Agricultural, and Mechanical Engineering<\/p>\n

Casey Ritz<\/strong>
\ncritz@uga.edu<\/a>
\nAgricultural and Environmental Sciences
\nPoultry Science<\/p>\n

Brian Kiepper<\/strong>
\nbkiepper@uga.edu<\/a>
\nAgricultural and Environmental Sciences
\nPoultry Science<\/p>\n

Joseph Usack<\/strong>
\nJoseph.Usack@uga.edu<\/a>
\nAgricultural and Environmental Sciences
\nFood Science and Technology<\/p>\n

Gary Hawkins<\/strong>
\nghawkins@uga.edu<\/a>
\nAgricultural and Environmental Sciences
\nCrop and Soil Science<\/p>\n

Miguel Cabrera<\/strong>
\nmcabrera@uga.edu<\/a>
\nAgricultural and Environmental Sciences
\nCrop and Soil Science<\/p>\n

Jeff Mullen<\/strong>
\njmullen@uga.edu<\/a>
\nAgricultural and Environmental Sciences
\nAgricultural & Applied Economics<\/p>\n

Wes Porter<\/strong>
\nwporter@uga.edu<\/a>
\nAgricultural and Environmental Sciences
\nCrop and Soil Science<\/p>\n

Mark Risse<\/strong>
\nmrisse@uga.edu<\/a>
\nAgricultural and Environmental Sciences
\nCrop and Soil Science[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-1684","projects","type-projects","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/team-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/projects\/1684"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/team-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/projects"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/team-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/projects"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/team-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/projects\/1684\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/team-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/team-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}