and leaching of manure nutrients during winter from forage stands will be less than from bare soil or cover Low-disturbance methods for applying slurry manure on forages crops after harvest of annual crops. are needed that can maximize crop response and minimize loss of

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized patients frequently have urinary catheters inserted for inappropriate reasons. This can lead to urinary tract infections and other complications.OBJECTIVE: To assess whether stop orders for indwelling urinary catheters reduces the duration of inappropriate urinary catheterization and the incidence of urinary tract infections. DESIGN:A randomized controlled trial was conducted in three tertiary-care hospitals in Ontario, Canada. Patients with indwelling urinary catheters were randomized to prewritten orders for the removal of urinary catheters if specified criteria were not present or to usual care.PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred ninety-two hospitalized patients admitted to hospital with indwelling urinary catheters inserted for ≤48 h. MEASUREMENTS:The main outcomes included days of inappropriate indwelling catheter use, total days of catheter use, frequency of urinary tract infection, and catheter reinsertions. RESULTS:There were fewer days of inappropriate and total urinary catheter use in the stop-order group than in the usual care group (difference −1.69 [95% CI −1.23 to −2.15], P<0.001 and −1.34 days, [95% CI, −0.64 to −2.05 days], P<0.001, respectively). Urinary tract infections occurred in 19.0% of the stop-order group and 20.2% of the usual care group, relative risk 0.94 (95% CI, 0.66 to 1.33), P=0.71. Catheter reinsertion occurred in 8.6% of the stop-order group and 7.0% in the usual care group, relative risk 1.23 (95% CI, 0.72 to 2.11), P=0.45. CONCLUSIONS:Stop orders for urinary catheterization safely reduced duration of inappropriate urinary catheterization in hospitalized patients but did not reduce urinary tract infections.KEY WORDS: urinary tract infections; urinary catheters; randomized controlled trial; stop order.

Ammonia (NH3) emission from animal manure contributes to air pollution and ecosystem degradation, and the loss of reactive nitrogen (N) from agricultural systems. Estimates of NH3 emission are necessary for national inventories and nutrient management, and NH3 emission from field-applied manure has been measured in many studies over the past few decades. In this work, we facilitate the use of these data by collecting and organizing them in the ALFAM2 database. In this paper we describe the development of the database and summarise its contents, quantify effects of application methods and other variables on emission using a data subset, and discuss challenges for data analysis and model development. The database contains measurements of emission, manure and soil properties, weather, application technique, and other variables for 1899 plots from 22 research institutes in 12 countries. Data on five manure types (cattle, pig, mink, poultry, mixed, as well as sludge and "other") applied to three types of crops (grass, small grains, maize, as well as stubble and bare soil) are included. Application methods represented in the database include broadcast, trailing hose, trailing shoe (narrow band application), and open slot injection. Cattle manure application to grassland was the most common combination, and analysis of this subset (with dry matter (DM) limited to <15%) was carried out using mixed-and fixed-effects models in order to quantify effects of management and environment on ammonia emission, and to highlight challenges for use of the database. Measured emission from cattle slurry ranged from < 1% to 130% of applied ammonia after 48 hours. Results showed clear, albeit variable, reductions in NH3 emission due to trailing hose, trailing shoe, and open slot injection of slurry compared to broadcast application. There was evidence of positive effects of air temperature and wind speed on NH3 emission, and limited evidence of effects of slurry DM. However, random-effects coefficients for differences among research institutes were among the largest model coefficients, and 4 showed a deviation from the mean response by more than 100% in some cases. The source of these institute differences could not be determined with certainty, but there is some evidence that they are related to differences in soils, or differences in application or measurement methods. The ALFAM2 database should be useful for development and evaluation of both emission factors and emission models, but users need to recognize the limitations caused by confounding variables, imbalance in the dataset, and dependence among observations from the same institute. Variation among measurements and in reported variables highlights the importance of international agreement on how NH3 emission should be measured, along with necessary types of supporting data and standard protocols for their measurement. Both are needed in order to produce more accurate and useful ammonia emission measurements. Expansion of the ALFAM2 database will continue, and readers are invited...

perennial grasses several times through the growing season; grasslands pose less of a risk of leaching or runoff Efficient use of slurry manure nutrients for feeding forage crops losses, because the ground is always covered; and there on dairy farms is important. The main objective of this study was to compare the response of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.)is less risk of pathogenic contamination of grasses than to N in dairy (Bos taurus ) slurry manure applied with a splash plate edible crops.(broadcasting) or a drag-shoe (surface banding) applicator, and broad-By applying manure to grassland over the growing cast mineral fertilizer, in spring, summer, and autumn. The effects of season, storage facilities can be emptied before autumn, delayed application and band spacing were also examined. The study so that less storage capacity is required and the need was conducted from 1994 to 1996 in southwestern British Columbia to dispose of the manure on bare land in the autumn on a Monroe series soil described as a Eutrochrept (eluviated eutric is less likely. Brunisol) of moderate to good drainage. Dairy slurry was applied atUnfortunately, it has been difficult for farmers to two rates (50 and 100 kg ha Ϫ1 of NH 3 -N) with splash plate or drageffectively utilize slurry rather than fertilizer on grassshoe applicators at the beginning of growth (early) or 7 to 10 d later (late). Ammonium nitrate fertilizer was broadcast at 0 to 125 kg N land as the primary source of N (Whitehead, 1995). ha Ϫ1 in 25-kg increments (only 50 and 100 kg ha Ϫ1 rates on the lateWith commonly available slurry broadcasting equipdate). Yield response to manure banded with the drag-shoe applicator ment (splash plate applicators), spreading must be done was similar to fertilizer applied at equivalent rates of mineral N. Yield before there is any growth in spring or soon after harresponse to splash-plate-applied manure was generally 0.5 to 1.0 Mg vest, to avoid fouling or burning the regrowth. Uniform ha Ϫ1 lower than to fertilizer in summer and spring, but similar in application is difficult to achieve with broadcasters, esautumn. Total N uptake was 15 to 20 kg ha Ϫ1 greater from drag-shoe pecially in windy conditions. Slurry applied with the than from splash-plate applied manure at high N application rate in conventional splash plate applicator may lose up to 80% spring and summer; differences in autumn were smaller. Treatment

. 2006. Lipid content and fatty acid composition of grasses sampled on different dates through the early part of the growing season. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 86: 279-290. In order to explore the value of herbage for the production of ruminant products with a high content of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a study was undertaken to determine the content of fatty acids that can be hydrogenated [hydrogenatable fatty acids (HFA)] in herbage of three cool-season forage grasses, orchardgrass (OG), perennial ryegrass (PRG) and tall fescue (TF). Dry matter (DM) yield, lipid content (ether extract) and fatty acid concentration (weight percent of detected fatty acids) on five sampling dates in the spring of 2004 were determined. HFA is the available substrate for the production and deposition of fatty acid bioconversion products in ruminants that consume the grass. Fatty acid content of the grasses was estimated as the product of fatty acids concentration (weight percent) and lipid content (ether extract), while HFA was estimated as the sum of the content of C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3. The DM yield of the three species of grasses increased (P < 0.05) between Mar. 29 and Apr. 28, after which the increase was observed for TF followed by PRG. However, the lipid content decreased in all the grasses over the 140 d of sampling. Although concentration of the saturated fatty acids and C18:1 and C18:2 increased over the sampling period, the content did not alter substantially. In OG samples, C18:2 concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) than those in PRG or TF in all samples. The concentration and content of C18:3 was highest (P < 0.05) in all the forages, but declined progressively. Results indicate that the availability of HFA is greatest in OG and PRG, especially in the early samples, but DM yields are low; however, later in the season TF produces more DM but with substantially reduced lipid and HFA content.Key words: Orchard grass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, hydrogenatable fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, ruminants Mir, P. S., Bittman, S., Hunt, D., Entz, T. et Yip, B. 2006. Teneur en lipides et composition des acides gras des graminées échantillonnées à divers moments au début de la période végétative. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 86: 279-290. Pour mieux connaître la valeur des herbages devant servir à l'obtention de produits animaux riches en acide linoléique conjugué (ALC), les auteurs ont entrepris d'établir la concentration des acides gras qu'on pourrait hydrogéner (acides gras hydrogénables -AGH) dans l'herbage de trois graminées de saison fraîche, en l'occurrence le dactyle pelotonné (DP), le ray-grass vivace (RV) et la fétuque élevée (FE). Ils ont déterminé le rendement en matière sèche (MS), la teneur en lipides (extraits à l'éther) et la concentration d'acides gras (pourcentage en masse des acides gras identifiés) dans les plantes à cinq dates, au printemps 2004. Chez les ruminants mis à l'herbe, les AGH servent de substrat à la synthèse et à l'accumulation des produits de la bioconversion des acides gras. Les auteurs estiment...

Early P nutrition in corn (Zea mays L.) is important for early growth and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may help juvenile corn plants access soil P. The role of AMF colonization in manured soils and the impact of AMF on the need for starter P is not well known. This study was designed to assess the response of corn with contrasting levels of AMF colonization to low rates of starter P under inputs of broadcast liquid dairy manure or N and P fertilizer. The study was conducted on a high-P-testing soil in south-coastal British Columbia. Contrasting AMF colonization was achieved by growing corn either after corn or after fallow. Both AMF colonization and starter P improve early growth and, to a lesser extent, final harvest even on a relatively high P soil receiving a heavy application of P as broadcast liquid dairy manure or fertilizer. The effects of AMF colonization and starter P were additive, so both contribute to maximum yield. Our study suggests that practices favoring AMF colonization will help juvenile corn plants take up P. While strategically placed low rates of starter P were beneficial for juvenile plants, these treatments were less effective than conventional sidebanding at 30 kg P ha 21 because the effect did not carry forward to final harvest, even in corn that was well colonized by AMF. Therefore, better nutrient strategies and AMF colonization are needed to ensure that corn crops will gain sufficient P with minimum starter mineral fertilizer on manured soils.

Removing solids from slurry manure helps balance nutrients to plant needs and may increase soil infiltration rate toreduce loss of ammonia. The long-term effects of applying the separated liquid fraction (SLF) of dairy slurry with surface banding applicators are not well known. This 6-yr study compared the yield, N recovery, and stand persistence of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) receiving SLF at 300 (SLF300) and 400 (SLF400) kg ha(-1) yr(-1) of total ammoniacal N (TAN); whole dairy slurry (WS) at 200 (WS200), 300 (WS300), and 400 (WS400) kg TAN ha(-1) yr(-1); and mineral fertilizerat 300 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1). The slurries were applied four times per year by surface banding, a technique that reduces ammonia emission and canopy contamination. Grass yield and N uptake were significantly higher for SLF300 than WS300 atequivalent rates of TAN. At similar total N, yield and N uptake were much greater for SLF than WS (2 Mg DM ha(-1) and 75 kg N ha(-1), respectively). Apparent total N recoverywas 63% greater for SLF300 than WS300 due to less ammonia loss and less immobile N. The apparent recovery of total N was 31% higher for Fert300 than for SLF300. Yield and N uptake for SLF300 and WS300 were similar in Harvests 1 and4, but SLF had higher values under hot and dry conditions in Harvests 2 and 3. Using SLF rather than WS will increase crop yield and allow higher application volumes near barns, whichwill reduce hauling costs.

Rapid infiltration of liquid manure into the soil reduces emissions of ammonia (NH(3)) into the atmosphere. This study was undertaken to assess the effects of two low-cost methods of assisting infiltration of applied dairy slurry on emissions of NH(3), nitrous oxide (N(2)O), and on crop N uptake. The two methods were removing of solids by settling-decantation to make the manure less viscous and mechanically aerating the soil. Ammonia emissions were measured with wind tunnels as percentage of applied total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) while emissions of N(2)O were measured with vented chambers. Mechanically aerating the soil before manure application significantly reduced emissions of NH(3) relative to the nonaerated soil in spring (38.6 to 20.3% of applied TAN), summer (41.1 to 26.4% of applied TAN) and fall (27.7 to 13.6% of applied TAN) trials. Decantation of manure had no effect on NH(3) emissions in spring, tended to increase emissions in summer and significantly decreased emissions in fall (30.3 to 11.1% of applied TAN). Combining the two abatement techniques reduced NH(3) emission by 82% in fall, under cool weather conditions typical of manure spreading. The two abatement techniques generally did not significantly affect N(2)O emissions. Uptake of applied N by Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) was generally significantly greater with decanted than from whole manure but the effect of aeration was generally small and not significant. The study shows that low cost methods that assist manure infiltration into the soil may be used to greatly reduce ammonia loss without increasing N(2)O emissions, but efficacy of abatement methods is affected by weather conditions.