The new Air Emissions Laboratory has found ways to reduce the odor expelled in the manure of farm animals through their diets.

The laboratory released the results last week from its first trials on swine diets and their air emissions, which suggest diets with supplemental amino acids could decrease ammonia emissions by up to 45 percent.

Industry diets currently only use the amino acid lysine. Researchers at the laboratory added other amino acids, like methionine and threonine, which reduced emissions but did not have any impact on swine weight.

“All animal feeding operations will probably have to meet air emissions regulations in the future,” said Wendy Powers, associate professor of animal science and faculty member in charge of the laboratory.

Powers said it is unclear right now how the livestock industry will be affected by air emissions regulations, since the regulations are aimed primarily at industrial air emissions.

Maynard Hogberg, professor and chairman of animal science, said the research being conducted at the laboratory is important because it will help the smells in farms be more tolerable. More importantly, Hogberg said, with reduced ammonia there will be cleaner air.

“[The laboratory’s] goal is to see if we can alter the diets to reduce ammonia and other gases that affect the environment,” Hogberg said.

The gases the laboratory is working on are ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, Hogberg said. The laboratory is strictly a research lab, and only four students work there. Although the laboratory has been working only with pigs and chickens, the facilities are prepared to work with larger animals, such as cattle.

Powers said she doesn’t expect work with cattle to begin for a while.

“It’s probably not going to happen in 2006, but it will happen in 2007,” she said.

“Iowa is the No. 1 state in the country for production of laying hens,” said Powers, pointing out how important the research is for local economy.

The trials with laying hens were conducted in collaboration with Purdue University.

Powers said because there is little production of broiler chickens in Iowa, trials were conducted in Ames in collaboration with the University of Maryland, because there is a higher production of broiler chickens in Maryland.

The research could impact livestock production by improving the air quality inside and around production buildings, Hogberg said.

The laboratory began operating in September 2004 and its first trials were concluded in December 2004.