Microbial Characteristics and Safety of Dairy Manure ComPosting for Reuse as Dairy Bedding

Abstract

Changes in bacterial community, phenotype, metabolic function, and pathogenic bacteria content in recycled manure solids (RMS) were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, Bugbase, picrost2, and qPCR, respectively. The data from RMS bedding were compared to those of sand bedding and rice husk bedding. The results show that the proportion of potentially pathogenic bacteria among the manure flora of RMS after dry and wet separation, after composting, and after sun-cure storage was 74.00%, 26.03%, and 49.067%, respectively. Compared to RMS bedding, the proportion of potentially pathogenic microorganisms in sand bedding and rice husk bedding was higher. The picrust2 analyses show that the level of lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis changed significantly during RMS processing. In addition, the qPCR results show that composting could effectively reduce the detection and quantification of pathogens, except Streptococcus uberis, in RMS bedding. In general, composting is an essential step to improve the safety of bedding materials in the process of fecal treatment. However, at the same time, RMS bedding may increase the risk of mastitis caused by Streptococcus uberis.

Keywords

• recycled manure solids
• drum composter
• bedding material
• pathogenic bacteria
• bacterial phenotype