The objective was to evaluate pork producer's general knowledge regarding waste production and management to help better focus future Extension educational programs. Materials and Methods A 60-item questionnaire was sent to 650 Kansas pork producers with 279 questionnaires returned. Based on demographics collected on hog inventories and type of operations, compared with KS Department of Agriculture statistics, returned surveys were considered to be representative of Kansas pork producers. The remaining producers were using a combination of the two. As environmental regulations require livestock producers to improve their waste management, it is essential to understand the producer's knowledge of the potential environmental hazard their swine waste may pose.
Copper is another mineral with potential environmental problems.
Interestingly, this is a higher percentage than was concerned about nitrate or phosphorus. Over one-half of the producers correctly identified copper sulfate's primary use and function as a growth promotant in starter pig diets. Nutrition and Management One area of emphasis at Kansas State University over the past 10 years has been grinding swine diets to the proper particle size to improve nutrient digestibility and decrease nutrient waste. Although currently not approved for use in commercial swine diets in the United States, it has been shown to increase phytate phosphorus digestion and, thereby, reduce phosphorus content in swine waste. The results of this survey indicate that many producers are not concerned with swine waste as an environmental issue.