Nutrient Management Planning Concepts

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Nutrient Management Planning Concepts

• Karl VanDevender, Ph.D., P.E.
• Agricultural Engineer

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Agriculture A Three Legged Stool
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Public/Environmental Concerns

• Environmental
• Water Quality
• Air Quality
• Wildlife
• Human Health
• Animal Health
• Farm Production
• Ascetics

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Environmental Issues Involve

• Simple concepts
• Differing perceptions of acceptable risk
• Property rights vs public good issues
• Merging scientific, political, and legal aspects

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Reactions to Environmental Issues

• Environmental activism
• Potential new regulations
• Industry responses
• Positive (pro-active)
• Negative (denial)

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Resolving Environmental Issues

• Easy to find theoretical solutions
• Difficult to find practical, economic, and fair
  solutions
• Final solution often has compromises

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Nutrient Management
A Key Tool
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Why Nutrient Management Planning?

• Objectives
• Use nutrients wisely for optimum economic
  benefits
• Maintain or improve the condition of the soil
• Minimize the impact on the environment
• Often required by law/permit
• To provide legal protection

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Whos Requiring Plans

• In USA
• New federal EPA CAFO regulations
• State regulations
• Federal cost share programs
• In Barbados
• ?

• Sound Stewardship
• Economic
• Production
• Environmental
• Social
• Desire for legal protection?

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The Evolution Of Nutrient ManagementPlanning
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CNMP vs NMP
Other Components
Manure Storage Structures
Nutrient Management Plan
ErosionControl
MortalityDisposal
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Summary Points So Far

• Nutrient planning is here to stay
• A NMP is a subset of a CNMP
• Nutrient planning will continue to evolve
• A permitted NMP is in effect a farm specific law
  and you are legally required to follow it!

• Therefore we need to
• Understand nutrient planning
• Be active in developing NMP
• Implement NMP
• Document with records
• Revise NMP as needed

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Nutrient Flow A Farm Scale Perspective
Goal Inputs Equal Outputs
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Nutrient Flow A Field Scale Perspective
Goal Inputs Equal Outputs
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Nutrient Management Planning Process

• Determine available nutrients
• Litter volume
• Nutrient concentration
• Determine crop needs
• Soil test
• University recommendations
• Allocate nutrients addressing
• Agronomic concerns
• Economic concerns
• Practical concerns
• Environmental concerns
• Legal concerns
• Import/export nutrients as needed

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NMP Planning Process
Putting the P Index to Work
Start
InitialFarm Conditions Management Practices
Change Farm Conditions Management Practices
Calculate Nutrient Loads
No
OK?
Yes
Done
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Summary Thoughts

• NMP is a juggling act
• NMP addresses nutrient allocation movement
• Field level
• Farm level
• P index allows evaluation of options

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Nutrient Management Plan Content

• Farm description
• Soil types
• Nutrient (N,P,K) sources
• Nutrient budget
• Application fields

• Application rates
• Application timing
• Buffer locations
• Additional management strategies

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Requirements for a Successful NMP

• Team approach
• Decision maker land owner
• Plan writer governmental private consultants
• Additional expertise as needed

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Requirements for a Successful NMP

• Information (records, maps, databases)
• Farm management and production
• Soils and environmental
• Litter and soil test analysis
• Environmental and legal issues
• Production issues

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Requirements for aSuccessful NMP

• On farm implementation
• Record keeping
• Refinement modification

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Summary of Nutrient Management Plans

• Sound production practice
• Plan/monitor inputs/outputs for
  production/profits purposes
• Sound environmental practice
• Plan/monitor inputs/outputs for environmental
  management purposes
• Good legal protection (if followed and
  documented)
• Need to be understood and implemented to be
  effective

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Approaches to Nutrient Imbalances

• Reduce Imports Onto Farm
• Increase Exports off of Farm
• Manage Nutrients While on Farm

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Reducing Farm Imports

• Adjust Animal Feeds (Balance Rations)
• Avoid Unnecessary Purchases of Commercial
  Fertilizer

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Increasing Farm Exports

• Manure Sales off Farm
• Move Hay off Farm

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On-Farm Management(Addressed by NMP)

• How Much?
• Where?
• When?

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How Much Nutrients

• Calculated amounts
• Calibrated applications
• Records
• Commercial fertilizer applications
• Litter production/application volumes
• Litter testing
• Soil testing
• Forage testing

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Where to Apply Nutrients

• Follow NMP
• Soil test levels
• Transport factors
• Topography
• Location
• Soil type
• Ground cover
• Vegetative buffers

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When to Apply Nutrients

• Plant growth
• Rain events
• Soil conditions

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Best Management Practices and Effects

• Best management practice
• Split applications
• Application timing
• Grazing management
• Forage removal
• Buffer strips
• Plant annual forages

• Effects
• Reduce runoff
• Reduce runoff
• Increased nutrient use
• Removes nutrients
• Filter nutrients
• Increased nutrient use

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Best Management Practices and Effects

• Best management practice
• Rotate application sites
• Limit application rates
• Sell litter
• Feed litter
• Dont apply to saturated or frozen soils
• Consider use of alum

• Effects
• Reduced nutrients applied
• Reduced nutrients applied
• Reduced nutrients applied
• Reduced nutrients applied?
• Reduced runoff
• (Reduces solubility and makes p biologically
  unavailable)

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Nitrogen or Phosphorus Based???
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Manure Vs Forage NutrientsBroiler Litter and
Fescue
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Example Scenario Comparing N Vs P2O5 Based
Litter Applications

• This example is for a broiler farm consisting of
• 4 houses
• 20,000 (4lb) birds per house
• 5 flocks per year average
• Litter produced will be applied to produce 4 tons
  of fescue per acre

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Example ScenarioAssumptions

• Litter is produced at a rate of 1 ton per 1,000
  birds per flock
• The litter contains 60 lbs n/ton and 55 lbs
  p2o5/ton
• The fescue produced will contain 36 lbs n/ton and
  14 lbs p2o5/ton
• 25 of the N is lost during litter application to
  volatilization
• No other mineralization, denitrification, or
  leaching losses for N or P2O5 are considered

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Example ScenarioLitter Nutrient Information

• 400 tons litter/year
• 18,000 lbs N available/year
• 22,000 lbs P2O5 available/year

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Example ScenarioFescue Nutrient Information

• 4 tons fescue/A
• 144 lbs N required/A
• 56 lbs P2O5 required/A

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Example ScenarioApplication Comparisons
N Based
P2O5 Based

• 125 A required
• 3.2 tons litter/A
• 144 lbs N applied/A
• 176 lbs P2O5 applied/A
• N needs met
• 120 lbs P2O5 surplus/A

• 393 A required
• 1 ton litter/A
• 46 lbs N applied/A
• 56 lbs P2O5 applied/A
• 98 lbs N deficit/A
• P2O5 needs met

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Long Term STP Trends With N Based Applications
SOIL PHOSPHORUS LEVELSBENTON COUNTY ARKANSAS
PASTURES AND HAYLAND
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Questions?