Sidedressing Manure Plots

Every year, small demonstration plots are put out at Farm Science Review to give visitors a look at different management practices they may consider using. This year we added manure into the mix. The intent was to sidedress corn plots with swine manure.

The applicator had two 115 gallon tanks and incorporated the manure as it was applied.

Calibration needed to be done before spreading any manure so we could make sure the entire plot received the same amount of nutrients. Water was used for calibrating so nutrients were not wasted or over-applied.

We had three plots of four corn rows to work with.  In the first we applied straight swine manure and the second we mixed in 5 gallons of 28% for a Nitrogen boost. Manure differs from farm to farm but a lot of times more Nitrogen is need compared to other nutrients like Phosphorus so by adding pure Nitrogen the application rate can be adjusted to meet crop nutrient needs and avoid over-application of some nutrients and under-application of others.

The third plot was manure mixed with a cover crop seed. This is very experimental but the thought behind it was that it may provide more forage for those cutting silage. The corn could also be harvested if the cover crop did not grow very fast and then the cover crops would grow over the winter holding nutrients in the field until it dies and releases nutrients for next year’s crop during decomposition.

You can see the red-orange cover crop seeds that were mixed with the manure

By incorporating the manure into the soil, the loss of Nitrogen to volatilization and the loss of other nutrients to runoff are greatly reduced. The odor from manure is also reduced since it is less exposed to the air. Another advantage of incorporation is to keep manure from running through cracks or worm holes in the soil and reaching the tile lines before the plants have an opportunity to absorb nutrients.

Sidedressing has an advantage over applying to bare soil because the growing crops are able to take advantage of nutrients immediately and less are lost to the elements. Therefore, sidedressing with incorporation on a growing crop should maximize nutrient uptake and crop yields.

Attendees of the 2010 Farm Science Review can visit the plots and see what effect the different treatments had on the corn crop. More information on nutrients applied and application details will be available as well.

Site Considerations Part 4

Neighbor and Community Relations is the fourth and final part of Site Considerations article series. Neighbor and community relations are directly related to the productivity of your farm, and are a critical part of environmental stewardship. Keeping good relations with the community is important in reducing complaints towards the operation and could make the future possibility of expanding much easier. In addition, time spent building these relationships, at your choosing, can maximize your time during critical periods when labor is at a premium.

If you are in a situation when you can predict complaints, then you should make an effort to discuss your production practices with your neighbors. The more they understand what is involved with modern production agriculture , the better the chances are that complaints toward your operation will decrease.

As mentioned earlier, if an operation currently has a negative reputation within the community the idea of expansion is bound to bring opposition, without obvious efforts to establish positive goodwill. These citizens are concerned with water and air quality. They usually are not against animal agriculture but want to maintain a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle. One step you could take is to discuss with them the practices your operation uses to avoid air and water pollution (such as incorporation of manure and following recommended setbacks from environmentally sensitive areas). This will help them understand that spreading manure doesn’t equal pollution and health risks. It may help to let them know the benefits of manure. A couple of these could be the recycling of organic matter and nutrients needed to produce health crops. Aside from community education, there are a few things that you could do around the farm. One you have probably heard before is landscaping. This gives a farm “curb appeal” and will create an image of a well kept farm. Windbreaks will help in keeping the odors from drifting towards neighbors and add to the landscaping of the farm. Windbreaks can be a good investment in reducing odor complaints, however, may take a number of years to establish. Covering a manure storage facility is a more complete way of reducing odors. There are a variety of covers available to fit different farm needs and goals. Doing some research is the best way to determine which cover will fit your farm.

The applying manure can also be a big source of odors. Broadcasting manure causes the most odors because the manure is flung into the air. This releases more odors than direct injection. Direct injection is the best alternative but working the manure into the ground after surface application can help reduce the length of time the smell hangs around. Your decision of when you apply should use some common sense. Applying Friday through Sunday will likely irritate the neighbors more than on days when they are at work, assuming off-farm employment. If it is a nice warm weekend, chances are, people are probably outside working or playing and don’t want to be disrupted by odor. They also may be planning on having guests over. If it is crucial that you apply on the weekend, call the neighbors ahead of time and let them know your plans.

It is important to develop a good relationship with the community around you in order to operate smoothly. Education can be a strong tool for your neighbors. Talk to them or invite them over for a tour. Lastly, remember to be considerate of your neighbors and that they are probably more sensitive to the odors than someone who works around it everyday. Making a few small changes can make a big difference when it comes to neighbor and community relations. To see a complete version of the Site Considerations and past articles visit oema.osu.edu/OEMAPublications.htm and click on the first link Site Considerations for Production Facilities.

Site Considerations Part 3

Manure Utilization Area is the third part of the Site Considerations article series. The focus of this section is to determine what application practices and conditions should be considered to maintain water quality. Since this section looks at management practices rather than structural practices, animal producers or manure applicator can more easily adjust his/her operation to fit within these guidelines.

The first part of a sound manure management program is knowing and planning for manure nutrient recycling. This will ensure that nutrients are fully utilized reducing the potential for manure moving off-site. To evaluate available acres, work through a nutrient management plan for all fields with a growing crop. A nutrient management plan will quantify total nutrients needed which you can match with available manure nutrients produced on your farm. Book values for animal manure are available through the Midwest Plan Service 18 or the Ohio Livestock Manure Management Guide Bulletin 604 produced by Ohio State Extension. To “fine-tune” available manure nutrients, take a manure sample. Make sure it is well agitated if coming from a liquid storage facility. Refrain from pulling samples from the outside layer of stockpiled manure. The Ohio State University is currently working on a nutrient plan called the Nutrient Management Workbook. Through this, producers can fully utilize nutrients across all fields based on crop needs and yield goals. Look for this workbook to be available this summer.

Developing a nutrient management plan will help allocate all nutrients, and if it is approved, can help protect producers from complaints, provided the approved plan is being followed. If there are not enough acres available, there are a few options available. The most desirable solution would be to have more acres under the control of the farm minimizing the risk of sufficient acres available for nutrient recycling.. Renting more acres is also an option but is more volatile than owning land. An opportunity that is becoming more popular is selling manure to row crop producers in close proximity of your operation. Those operations that are looking for ways to cut down on input costs are finding manure is an excellent alternative. This is another reason to get a manure analysis. End users of manure want some assurance of the nutrients they are getting. It will also help determine the value of the manure.

Along with knowing what is being put onto the field, one should also understand the characteristics of the field as well. One of these characteristics is the slope of the cropland. Applying manure to fields with slopes greater than 6% increases the chance manure will reach water supplies during run-off events. If the sloped field is in hay or high residue cover, then the risk is reduced. If at all possible, utilize fields with flatter landscapes for manure application, or implement additional precautions to keep nutrients in the root zone.

Soil tests should also be taken every three years on fields receiving animal manure to document soil nutrient levels. If nutrients levels are increasing over time, you will want to re-evaluate your current nutrient program. On the other hand if you are under applying, it is likely the crop is not reaching its yield potential. Both of these situations can be costly, either through under utilized nutrients or lost yield. A concern facing water quality is phosphorus entering the system. The application of phosphorus, from manure or commercial fertilizer, should be monitored so levels are adequate for the crop being raised. Additional precautions are recommended when soil test levels approach 200-300 lb/ac P₂O₅ (see OSU Bulletin 604 or NRCS Practice Standard 633).

Artificial drainage is helpful in controlling water in the fields and can help prevent losses due to standing water. Unfortunately, it can also be a direct route for nutrients to water sources.  Manure applications are also susceptible to downward movement to subsurface drains and drain outlets should be monitored during application. Control structures can be used to manage these outlets and tile plugs are a means of minimizing or stopping an unwanted discharge. Tile outlets can be an easy source of complaints. Also, it is not recommended to apply manure on fields located within a floodplain during flood season.

Lastly, crop rotation is an important part of any farming operation. Diversifying crops will reduce the risk of disease and pest infestations as well as allow more options for manure applications. With differing nutrient needs and ground cover (e.g. forages, residue, and cover crops), options for nutrient applications will be greater which will aid in the reduction of nutrient loss and the improvement of water quality.

The guidelines and suggestions on manure utilization can be applied to any farm without much difficulty or cost to the producer. Following these guidelines will reduce the risk of receiving complaints based on misapplication and improve the farm’s productivity and financial situation. Developing a sound nutrient management plan is key to productively recycling manure nutrients and ensuring a successful application. To see a complete version of the Site Considerations visit oema.osu.edu/OEMAPublications.htm and click on the first link Site Considerations for Production Facilities.

Site Considerations part 2

Siting Manure Storage Structures is part 2 of four articles focused on siting new and expanding animal feeding operations. This article focuses on new structures but could include existing structures and modifications that can be made to minimize environmental impacts around them. The Site Considerations document can be found at http://oema.osu.edu/OEMAPublications.htm by clicking the first link “Site Considerations for Production Facilities.”

It is important to asses the topography of the area being considered for a manure storage structure. Orientation of the structure relative to the physical characteristics of the land, predominate wind direction as well as neighboring structures should be carefully considered.

It is ideal to locate storage ponds and treatment lagoons at least 300 feet away and fabricated structures to be at least 50 feet away from groundwater wells. Drinking water protection areas have been identified as sensitive areas and should be avoided with any type of manure storage structure. If there is a public surface water intake nearby, the recommended set back distance is 1,500 feet between the water intake and the manure storage structure. Another site consideration is streams. These are direct links to larger water resources requiring additional precautions. Therefore, locate manure treatment lagoons and storage structures at least 300 feet away and fabricated structures at least 120 feet away from these surface water resources.

Watersheds level planning is an important component to clean water. If a structure is located within a watershed that supports a cold water habitat be sure to set up additional protocols to protect the area. If the structure has not been built yet, try to locate outside of these sensitive areas.

The aquifer setback is the same as that mentioned in the animal housing article. The ideal location has 15 or more vertical feet of low permeable material between the uppermost aquifer and the bottom of the storage structure. There are additional engineering controls that you can implement to protect these aquifers if there is less than 15 vertical feet to an aquifer. Karst areas (landforms that have developed in or on limestone, dolomite or gypsum and cause sinkholes, underground drainage or caves) are another geographical feature where additional steps need to be implemented to reduce potential impact, especially if actual Karst features are present at the site.

Before siting an earthen manure storage facility, a geological investigation should occur. These types of investigations will assess the surface and subsurface geological characteristics that may impact groundwater. A geological report will outline any applicable site limitations and may include construction recommendations. The vertical distance to bedrock should be investigated as well. Constructing a storage facility with less than 3 feet to bedrock should be avoided. Ohio Department of Natural Resources has developed DRASTIC maps for most of Ohio. DRASTIC maps assess the Depth to water, net Recharge, Aquifer media, Soil media, Topography, Impact of the vadose zone media and hydraulic Conductivity of the aquifer which are key indicators of groundwater vulnerability to contamination and are represented as a DRASTIC Index. An area with a low DRASTIC Index has characteristics which are more protective of groundwater than areas with higher index scores. Locating within areas with low DRASTIC scores are lower risk sites than are those with higher DRASTIC scores.

To reduce the risk of complaints, be sure to locate new structures at least 100 feet away from public roads and property lines. When deciding on a building location, place at least 1,000 feet between a manure treatment lagoon or storage pond and a neighbor’s property or 500 feet between a solid manure structure and a neighbor. For existing sites needing odor control, consider additional manure treatment technologies. Covered storage structures will reduce odors, reduce storage requirements by minimize rainwater and can reduce nutrient loss. Both of these provide a cost savings.

One-hundred year floodplain areas should be avoided. Any area that has a one percent chance of flooding in any given year is a 100-year flood plain. If you are located in an area prone to flooding, you may need to get permits and take additional precautions to minimize the risks of this location. Locating in a floodplain may inundate the storage structure with flood water and compromise the structure and/or displace manure from the facility causing water quality concerns.

Animal operations should strive to have a volume of manure storage sufficient for periods when fields  are not available or field conditions are less than ideal for manure nutrient applications. Manure storage will also provide more flexibility to allocate nutrients to fields based on crop need, reducing excess nutrient application.

Site Considerations for Animal Producers

Are you considering building a new or expanding an existing animal feeding facility? If so, have you thought everything through? What about the effects your new building site may have on the environment and/or your community? Perhaps you should take a look at the Siting Considerations for Production Facilities guidelines before you start your next building project. Remember location, location, location.

Siting Considerations were developed by The Ohio State University Extension in cooperation with Ohio’s Commodity groups, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Livestock Environmental Permitting Program, and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to provide guidelines for those involved in the building process with the objective of protecting water and air resources, maintain social responsibility, and ensure the economical viability of the business. It is a tool which aids in identifying important characteristics associated with a building site and identifies strengths and weaknesses of the proposed construction site. If a characteristic of the site is found to be outside recommended parameters the cost of implementing one or more Best Management Practices (BMP) or Best Available Technologies (BAT) to reduce the potential environmental impact should be compared with moving to an alternative site.

There are four major areas of this siting process which should be evaluated before construction and these are: Animal Housing Facilities, Manure Storage Structure, Manure Utilization, and Neighbors and Community Relations. Each section identifies specific characteristics important to maintaining air and water resources as well as social responsibility. For each characteristics a series of parameters and recommendations are presented. A Siting Considerations packet contains a binder with a worksheet for each area or category, a field card for easy reference on site, a brochure with a quick overview of the Siting Considerations, and a CD with full Siting Considerations material in electronic format. Over the coming issues each of these four areas will be discussed in detail starting with the Animal Housing Facility.

Siting Considerations Section 1- Animal Housing Facility

The Animal Housing Facility section looks at the physical features surrounding the building site and its potential impacts. The majority of siting characteristics associated with siting an animal production facility focus on minimizing water quality impacts. Distance to wells and drinking water protection areas from the production facility are among these. It is recommended that a building site be located 50 feet or more from a well. Locate an animal production facility within this separation distance has a higher potential of impacting this groundwater resource. In addition, animal production facilities should be sited outside public drinking water protection areas since these typically provide a significant portion of a community’s public drinking water.

Groundwater is also a concern and it is recommended building with a minimum of 15 vertical feet between the building and the aquifer. If this separation distance is less than 15 feet additional practices should be considered to protect groundwater resources.

For those unfamiliar with karst areas, they are landforms that have developed in or on limestone, dolomite or gypsum and cause sinkholes, underground drainage or caves. If a site is located within a karst area with actual karst features, consider moving sites or take additional precautions to minimize environmental impacts in these geological areas.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources has developed and made available DRASTIC maps for most of Ohio’s counties. The acronym stands for Depth to water, net Recharge, Aquifer media, Soil media, Topography, Impact of the vadose zone media and hydraulic Conductivity of the aquifer and is an indicator of groundwater vulnerability to contamination.  Drastic Index values less than 120 have characteristics which are more protective of groundwater than are higher scores. Building sites with DRASTIC scores of greater than 120 are expected to be more susceptible to impacting water resources and additional design and construction considerations may be applicable.

Make sure the quality and quantity of water available for the site is known. It is important to balance the quantity and quality of water available with the needs of the animal operation. If these parameters are unknown additional investigation is warranted prior to construction. If an operation’s daily water requirements are greater than or equal to the daily water availability, developing water conservation practices or identifying alternative supplies may be necessary to ensure the quantity and quality of water is sufficient for the facility.

Bio-security should be a concern for every producer and considered when evaluating a building site. Consider the proximity of the proposed site to other operations of the same species. There are no set rules for determining separation distances for production facilities as circumstances for each facility are determined by producer preferences. Another important consideration is traffic flow into, around and out of each site. Carefully consider orientation of buildings and movement of support vehicles and equipment when determining surface area needs.

Floodplains are easily forgotten during dry weather conditions but building in a 100-year floodplain can be problematic during periods of heavy rainfall. Siting production facilities outside a 100 year floodplain is recommended.

Site location is critical and may determine how well that facility will function. However, geologic aspects of a site are important to considerations as well. What lies below the soil surface may have as big an impact on the profitability of the operation as does the geographic location of the facility. Siting a facility is a critical decision that should be fully evaluated. These siting guidelines help identify specific characteristics that should be considered to ensure the identified location will fit the needs of the operation long-term. For more a comprehensive list of siting characteristics, definitions, charts, maps and reference materials visit oema.osu.edu/OEMAPublications.htm. The next Siting Considerations article will focus on siting manure storage structures.

Winter Application

With the rising cost of commercial fertilizers and growing environmental concerns about air and water quality issues, proper application of manure is critical. With winter coming, producers will be making decisions about spreading manure on frozen and snow-covered ground. Now is not the time to shirk on proper application methods.

Ohio producers are still allowed to apply on frozen ground but this option could be revoked if water quality is not the top priority when applying manure on frozen and/or snow-covered ground. Constant changes in weather are typical of winters in Ohio which increases the potential for manure run-off. Run-off leads to the pollution of water resources including streams, waterways, and wells. Not only does this impact water quality but the nutrients are lost and not available for your crop. All of this can lead to a negative image of your operation and production agriculture as a whole. It is important to remember that any manure entering any water resource is in violation of Ohio’s agriculture pollution abatement laws.

The USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Practice Standard 633, Waste Utilization outline the Best Management Practice to reduce a producer’s risk of breaking the law. This Practice Standard will also help producers recycle nutrients more efficiently reducing the need for commercial fertilizer. Although Best Management Practices can help reduce the risk of pollution, one must keep in mind that the potential for manure run-off increases during winter application. This is why winter application of manure is not recommended and should only be done as a last resort.

A lack of manure storage capacity is usually the reason most manure is applied on frozen or snow-covered ground. Every producer should take a look at their manure storage capacity for the next 6 months. If there is not enough vacant storage to last through the winter, then hauling manure this fall should be a priority.

Some operations will not be able to make adjustments for this winter but they can start planning now. If an operation has a frequent hauling schedule (daily to monthly) or not enough storage to make it through the winter, their options are stockpiling or applying. Find fields that have the lowest risk of run-off and have at least 90% residue cover. This could be cornstalks after grain harvest or a cover crop planted early enough to reach the necessary 90% cover. Check with your local OSU Extension office or SWCD office because they can provide assistance.

If manure application is necessary on frozen or snow-covered soils, only enough manure should be applied to address storage limitations until non-frozen soils become available and only when ALL of the following criteria are met:

· Application rates are limited to 10 wet tons/acre for solid manure more than 50% moisture and 5 wet tons for manure less than 50% moisture. For liquid manure the application rate is limited to 5,000 gallons/acre.

· Applications are to be made on land with at least 90% surface residue cover (e.g. good quality hay or pasture field, all corn grain residues remaining after harvest, all wheat residue cover remaining after harvest, well established cover crop).

· Manure shall not be applied on more than 20 contiguous acres. Each 20 acre block should be separated by a break of at least 200 feet.

· Utilize fields which are furthest from streams, ditches, waterways, surface inlets, etc. and are least likely to have manure move in a concentrated flow toward and into our water resources.

· Increase the application setback distance to a minimum of 200 feet from environmentally sensitive areas and areas of concentrated flow such as grassed waterways, surfaced drainage ditches, streams, surface inlets, and water bodies. This distance may need to be greater when local conditions warrant (e.g. – fields with more slope).

· For ODA permitted facilities and CLMs, setbacks should be 300 feet from wells and residences.

· Manure applied on frozen or snow-covered ground should not exceed the nitrogen need of the next growing crop, or the crop removal rate for P₂O₅ for the next crop (not to exceed 250 lbs/ac), or the crop K₂O needs (not to exceed 500 lbs/ac) or 10 wet tons > 50% moisture; 5 wet tons < 50% moisture; or 5,000 gallons of liquid manure per acre. Application rates are based upon the most limiting of these options.

For fields with slopes greater than 6%, manure should be applied in alternating strips 60 to 200 feet wide generally on the contour, or in the case of contour strips, on alternating strips at rates identified above. Application rates, and cover and set-back requirements also apply.

In order to reduce the need for winter application several options are available. Increasing storage capacity may be the answer for some and incentive programs may be available through the local USDA-NRCS or SWCD offices to help off-set these costs. Another solution is implementing Best Management Practices for recycling manure nutrients and producer’s can find technical assistance for this.

Developing a manure management plan and modifying crop rotations may be necessary for some. Winter application should not be part of a manure management plan and it should only be viewed as a last resort. Remember that if manure application during winter is necessary, preplanning to avoid fields where potential run-off could enter water passages will reduce pollution.

Some states have prohibited manure application on frozen or snow-covered ground but it is still an option with very careful management in Ohio. This option, however, could be eliminated if pollution problems from manure run-off continue. More information on winter manure application can be located through you local SWCD, NRCS, or OSU Extension offices or the USDA-NRCS, Practice Standard 633. Visit http://oema.osu.edu for additional manure management information.