Manure and Nutrient Management Planning

Manure and nutrient management has become the hot topic for the 21 century. The Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) puts these issues together into a useful agricultural tool for livestock producers. A CNMP combines managing the source, rate, form, timing, placement and utilization of manure, commercial fertilizer, and other nutrients in the soil.  The goal is to manage the nutrient resources available to adequately supply the soils and plants while minimizing the transport of nutrients to ground water, surface water, and environmental degradation. It may be hard to believe a CNMP could put this many things together so please read on to find out more.

 

What is a CNMP?

The Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) is a component of your conservation plan.  It is used in conjunction with crop rotations, residue management, pest management, conservation buffer practices, and/or other practices needed on a site-specific basis to address natural resource concerns and landowner objectives. A CNMP also takes into account the nutrient levels in soils, residues, manures, and commercial fertilizers used in a crop production system to help prevent nutrient pollution in ground and surface water. The Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan gives you exact site-specific nutrient recommendations to benefit your crops while benefiting the environment. In the end and CNMP helps with farm economics, environmental issues, and public relations.

Why is a CNMP important?

The State of Ohio Pollution Abatement Regulations, Chapter 1511, 1515, and Administrative Rule 1501 of the OHIO REVISED CODE requires wastes (manure, milkhouse waste, silo drainage, etc.) to be managed so as not to enter the waters of the State. A CNMP provides the basic information on how the wastes produced from your operation, and/or applied on your fields, will be utilized.  Following your CNMP will keep you in compliance with the State of Ohio Pollution Abatement Regulations.

 

 The Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan also makes you eligible for any available state and federal cost-share for conservation projects on your farm. Cost-share could be available to help you construct manure storage structures, waterways, or grassed filter strips.

 

Why should I have a CNMP?

There are many reasons to have a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan in place for your operation, here are just a few of those reasons.

 

Ø Nutrient applications budgets for each of your specific fields for all the years in your crop rotation tailored with you to fit your crop and soils needs

 

Ø Helps to put you in compliance with the State of Ohio Pollution Abatement Regulations as well as protecting you from certain nuisance complaints and lawsuits.

 

Ø Makes you eligible for state and federal cost-share money, EQIP, and may be required by your lending institution for future loans.

 

Ø Gives you lists of environmentally sensitive areas on your farm and gives you the nutrient application setback distances for each sensitive area.

 

Ø Aerial photos and soils maps are supplied to you inside a CNMP showing all the areas of your operation.

 

Ø Provides one convenient place to keep all soil and manure tests along with other related farm records.

 

Ø A written description of your farming enterprise along with any plans, idea, or suggestions for the future

 

Ø Ideas to help make your operation more economically, environmentally and socially efficient.

 

And the best part about it is that it’s free! That’s right it’s a free service the only thing that a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan costs you is the time to fill out the forms to get a CNMP started. Now ask your self for all the benefits of a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan how can I afford not to have one in place for my farm? So give us a call, ask us about getting a CNMP started for your operation.

 

Other helpful Manure and  Nutrient Management Planning sites,

 

Ohio Livestock Manure and Wastewater Management Guide

 

Land Application of Waste… Spreading and Injection

 

Avoiding Stream Pollution from Animal Manure

 

Best Management Practices: A Manure Nutrient Management Practices

 

Best Management Practices: Land Application of Animal Manure

 

An Economic Comparison of Three Manure Handling System

 

 

Manure and Nutrient Management Planning