There are several options when the manure nutrients generated are beyond what is sustainable for land application. Some options will be more or less favorable, depending on a farmer’s goals and preferences. Options include:
1) Evaluating the feed rations based on the requirements of the animals. Reducing the phosphorus in feed rations will have a direct and immediate impact on reducing the phosphorus in the manure.
2) Reducing livestock numbers to better fit with the land base.
3) Increasing the available land base for manure applications. This can happen through many different arrangements other than purchasing the land, including manure application leases, selling manure, bartering with a neighbor. or other creative arrangements.
4) Manure treatment strategies generally do not reduce the phosphorus but may segregate it so that it is more easily dealt with or creates a product that is more easily transported, sold, or given away for off-site utilization at agronomic rates.
5) Altering the crop rotation to crops that utilize more nutrients will not create a significant impact on the whole farm balance. In a livestock situation, the crops are generally grown for feed such that altering the rotation is not a viable option. Even when alternative crops are an option, this often provides minimal impact on the whole farm balance. Greater crop diversity may provide more options for applying manure to fields that do not normally receive manure over the life of the rotation on a field-specific basis but may not alter the whole farm nutrient balance.
Author: Natalie Rector, Michigan State University, Extension Nutrient Management Field Specialist
