From OSU CFAES News:
Ag attorney sheds light on manure handling application regulations. Peggy Kirk-Hall has released a summary of Ohio’s laws relating to livestock manure management, including the ODA’s Livestock Environmental Permitting and Certified Livestock Manager certification, National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, and the ODNR’s Agricultural Pollution Abatement program. Bulletin
From Stan Smith (OSU):
Grazing Recycles Nutrients. Missouri researchers estimated that 75-85% of forage nutrients consumed are recycled via grazing animals. For continuing grazing, they calculated that it would take 27 years to distribute one manure pile every square yard; whereas, dividing the pasture into paddocks and using a 2-day rotation would require only 2 years. Article
From Conservation News Briefs via Andrew Londo (OSU):
Manure offsets fertilizer’s nano-scale changes. A University of Washington researcher found that application of chemical fertilizers destroyed the structure of minerals in the soil. Untreated soil and soil with chemical fertilizers and hog manure retained the nanominerals. Article
From Jill Heemstra (LPELC):
LPELC September newsletter online. Watch a short video about poultry antibiotic use, explore population density by county with a fun (my opinion) interactive tool, and learn about solid manure digestion, best manure for growing tomatoes, and more. Newsletter
From Mike Monnin (USDA NRCS):
Dangerous manure moves to a higher level. Partipants at a seminar in PA were cautioned to consider outdoor manure storage to be a confined space. Anaerobic conditions in storage structures generate methane gas as well as hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The sulfur in gypsum that used as a bedding amendment is converted to H2S, which is toxic at very low concentrations. Article
From AgAnswers:
Cover Crops Field Guide for farmers expanded, updated. The pocket guide, produced by Purdue University and the Midwest Cover Crops Council, provides information on cropping systems, effects on cash crop yields, seeding rates, and benefits. Article
Study: Most farmers willing to take more steps to improve water quality. A survey of Maumee watershed farmers and a study of farmer’s adoption of the 4R Nutrient Management strategies indicated that most are willing to take at least one additional action to reduce nutrient loss on their farm. However, specific recommendations and economic impacts are key. Article
From USDA ARS:
Delta backwaters can capture field runoff pollutants. Oxbow lakes, which are abandoned channels of meandering rivers , may improve water quality downstream by capturing sediments, nutrients, and pesticides. Researchers studying the delta Mississippi delta had promising results. Article
Choosing the right season for applying chicken litter in the south. Researchers in Mississippi found that applying poultry litter in the spring yielded up to 16.7% more corn compared to fall applications. And, compared to commercial N applications, yields with the poultry litter were lower the first year of the study, but surpassed the commercial fertilizer in years 2 and 3. Article
Mary Wicks | PROBE Coordinator
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center