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If you have a confinement feeding
operation with more than 500 animal units that was constructed
or expanded after May 31, 1985, a 2002 state law requires you
to implement the Iowa Phosphorus (P) Index as part of your manure
management plan. This requirement is not new; yet implementing
this particular part of the manure management plan requires a
substantial amount of planning.
What is a P Index Plan?
A P Index plan requires that you run the P Index software on
each field in your plan that receives manure. This software calculates
the potential risk of loss of phosphorus (P) from a field. Depending
on your risk rating, it will allow you to continue to apply manure
on a nitrogen-based rate or will require that you implement some
type of P management plan to reduce that risk of loss of P from
the field. Because erosion is the primary factor determining
loss of P from fields, the P Index software uses the Revised
Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE2) to calculate soil loss.
Phosphorus planning is a good
practice for all livestock and crop producers when managing crop
nutrients. Livestock producers who are required to submit Manure
Management Plans to the DNR are required to include a Phosphorus
Index according to a phase-in schedule set by 2002 legislation.
Don't wait
With fieldwork and planting season upon us, please be advised
of the deadline for your manure management plan. If you plan
to develop your P Index plan on your own, start early. Make sure
your soil samples are recent and have been taken according to
the rules. Seek training to ensure the accuracy of using the
P Index Calculator and the RUSLE2 software, have your data organized
and readily available. Collect the necessary information from
your neighbors who may receive manure as part of a manure easement
or agreement. You will need to include P Index calculations and
have the required soil samples on those fields as well as your
own.
DNR field offices notify producers
45 days before the due date of each annual MMP update. If your
plan is in the category of requiring a P Index, the notification
letter you receive from the DNR field office may specifically
state that you need to include the P Index with your next update,
or it may simply explain the dates established by the law. In
any event, even if you aren't notified by the DNR, the rules
require that you comply with the P Index MMP requirements that
apply to your operation.
If you are notified by the DNR
that your next MMP update must include the P Index, double check
your records to make sure you filed an original MMP between April
1, 2002, and Oct. 24, 2004. If you didn't, a P Index MMP is not
yet required and you should contact the DNR field office to verify
your records with theirs.
Hiring a Consultant
If you don't plan to develop the P Index plan yourself, you should
plan to contact a consultant who can help prepare your plan.
Please see below for a link to a list of consultants.
If you do plan to hire a consultant,
you should start this process early, perhaps two to three months
in advance of when your plan is due. If you need to meet the
soil sampling requirements, you may need to start that process
six to nine months in advance of when your plan is due. Make
sure you have copies of all of the needed information.
Below are some things to consider
when choosing a manure management plan consultant:
- Have you developed plans for
my type of operation?
- Have you been trained to develop
P Index plans?
- Will you provide recordkeeping
assistance?
- What kind of follow-support
do you provide for my plan?
- What do you charge and what
services will I receive for this charge?
The plan for your operation should
be more than an application rate; it should allocate nutrients
to a field based on what crop will be grown and the nutrients
needed to grow that crop. Understanding how the plan was developed
and how changes to your daily operation may affect your plan
are crucial. Manure is a valuable nutrient resource so manage
it wisely.
| Manure
and Nutrient Management Plan Resources |
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Sources:
· Iowa Manure Matters Odor and Nutrient Management Newsletter,
Spring 2007
· Iowa DNR web site, www.iowadnr.com/afo
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