VERMONT
Name of Institution : University of Vermont , Nutrient and Manure Management
Contact: Sid Bosworth, Plant and Soil Science Department, University of Vermont
Link: http://pss.uvm.edu/vtcrops/?Page=nutrientmanure.html
Site Profile:
Articles:
Nutrient Management:
- Nutrient Recommendations for Field Crops in Vermont
- High Fertilizer Prices Require Good Nutrient Management
- How Much Nitrogen Does Your Corn Need?
- Starter Fertilizer for Corn in Vermont
- Phosphorus and Potassium for Alfalfa-Grass Forages
- Managing High K Forages for the Dry Cow
- Manure Spreader Calibration : This article shows how to calibrate a manure spreader based upon a nutrient analysis of the manure.
- Recommended Soil Testing Procedures For The Northeastern United States
Technical Reports:
- Soil factors influencing phosphorus availability to plants and concentration in runoff
- Field calibration of phosphorus soil tests for improving phosphorus management on Vermont's dairy farms
- Phosphorus Index to improve nutrient management on Vermont farms
- Managed riparian buffers and cover crops to minimize phosphorus and nitrogen runoff losses from corn fields
- Direct Incorporation of Liquid Dairy Manure for Fall and Spring Application of Corn : The objective was to determine the effect of manure application method and timing on corn silage yield, efficiency of manure N use, and nitrate leaching potential.
- Yield and water quality effects of sidedressed liquid dairy manure on corn : A 2-yr field study in Chittenden County to evaluate the effects of different application methods for liquid dairy manure on corn silage yields, potential for nitrate leaching, and loss of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in surface runoff.
- Liquid Manure on Grass Hay to Improve Nutrient Use Efficiency, Yields and Quality : The objective of this study was to evaluate the availability of nutrients, especially N, from liquid dairy manure applied by different methods (surface application vs. subcanopy banding).
- The Use of Dairy Compost on Grass Hay
- Yield And Quality Of Cool Season Grass As Affected By Semi-Solid Manure And Fertilizer N Applications : A three year trial was conducted on a dairy farm in Bakersfield, VT to evaluate the impact of semi-solid dairy manure plus fertilizer N on the yield, forage quality, and mineral uptake of a mixed grass sward as well as changes in soil test phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).
- Effect of the timing of dairy manure application on nutrient leaching losses under corn and grass : In this cooperative project with Cornell University , nitrogen and phosphorus leaching losses and crop use efficiency were evaluated at research facilities in Willsboro , NY , that allow direct measurement of nutrients leached into drainage tile lines.
- Integrated manure management on dairy farms for conservation of natural resources and profitability : The overall goal of this project was to develop management practices and decision aids for operating a sustainable whole-farm dairy to handle manure in a profitable and efficient manner while avoiding detrimental effects on soil, water and air quality.
Fact Sheets:
Nutrient Management:
- FS1: A Summary of the Lower Missisquoi Water Quality Project in Franklin County, Vermont. 1990-1997
- FS2: Phosphorus and Potassium for Alfalfa-Grass Forages: Soil Tests, Crop Response, and Water Quality
- FS3: Manure Application Methods for Corn -Direct Incorporation of Liquid Dairy Manure for Fall, Spring, and Sidedress Application in Corn : Two field studies were conducted to demonstrate and evaluate alternative application methods that provide direct incorporation of liquid manure at various times (fall, spring, and sidedress time).
- FS4: Missisquoi Crop Management Association
- FS5: Dairy Farmers Save Dollars and Nutrients by Participating in HUA Crop Management Service
- FS6: Optimizing Manure and Nitrogen Fertilizer Applied to Grass Hay Crops : A study done to evaluate manure and fertilizer strategies that would optimize yields while reducing the risk of excessive phosphorus loading to the soil. The study was conducted for three consecutive years.
Composting:
- Low-Tech, High Quality On-Farm Compost : This fact sheet proposes an economical composting method that is based off of the effects of oxygen levels on the microbial activity of composting.
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Name of Institution: United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Vermont
Contact: Rob Allen, Robert Thompson, Lucinda Newman
Link: http://www.vt.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/Nutrient_Management/Index.html
Site Profile:
Tools:
- Vermont Manure Screening Tool : The Vermont Manure Screening Tool is an Excel spreadsheet designed to assist conservation planners, landowners or land users in making initial resource inventory assessments, specifically for making a rough determination about the nutrient status of a farm, and flagging deficiencies or excesses of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It may also be used to predict the nutrient impact of expansion in animal units, additional acreage purchases, crop changes, or additions of off-farm nutrients. It is not intended to be used to make fertilizer recommendations or to perform other nutrient management tasks.
- Nutrient Management Worksheets : These worksheets are a series of Excel spreadsheets used to help prepare nutrient management plans. The following worksheets are included in the file to help with planning: Interview-Manure Info, Other Collected Wastes, Manure Production, Manure Nutrient Value, Crop Nutrient Removal, Field History, Environmental Concern, Soil Test Schedule, Manure Application Schedule as well as some others.
- Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan : This link provides the National Planning Procedures Handbook and Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning Technical Guide.
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Name of Institution: United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, National
Link: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ECS/nutrient/documents.html
Site Profile:
Tools:
- Manure Management Planner : A manure utilization planning tool to help develop nutrient management plans. (NRCS is cooperating with the development of this tool and plans to incorporate it into the toolkit used by NRCS staffs.)
- Animal Waste Management : A planning tool used to estimate the production of waste materials within an animal feeding operation and determine the size of storage / treatment facilities (process and calculations used in AWM based on the USDA-NRCS Agricultural Waste Management Field Handbook).
Technical Reports:
- Alternative Manure Utilization Report : A report relating to Alternative Animal Waste Management Technologies. It is a summary of the findings with contacts and internet addresses as appropriate. The appendices include two papers, one a summary of existing manure management systems and secondly a report on dairy waste management technologies.
- Agricultural Waste Management Field Handbook : This resource provides technical guidance on all aspects of planning, design, and implementation of agricultural waste management systems, including production, collection, storage, treatment, and utilization of manure and other agricultural residuals.
- Recommended Methods of Manure Analysis : A publication of the University of Wisconsin and contributing authors that describes recommended methods for manure sampling, laboratory quality assurance, laboratory procedures, and reporting manure analysis results.
- Manure Nutrient Relative to the Capacity of Cropland and Pastureland to Assimilate Nutrients : A report of the USDA-NRCS. It compares the quantity of recoverable nutrients contained in animal manure with the quantity nutrients removed in the biomass of harvested agricultural commodities.
Fact Sheets:
- Applying Dairy Manure to Alfalfa : A fact sheet about applying dairy manure to alfalfa.
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Name of Institution: Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
Contact: Dan Scruton ( dan@agr.state.vt.us )
Link: http://www.vermontagriculture.com/altmm.htm
Site Profile:
Technical Reports:
- White Paper Methane Project : A paper looking at the current state of anaerobic digesters.
- Methane Resource Assessment : A paper investigating the digestible resources in Vermont .
- Attached Growth : A resource project looking at the practicality of attached growth as a digester option. It was shown that reduced retention times was possible but the manure had to be screened to work with the design tested.
- St. Albans Bay Bennett Report : The St. Albans Bay region of Vermont is an area with a large number of cows in a close geographic location. The Agency, along with the Economic Development Council of Northern Vermont has been co-coordinating an effort to look for a viable use for the manure resource while returning a benefit to the farmers.
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Name of Institution: Biomass Energy Resource Center
Link: http://www.biomasscenter.org/reports/vmpp.html
Site Profile:
Projects:
- Vermont Methane Pilot Program : The Vermont Methane Pilot Program was federally funded from 1999-2004, a six-year period, to explore the potentially more effective new uses of methane recovery technology on Vermont dairy farms. This site shows the conclusions of the study.
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Name of Institution: The Intervale Foundation
Link: http://www.intervale.org
Site Profile: To develop land and farm-based enterprises to generate economic and social opportunity while protecting natural resources.