Area producers know far too well the cost of farming these days.

It seems everything on the farm has increased in cost: feed, fertilizer, fuel and seed, everything except profit. All of these increases hurt the bottom line and have farmers pushing pencil to paper looking for a way to keep their heads above water.

There is one commodity, however, found on nearly every farm that has increased in value and enables farmers to put more money in their pockets if managed correctly.

Manure, the hateful chore that used to be looked at as a burden and a nuisance, needs to have a second look. The best way to manage manure and any other nutrient used on the farm is to implement a nutrient management plan.

Nutrient management plan

A nutrient management plan is a written document that contains six components.

Four components are required:

- addressing proper manure storage and handling facilities

- proper land application rates

- locating setback and environmentally sensitive areas

- record-keeping documentation.

Two components are optional:

- evaluating and correcting the overfeeding of phosphorus and other nutrients

- alternative manure utilization, such as composting.

This plan benefits producers by utilizing manure in the most economical way by looking at current soil test results, past manure applications and residual legume nitrogen.

After analyzing these factors, an application rate is determined that best utilizes and distributes evenly the manure generated on the farm.

Nearly all producers who do not currently have a written plan would benefit greatly by developing one, but the plan is just a starting point.

Farmers also need to keep application records. From these records producers can work through simple spreadsheets, field by field, to further customize their nutrient management plan.

This customization will reduce overall fertilizer costs even more and improve yields.

In addition to manure application, producers need to look at the cost effectiveness of stabilized winter feeding areas. For example, a mature beef cow produces around 60 pounds of manure per day, and over a five-month period it generates about 4.5 tons of manure.

With a nitrogen value of around 10 pounds per ton, around 50 pounds of nitrogen can be utilized per animal — an approximate savings of $41 per animal in nitrogen.

Being able to scrape and store manure until field conditions are appropriate are not only a benefit to the farmer and the crop fields but also to the environment and the farm’s bottom line.

If manure must be spread during the winter, care should be taken to spread in areas where minimal erosion could occur. A cover crop should be planted on any bare ground to not only control erosion but act as a sponge to absorb the manure nitrogen through the winter months.

Cover crops also minimize soil compaction that occurs during winter manure spreading, which improves crop performance the following growing season.

Lastly, proper soil pH, which for most agricultural crops is around 6.5 with alfalfa needing a slightly higher requirement, is crucial in maximizing the potential gain from the application of any crop nutrient.

Having a pH too low, around 6.0 or lower, significantly reduces the availability of many of the macronutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.

Having a pH too high can also be detrimental as most micronutrients become unavailable. To achieve and maintain a good pH the use of good liming material — a material that has a high Calcium Carbonate Equivalent or CCE, which is a measure of the liming material to calcium carbonate — determines the application rate.

For example, a lime of 85 percent CCE and a soil test result of 2,000 pounds of lime per acre would require 2,400 pounds of lime. For most agricultural lime the CCE should range from 85 percent to 110 percent and at least 50 percent of the material should pass through a 100 mesh screen size.

This screen passing determines the fineness of the material and affects the time required to raise the pH.

With the increased cost of doing business, producers should closely evaluate if a nutrient management plan would benefit their operation.

If you would like to discuss a plan in more detail or would like more information on potential cost share to offset the cost of developing a plan, feel free to contact our office.

Andy Gaver is a conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Butler County.