Manure Limits? In Iowa? No Way
From the Ag industry’s news source:
Iowa’s Environmental Protection Commission is considering banning the use of livestock manure as fertilizer on soybean fields. A proposal is currently being considered by state regulators to put the ban in place.
Commissioners and state officials supporting the regulation argue that manure is not needed for soybean growth and that it actually has the potential to cause harm to the environment. State officials says that research shows manure applied annually on soybean and corn crop rotations applies 61 percent more phosphorus than needed for the crops to grow.
Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRS) Nutrient Specialist Steve Brinkman explains that the Department of Natural Resources is concerned about excess manure running into the surface water.
Link (Brownfields)
Apparently the issue is excess nitrogen. The environmental folks note that soybeans fix their own nitrogen, so application of manure results in excess nitrogen, which ends up in the water. About 1/2 of the manure management plans in Iowa involve putting manure on soybeans.
May 27th, 2006 09:37
[...] Earlier this week, I commented on Iowa’s consideration of rules limiting manure spreading by CAFO’s. Now Brownfields is reporting that Wisconsin is also considering stepping up CAFO regulations: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) board approved new manure management rules this week. The changes would mainly affect Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), operations with 1,000 or more animal units. The new rules would require these operations to have at least six months storage capacity for liquid manure and the ability to inject liquid manure during certain months. There would be a ban on spreading solid manure on snow-covered or frozen ground during February and March unless it is immediately worked into the soil. The proposal also has required set-backs from wells; sinkholes and fractured bedrock, there are phosphorus-based nutrient management plan standards as well as a need for an emergency response plan in case of a spill.Link. The proposed rules go to Wisconsin legislators next, where CAFO interests hope to be able to have an impact [...]
March 13th, 2008 02:41
But the beans use nitrogen from fertilizer or manure if it is available, so there’s more to the story than what is stated above.
Agronomists have the correct information, but apparently havent’ been given full consideration.