Women in Manure and Nutrient Management

Manure can contribute crop nutrients, and moving it takes equipment, labor, storage and attention to weather. An operator needs to know when material is available, what it contains and which fields can receive it under the farm’s plan. If the method of knowing who approved last Thursday’s load amounts to asking who had the truck keys, this is a good time to make a record.

“Nutrient management: manure is a resource, not a problem.”

Build the field and storage inventory

Work with a qualified conservation planner, agronomist or nutrient management professional to identify manure sources, available storage and intended fields. Obtain the maps, current soil tests and manure information the planner requests. Identify places where water, slope, drainage and neighbors affect timing or site suitability. Talk to the relevant agencies about current requirements and permits. The USDA NRCS Nutrient Management practice standard describes national planning principles. An advisor can help locate the current state standard and rules that apply to the operation.

Agree on roles before schedules become tight

Put the owner, farm manager, custom applicator and advisers on a single contact sheet. Identify who reviews the plan, obtains analyses, books equipment, checks conditions and stops work. A woman who manages the crop may need approval to reorder deliveries or stop an operation when conditions differ from the plan. Record that authority in the service agreement and review it at the start of the season. Give staff a safe procedure for reporting leaks, unsafe access or unclear instructions. Use qualified personnel and approved procedures around storage, gases, vehicles and machinery.

Make the nutrient budget readable at the field level

Ask the planner how soil, crop needs, nutrient sources and field history enter the calculation. Keep sources and units beside the values. If tests or conditions change, compare revised recommendations with prior records before giving anyone new directions. Ask the agronomist which nutrients to track and how to account for commercial inputs already ordered. A spread sheet with twelve columns titled “rate” can become nearly as difficult to move as the material it describes.

Review what happens when fields become unavailable during a narrow window. Ask the planner to identify approved contingencies and record who will arrange them. The driver should receive a clear destination from the authorized person.

Review records after the season

Log application dates, locations, quantities and relevant conditions as required by the applicable plan. Retain laboratory reports and contractor records together. If part of the intended work was postponed, write down what happened and which alternative was approved. Review nutrient purchases, field performance, storage capacity and contractor costs with the farm’s decision makers. If the farm plans to share equipment or transport material out, establish who provides records and when. Keep a consistent naming and filing convention so the person assembling next year’s plan can retrieve current information without guessing which file called “final” is the final one. Give priority to the field or decision that caused the most confusion this year. A practical management plan makes the correct action easy to identify on the day a change is necessary.