Animal producers should set a goal to balance nutrients on their farm and also manage soils in ways to minimize nutrient losses. Nutrient balance should consider what is coming into the farm as purchased feed and fertilizer and the nutrients leaving as managed products, such as crops, animals, or animal products. An example of nutrient flow in a farm is provided in.
If the nutrients coming into the farm are more than what leaves, this will result in an accumulation of those nutrients on the farm. To correct the nutrient concentration,consider a whole-farm approach rather than focusing on a small part of the production, such as nutrients in manure and their losses to the environment. Understand the big picture by identifying the underlying cause of nutrient concentration and develop effective solutions to address the critical areas for betterApply manure at uniform rates based on crop nutrient needs while avoiding soil contamination, crop damage, and runoff Fertilizing with Manure. Adjust the rate of supplemental fertilizer to compensate for the nutrients applied in the manure. Keep records of all your activities.
Use of manure and fertilizer as nutrient sources for crop production must be managed properly to ensure that they do not contaminate groundwater or surface water. Check soil moisture before applying manure and adjust application rates to avoid runoff. Limit the volume of water applied to an amount that brings the soil to field-moisture capacity. Do not apply manure to saturated soils. Incorporate raw or untreated manure to reduce odors and nitrogen losses. Calibrate application equipment to obtain the desired application rate.
Source: Virginia State University