Alabama Certified Animal Waste Vendor

Training

Module 4.  Short Cuts & Record Keeping

In this module, we will discuss the short cuts that you can take and still meet the 590 standard.  We will also discuss your record keeping responsibilities.

When you are spreading litter on a field that does not have an NRCS-approved nutrient management plan, you have two options.

• (N Option) You can spread at a higher nitrogen-based rate and stay at least 200 feet from any water, or
•  (3xP Option) you can spread within 50 feet from any water but it must be a reduced 3xP rate.  The term "3xP" refers to three times the estimated crop removal of phosphorus (P).

Here are estimated tons of broiler litter per acre that can be applied based upon the recommended N rates for the crop.  Since we are not considering the P or K that is applied, we must stay at least 200 ft from any water. 

For example, the recommended fertilizer N rate for hybrid bermudagrass hay is 100 lb. N per cutting (from NRCS Code 590 Table 5 and Auburn University's recommendations).  A ton of broiler litter surface applied will result in 47-58-45 pounds N-P₂O₅-K₂O per ton.  Therefore,

100 lb. N/acre recommended ÷ 47 lb. N/ton of litter = 2.1 ton litter per cutting

Here are the 3xP rates that can be applied within 50 ft of water.  The term "3xP" refers to three times the estimated phosphorus (as P₂O₅) removal by the crop. 

These values are found in NRCS Code 590 Table 6.  For example, a ton of bermudagrass hay will remove 50-12-43 pounds N-P₂O₅-K₂O (from NRCS Code 590 Table 6). If you expect to get 2 tons of hay per cutting then three times the total P removal will be 

3 x 12 pounds P₂O₅/ton x 2 tons/acre = 72 pounds P₂O₅

Recalling from NRCS Code 590 Table 1, that a ton of broiler litter surface applied contains 58 pounds P₂O₅, then 72 pounds P₂O₅ ÷ 58 pounds P₂O₅/ton = 1.2 tons litter per cutting

Notice the rates for pasture.  Grazing cattle just doesn't remove many nutrients. Most nutrients are recycled back onto the pasture.  From Table 6 in NRCS Code 590, we see that 300 pounds beef would remove about 9-7-1 pounds N-P₂O₅-K₂O.  Three times P removal is still only 21 pounds P₂O₅.

21 pounds P₂O₅ ÷ 58 lb. P₂O₅/ton litter = 0.4 tons litter per acre

Remember the complicated spreadable acre determination we made earlier in Module 3? 

• You can also estimate the spreadable acres for a field
• If you use the N rate, multiply the FSA acreage by 0.6
• If you use the 3xP rate, multiply the FSA acreage by 0.7

Here is how our 19.5-acre field would have worked out using the spreadable acre shortcut. 

Therefore, it is really to everyone's advantage to have an "official" plan in place before you attempt to spread animal wastes.

This way you may be able to spread nutrients on more acres that you would by estimating spreadable acres under the Skeleton Plan.

So, with no existing plan, here are the procedures we have discussed to make a "Skeleton Plan".  

• First, get a map.  The landowner may be able to provide this map, or you can obtain it from the FSA office. 
• The landowner should mark all the features such as wells, ditches, springs, creeks, rivers, public use areas, etc. on the map. 
• You should look over the field to make sure the buffers and filter strips are OK and mark them on the map. 
• Use the spreadable-acres shortcut (0.6 or 0.7) to determine the spreadable acres and apply only to those acres.
• Before you begin land application, check the National Weather Service forecast for the intended land application field.
• To protect water quality and reduce the impact of animal manures moving off the application field into nearby surface waters, NRCS uses weather forecasts to guide when these animal manures can be land-applied.

The latest NWS forecasts for most counties in Alabama can be accessed on the Internet at the following address:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ifps/MapClick.php?CityName=Auburn&state=AL&site=BMX

Type in the zip code of the U. S. Postal Service address nearest your intended application field and this page will give the NWS 72-Hour forecast for that zip code. 

See CULLMAN AL NWS Forecast for March 14, 2006 below.

ADEM and NWS both realize there are times when, even with a 50%-or-more rainfall forecast, expected rainfall amounts may not be enough to move animal manures off the field into nearby streams.  These agencies have developed the "farmers map" to address this.

If the 72 hour NWS forecast does call for 50%-or-more rain, you may still be able to land apply, if the county is rated favorable for spreading on the Alabama Animal Waste/Nutrient Land Application Map ("farmers map").  This "farmers map" is located at the following National Weather Service website:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/data/farmers_map/ farmers map.html

Note: THIS "farmers map" FORECAST IS VALID FOR ONLY TWELVE HOURS.

A convenient way of recording NWS weather forecasts for land application of animal manures is to make and save a printout of the latest forecast for the intended land application field.  If you have difficulty loading any of these National Weather Service web pages, you may need to get the latest version of Macromedia's Flash reader.  It can be gotten at http://www.macromedia.com/support/players/

Record keeping is a most important responsibility of the CAWV. 

RECORDS ARE THE ONLY EVIDENCE YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE HANDLING ANIMAL WASTES IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE MANNER.

Without these records, inspectors from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) have no evidence that you are following any type of plan.

How you keep your records is up to you.  You can use a notebook in your truck, a laptop computer, or an elaborate filing system.   You can use a GPS system or just a field map.

REGARDLESS, THE BASIC INFORMATION PRESENTED ABOVE MUST BE KEPT. 

As a CAWV, keeping these types of records is also just a good business practice.

Examples of forms that may be used are available for downloading and copying from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System Animal Waste Management website at this address: http://www.aces.edu/dept/aawm/RecordKeeping.php

Here is an example of a transfer record document that is available and acceptable to use.

Here is an example of an application record document that is available and acceptable to use.

Please return to the Course Content page (click >Course Content...> on the WebCT navigation bar at the top of this window) to take the Self-Help Test for this Module.