Nutrient Management
(Continued from Page A 1)
why nutrient runoff causes prob
lems and they suggested solutions.
When manure and fertilizer are
managed improperly, nitrogen and
phosphorus pollutes the farmers
own wells and the ground water
which affects not only his neigh
bors but.the Susquehanna River
and Chesapeake Bay region.
Penn State scientists want to
change that. They are convinced
that the groundwater can be pro
tected and that farmers can still
have an effective agriculture
industry within the state.
“Farmers got to get a profit,” Dr.
Baker said. “They can’t stand
more expense in cleaning up
water.”
As he sees it, cleaning up the
water poses many problems. He
asks, “Can we afford to destroy
agriculture to control 1 water prob
lems?”
Workshop leaders maintained
that there does not need to be a
depression in crop yields by
decreasing nutients. The initial
cost for storage containers may
seem prohibitive, but many far
mers discover that nutrient man
agement eventually benefits their
profits when it results in less illnes
ses for livestock and less expense
for unnecessary applications of
crop fertilizers.
Les Lanyon, Associate Profes
sor of Soil Fertility, said, “The far
mers’s record keeping system is
the most important step to anaylsis
in making better farming deci
sions.” The college has worked
hard at simplifying record keep
ing. If farmers use the forms they
provide, the college can then feed
that information into their compu
ter which can pinpoint problem
areas and show the farmer how
much nutrients his soil needs and
how much it is getting.
Baker demonstrated how a far
mer can obtain individual help in
nutrient management. He set-up
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and used a programmed computer
by having a local farmer answer
the required questions for analysis.
In a few moments the print-out
pinpointed problems and showed
an overabundance of nutrient
pollution.
The audience then commented
and asked questions about the
program. A few pointed out some
possible loopholes in the program.
Baker admitted the validity of
those questions and promised to
perfect the program by using their
input m the future.
The College of Agriculture’s
goal is to attain an economically
and environmentally sound on
farm nutrient management. For
each individual fanner to accom
plish that goal, he must know the
nutrient requirement his soil needs
to produce crops. Too much,
results in an excess which the land
cannot handle effectively. Ideally,
the right amount will allow the soil
to filter the bacteria before it reach
es the ground water level.
“Nutrient management is a
process—not an answer,” Les
Lanyon stressed. “It needs to get
into the workings of the farm.”
During the sessions and breaks,
conversations buzzed with ideas,
problems and possible solutions.
Edwina Coder, chairman of the
Citizens Advisory Committee for
the Chesapeake Bay clean-up said
that the committee is calling for
nutrients to be reduced 40%
instead of maintaining the same
level as their goal originally stated.
To protect the water from conta
mination, sealed wells should be
located away from bacteria sour
ces. Pesticide containers should
never be dumped in sink holes
because the poison goes directly
into the ground water.
Nitrate, found in manure and
fertilizer, which is important for
crop growth, is very soluble and
easily reaches the ground water
when there is an excess. Statistics
For More Infbmotion Coll
Joe Makuch and other Nutrient Management Workshop leaders used
charts, graphs and slides to illustrate problems and solutions to agricultural
pollution. Makuch Is a Water Quality Specialist with Penn State’s Department
of Agriculture Engineering.
show that the nitrate percentages
of water in agricultural areas is
noticiably higher than in residen
tial areas. It was pointed out that
the percentages are not necessarily
accurate since actual samples were
usually derived from farmers’
wells rather than the agriculture
community. But it does show that
“Farmers are polluting their own
wells,” said Baker.
Workshop participants agreed
that water pollution can not be
ignored. The common contami
nents of pesticides and manure
bacteria can cause illnesses and in
some cases death especially to
infants. Since nutrient run-off
effects the population’s drinking
water, this issue will probably be
one of the most discussed subjects
in the late ’Bo’s and ’9o’s.
Whether farmers like it or not.
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they must comply with the Pen
nsylvania Department of Environ
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sonnel from the agriculture college
are initiating and conducting sev
eral projects to aid the farmer in
making agriculture economically
and evironmentally sound.
Workshop speakers included
Mitch Woodward, Regional Man
ure Management Agent; A 1 Tur
geon, Head, Department of Agro
nomy and Penn State/Chesapeake
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Bay Project Coordinator; Joe
Makuch, Water Quality Specialist,
Department of Agricultural Engi
neering; Les Lanyon, Associate
Professor of Soil Fertility, Depart
ment of Agronomy; Dale Baker,
Professor of Soil Chemistry,
Department of Agronomy: Dou
glas Beegle, Assistant Professor of
Agronomy, Department of Agro
nomy; and Richard Fox, Professor
of Soil Science, Department of
Agronomy.
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