tf'^-?G6 r ' 31 I9drn93<?(] A32-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 16, 1995 Researchers Work To Better Determine Contributors Of Nutrients (Continued from Pago A 1) essential element for all life, too much causes excessive growth of lower life forms, such as bacteria, fungus and algae. These life forms constitute the foundation of a food chain, but when their populations become too great their demands on the oxygen in the water, along with many other effects, creates a situa tion intolerable to higher life forms, such as more complex aquatic plants and fish. high nitrogen concentra tion in water has been reported as being linked to some human health problems. To deal with the non-point sour ces, the state’s Nutrient Manage ment Act requires owners of high density livestock operations to develop and follow nutrient man agement plans with the goal of pre venting excessive nutrient flow (from manure) into the state’s waters. Educated guesswork has been used to esti mate the proportion of nutrients in a stream that is attributed to agricufr tural practices in the watershed. Using such data as nutrient average-values for the manure of lives tock species, the num ber of livestock, soil type, slope, and crop uptake, some research ers have derived esti mates that suggest agri culture could be possi ble for certain percentages of nutrients in a stream. But since reality can’t be predicted through such simple assump tions, the need for a bet ter and more scientifi cally sound method of determining the source of nutrients was realized by those who framed the Act The lack of a strong handle on non-point sources of nutrients was known when creating the Nutrient Manage ment Act. However, there were several things considered by those in agriculture which lead to the indus try taking the lead in managing its own nutri ent use. Due to improved livestock housing and production technology and the resulting denser populations being required by farmers to stay in business (given the federal govern ment’s cheap food poli cy and the resultant low on-farm commodity prices), public attention and opinion (right or wrong) has been directed toward agricul ture as a major contribu tor of nutrient pollution to the state’s waters. Further, because of activities ongoing with the Chesapeake Bay Program, and the fact that Pennsylvania has been bound to uphold former Gov. Robert Casey’s promise that the state would reduce nutrient levels in the Susquehanna River going to the Bay by 40 per cent by 2000, it was considered that those Bay-protecting practices included in a farm-specific nutri ent management plan could be expanded statewide to other farms, and help prevent any group or indi vidual from accusing the state’s agricultural industry of not doing its share. Also, given the fact that local governments were beginning to create ordinances regulating nutri ent use on farms, it was generally considered by the agricultural community that it should be pro active and gain protection from local ordinances. The Nutrient Management Act was created through years of work, and (though tested at times) even tually in a bipartisan manner with the input and agreement of the agricultural and environmental ALUMINUM GRAIN BODIES & ALUMINUM REPAIRS by These ultra-light bodies are designed for strength through engineering, not strength with bulk. For example, a 16' grain body with tailgate and 48" sides weighs length or any side height up to 60" Also • Double swinging hay hauling tailgate • Barn door type tailgate • Slide out cattle chutes HEWEY WELDING Box 2312, RD4 Lebanon, PA 17042 (717)867-5222 protection organizations concerned. Together, the many authors of the Nutrient Management Act included the requirement that the state Department of Environmen tal Protection conduct research into five potential non-point sour ces of excessive nutrients, deter mine the level of priority concern and develop recommendations for legislative and financial actions which could possibly correct a problem. These five potential sources of nutrient pollution are malfunction ing on-lot septic systems, urban storm water runoff, atmospheric deposition, improper water-well complete. We'll build you any available: • Diamond flooring • Pull out panel tailgates • Any size grain chute V\ \\ V Attention Centra! PA Farmers Broiler, Turkey and Hog finishing contracts available Good Genes Make A Big Difference Chore-Time's MODEL C2* feeder is the result of more than 40 years of innovative breedirig. Here are a few of the traits you get from the Chore-Time bloodline: • Labor-saving Feed Windows; • Chick-friendly Feeder Grill Design. • jJnsurpassed feed converting ability. see us at the For more information call PA Farm Show Jan 6—ll a onn £7O ocon Mam Floor 514-516 1 -OUO-Of J-cOoU ask for Jay Krelder siftt MU' M Northeast Agrl Systems. Inc Flyway luskiesi Park 139 A Wait Airport Rood Utitz PA 17543 ■rnnna pn (717)5592702 ■fifiillil 1-800-673-2580 construction, and the use of chemi cal fertilizers and other plant nutri ents for non-agricultural use. The vision of nutrient manage ment is to have such an accurate picture of nutrient flow that, within a watershed basin, it can be known to a reasonable degree of accuracy who or what is contributing nutri ents into the waters and at about what percentage. In order to assess the reality of nutrient flow, the DEP assigned the job of carrying out die research to its Bureau of Land and Water Nutrient Management Section. Limited in ability to cany out such detailed research, die Nutri ent Management Section con- for new houses ' gimmtHt*' s, ‘ i Authorize traded with the Penn State Univer sity Environmental Resources Research Institute (ERRI) to carry out the research. Donald Fiesta, a hydrogeologist with the DEP Nutrient Manage ment Section, is the project leader for the research. He said that while the actual data collection and com piliation is to be done by ERRI, the interpretation and recommenda tions are still to be made by DEP. Fiesta said the research requested of ERRI will be unique in that, for die first time, Pennsyl vania will have a statewide map of nutrient flows. front to Pago A 34) & mk •S" M* J*' Ottnawa Stat 306Untvmlty Avo ■■■| Fodwaaowg. mo _ (Fo»m#«* long LumMr) ■■jjM 1-SM.73MNI
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers