'(Continued from Pag* A2S) approaches for targeted, cost effective, nutrient management plans throughout the Bay region.” As reported last week, for Pen nsylvania agriculturalists the information presented suggested that nutrient management here will likely not become recommended as an “cithcr/or” priority excercise. as is to happened in Maryland. Maryland’s situation was an issue of concern during the confer ence. It was reported that approval of legislation to create phosphorus-based nutrient man agement was imminent On Monday the Maryland Legislature, as expected, gave final approval of compromise legislation to regulate phosphorus applications to Maryland’s soils. According to a Maryland expert on the situation, die proposed legislation is expected to affect every farm in the state. In essence die Maryland situa tion is to be that no one will be able to spread manure on their farmland if the phosphorus level of the man ure would create a surplus of that nutrient Nitrogen is to be pur chased and used to fertilize crops. Manure is to be exported. For Pennsylvania, it seems more likely that for instances where pho sphorus is a problem, that practical nutrient management will be expanded in scope to go one step beyond focusing upon balancing nitrogen levels in manure with crop yield needs and existing soil levels. From research demonstrating that agricultural phosphorus enter ing waterways comes from a small portion ofa watershed, and in most cases from spot areas on a farm (generally along a stream or in a flood plain), it was suggested that Phosphorus Conference perhaps the most reasonable approach for Pennsylvania would be to identify those “source” areas on the farm as part of the existing nutrient management plan, and then manage those areas for the phosphorus levels. As currently practiced, a Pen nsylvania nutrient management plan is an exercise in accounting for nitrogen available for applica tion to land and crap needs, a description of the pathways for nutrient flow, and management practices. Another widely grasped aspect of phosphorus that was highlighted during the conference is that, in historic terms, it is only recently that phosphorus has become excessive. For years it was a nutrient in demand that limited agricultural production. It can be lost too, if it isn’t treated with respect The bottom line of a presenta tion on world phosphorus, was that die world was phosphorus poor prior to the Worid Wars, especially since World War n man has been able to get lots of it It has been mined it from sedi ment loads made up to 2SO million years ago, and gathered from other sources (guano) adding signific antly to the existing amount of phosphorus that is now cycling in the world’s ecosystems. According to speakers, a lot of effort and money went into secur ing phosphorus for increased crop production and higher yields. They said it would seem unwise to use treatments for swine or poul try manure that would bind the phosphorus into an unusable or unrecyclable form, turning back the clock on its bioavailability. 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FEED STORE Massey, MD Oxford, PA AUTOMATION Meadville, PA Greenville, PA 1-800-801-2082 717-529-2569 Hagerstown, MD 814-724-5011 412-588-7950 dealing with the situation. On the panel were David Bru baker with Hershey Ag in Mariet ta, a swine-raising operation; Wil liW Carmean of Snow Hill, Md., a poultry and grain farmer; Turp Garrett with Worcester County Cooperative Extension Service in Snow Hill, Md., which is in the middle of die poultry industry and watershed central to the pending Maryland phosphorus manage ment law; and Jerry Hostetler own er and president of Hostetler Man agement Company in Lititz, a swine production and management compnay with 13,000 sows and SO finisher bams. From his perspective, Carmean talked about the uses of manure applications and alternative uses. He said he has been able to save from $3,000 to $5,000 per year in fertilizer costs from being able to use the nutrients in the manure his operations generate. He said that he also already treats his poultiy litter with alum, one of the suggested ways of treat ing manure to bind phosphorus, in order to treat beetles and for other reasons. He said in order to compost his manure he’d have to expand his operation’s manure sheds (used now to prevent rain from frilling on it and leaching nutrients before it can be applied to fields) in order to be able to store it long enough to compost it Additionally, he’d have to spend extra time and money searching for markets for the compost He also said that some of the land in die Pocomoke watershed that never had poultry manure applied is naturally high in phosphorus. David Brubaker said he over sees H ... the application and udliza- £^MAncj The Dairy Equipment Division of DEC International Inc Perfect your dairy operation... |C=D [3} With the Bou-Matic ‘ Perfection 3000 milk meter. I ~ 301-416-7340 Farmers Need Tools tion of organic nutrients from our mote of the global aspect of the farms." locally expressed nutrient concern. He said that “phosphorus is part His company is global. He was of flic puzzle” in piecing together along with state Gov, Tom Ridge his entire hog farm nutrient man- on an export mission trip to the agement plan. Pacific Rim last fall. According to Brubaker, what he In essence, he said the Pacific could use from researchers are new Rim doesn’t have the land and for separating liquids resources to raise swine as effi from solids, which could allow ciently as his company can. and long-distance hauling of nutrients they need and desire the food. The derived from the highly liquid United States has the capacity, and swine manure. the latest technology. That should The only technology that has be built upon, not tom down. bren provided for swine operators Hostetler talked about how the to reduce the water volume of the swine industry has changed signif manute is a two-stage lagoon sys- icantly since he became involved tern, which they employ. in 1981. He said nutrient testing of man- He said that with a kill of 3,000 ure needs to be improved in order hogs per day. it was possible to to keep up with regulatory gain backfat measurements on car- A»mnn/t» casses. He said that in 1981 the He said, as it is now, he samples measured carcasses averaged the manure he is about to apply on 1.7-inches of backfat. He said 15 but that it takes two weeks years later, the average backfat to get the nutrient analysis results, produced is down to .6-tnch, If he could have a test provide reflective of feeding efficiencies on-site results, he said he’d be able he said. (Not to mention genetics.) to apply manure more intelligently He said be didn’t think it was than what current technology necessary to sacrifice the environ allows. merit in order to produce food. He also said that what is needed According to Hostetler, through is “more constructive and produc- better efficiencies, the swine five dialogue between processors, industry has been able to reduce researchers and regulators. He said the phosphorus in the swine feed the reason he agreed to participate by 28 percent. “We saw a cost sav in the conference was because he ings and no change in felt that it might be beneficial, performance.” But he added that researchers The ration has 43 percent less and regulators need to be better phosphate now and he said they educated about the real-world look at manure samples, gnpiiratifing of technology and As far as using phytasc, an enzyme that helps swine and poul- He also said that he is frustrated try better utilize phosphorus in because, he sees many blatant vio- feed, he said they are in the process lations of existing laws that aren’t of using it enforced on smaller operations. Feeding efficiencies in hog rais “Wc should all be under the tag have increased too, he said. He same set of rules regardless of the said that former good rates of size of operation.” he said. growth were about 3.5 pounds of Hostetler discussed somewhat (Turn to Pago ASS) First In Product Innovation Unsurpassed milk measurement accuracy That's what the Perfection offers you But that's not all you get • Small, compact design • Simple, non-motonzed operation • Built-in milk conductivity sensor Of course, what really matters in a milk meter is how accurate it is And that's what the Perfection excels at Plus, if you use the Perfection milk meter in conjunction with the Pro Vantage Integrated Management System, you've just added an endless amount of management possibilities The Dairy Equipment Division of DEC International Inc ej McNEAL FARM SERVICE Towanda, PA 717-364-5460 A LESSON WELL LEARNED.. Lancaster Farming's CLASSIFIED ADS GET RESULTSI Phone: 717-394-3047 or 717-626-1164
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