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Mike McMahon presented this material during DAIReXNET's March 7, 2011 webinar on nitrogen in dairy rations. He covered the practical applications of nitrogen management on a dairy farm.
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McMahon’s EZ Acres Farm overview
McMahon’s EZ-Acres Owned by two brothers Located in Central New York Soils are a mix of
Deep well-drained gravel Valley floor Aquifer for over 50,000 people
Shallow, poorly drained, acidic clays DEC protected brown-trout stream flows through all
of valley land 25% of land base in Syracuse water shed
675 cows and typically 545 heifers
Pete
Mike
Edie
MUNICIPAL WELL
North to Skaneateles - City of Syracuse unfiltered water supply–> 2 miles
Houses/Fields/Manure
NYS protected Brown Trout Stream
Balancing Imports and Exports of Nutrients on the Farm
More nutrients (N,P,K) are imported onto the farm than are exported.
In 2006 - For every 100 lbs. of N, P and K coming onto our farm only 28 lbs. of N, 34 lbs. of P and 29 lbs. of K leave the farm in form of milk and animals.
The remainder – 72 lbs. of N, 66 lbs. P and 71 lbs. K are accumulating on the farm or being lost to the environment.
Losses to the environment = air & water quality issues
Sources of Imported Nutrients
Source N P K
Feed 85% 85% 95%
Fertilizer 13% 15% 5%
Purchased Animals
0% 0% 0%
Bedding & other imports
1% 1% 0%
Greatest source of imported nutrients is purchased feeds
One approach – Minimize imports, maximize use of existing nutrients by recycling on the farm
Cow
Manure
SoilField Crop
Stored Harvest
FIELD CROPS Maximize production of
homegrown feed. Match the crop to the soil
resources. Low yield fields rotated to
Intensively Managed Grass
17 tons/acre eased forage inventory concerns
Voracious “sinks” for liquid manure
95% of original IMGs continue high yield
Low level application of up to 8000 gallons/acre
m2006 – New Manure Storage
3.2 Million gallons – approx. 6 months
Why Store Manure?
Maximize use of on-farm nutrients Reduce use of purchased fertilizers Flexibility to time spreading to prevent
potential runoff Can apply when plants have greatest
uptake potential Capturing more N by incorporating into soil
at time of application Potential to reduce air emissions –cover.
Fall cover crop
Proactive approaches: Stored manure for corn crop immediately
incorporated Manure sampling (CAFO requirement) Soil Testing – each field every 3 years PSNT’s and “customized” fertilizers
tailored to crop needs Voluntary well and stream monitoring Clean, well-maintained farmstead
–”pollution is perception”
With enough manure, we can grow grass anywhere!