Understanding Manure Understanding Manure Management Behavior Management Behavior on Wisconsin Dairy on Wisconsin Dairy FarmsFarmsLessons from Recent On-Farm ResearchLessons from Recent On-Farm Research
Douglas Jackson-SmithDouglas Jackson-Smith (Utah State University)(Utah State University)
J. Mark Powell, Dan McCrory, & Heather SaamJ. Mark Powell, Dan McCrory, & Heather Saam (Univ of WI-(Univ of WI-Madison)Madison)
OverviewOverview
Present initial results of recent on-farm Present initial results of recent on-farm researchresearch
Focus: the ‘logic’ of manure mgtFocus: the ‘logic’ of manure mgt– Why do farmers spread manure (or not) on Why do farmers spread manure (or not) on
particular kinds of fields?particular kinds of fields?– What obstacles prevent farmers from What obstacles prevent farmers from
incorporating manure?incorporating manure?– How do farmers view manure as a potential How do farmers view manure as a potential
source of crop nutrients?source of crop nutrients? Emphasis on small- and medium-sized Emphasis on small- and medium-sized
integrated crop-dairy farms in integrated crop-dairy farms in WisconsinWisconsin
Starting PointsStarting Points
Small- and Mid-sized livestock operations Small- and Mid-sized livestock operations are important contributors to nutrient-water are important contributors to nutrient-water quality problems – quality problems – and are not going awayand are not going away
These operations do not always respond These operations do not always respond well to traditional approacheswell to traditional approaches– Many technical or mgt solutions are Many technical or mgt solutions are
inappropriate to their situationinappropriate to their situation To broaden research and policy agenda, we To broaden research and policy agenda, we
need to better understand these operationsneed to better understand these operations Important to find ‘representative’ farmsImportant to find ‘representative’ farms
Constraints to Proper Manure Constraints to Proper Manure Management (Nowak et al Management (Nowak et al 1998)1998) Institutional factors Institutional factors (research, extension)(research, extension) Engineering factors Engineering factors (box spreaders)(box spreaders) Private Sector factors Private Sector factors (motivation of input (motivation of input
suppliers, risk avoidance)suppliers, risk avoidance) Economic factors Economic factors (economies of scale, risk, labor (economies of scale, risk, labor
constraints)constraints) Social-psychological factors Social-psychological factors (invisibility of (invisibility of
impacts, safety & weather concerns, low status of impacts, safety & weather concerns, low status of manure handling, vocabulary)manure handling, vocabulary)
Environmental factors Environmental factors (land constraints, (land constraints, confinement systems, topography)confinement systems, topography)
Background to OFG Background to OFG studystudy
Integrated Research Into Nutrient Cycling Integrated Research Into Nutrient Cycling on Wisconsin Dairy Farmson Wisconsin Dairy Farms– Included Studies of Feeding/Diet, Manure Included Studies of Feeding/Diet, Manure
Handling/Storage, Field ApplicationHandling/Storage, Field Application– On-farm component On-farm component Attempt to model Attempt to model
nutrient cycling on “TYPICAL FARMS”nutrient cycling on “TYPICAL FARMS” Fall 2002 in-depth interviews used Fall 2002 in-depth interviews used
herehere Modeling farms = ongoingModeling farms = ongoing Follow-up interviews plannedFollow-up interviews planned
USDA NRI (Ag Systems) & IFAFS fundingUSDA NRI (Ag Systems) & IFAFS funding
Study of 54 Dairy Farms“On Farmers’ Ground”
Within each region
•18 farms selected
•6 farms in each randomly selected from each animal density category
SW region
SC region
NE region
Profile of RespondentsProfile of Respondents
Typical of Wisconsin dairy farmsTypical of Wisconsin dairy farms– Mean herd size = 88 (median = 66)Mean herd size = 88 (median = 66)– Most 50-99 cows (10% had 200+ cows)Most 50-99 cows (10% had 200+ cows)– 80% stanchion barns (20% 80% stanchion barns (20%
parlor/freestall)parlor/freestall)– 65 lbs milk shipped / cow / day65 lbs milk shipped / cow / day– Mean cropland = 275 acres (median 198)Mean cropland = 275 acres (median 198)– Median 3.4 acres cropland / cowMedian 3.4 acres cropland / cow– Avg age = 48Avg age = 48– 77% rely mainly on farm income for hh77% rely mainly on farm income for hh
Manure Management Manure Management BehaviorBehavior Roughly half have some manure Roughly half have some manure
storagestorage– Mostly concrete lagoonsMostly concrete lagoons– Average ~ 280 days storageAverage ~ 280 days storage
Most haul manure to fields dailyMost haul manure to fields daily Few incorporate manure after spreadingFew incorporate manure after spreading Few have written nutrient mgt plansFew have written nutrient mgt plans Storage affects manure mgt behaviorStorage affects manure mgt behavior
– Though not as much as we might expectThough not as much as we might expect
Manure Spreading Schedule, By Storage System
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
No Storage Storage Combined
Perc
ent o
f Far
ms
in Ca
tego
ry
Haul year roundexcept winter
Haul year roundexcept summer
Haul in springand/or fall only
Haul liquidsspring and fall,solids daily/weeklyHaul year round
Person Who Usually Hauls Manure On Farm, By Storage System
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
No Storage Storage Combined
Perc
ent o
f Far
ms
in C
ateg
ory
Custom hauleronly
Hired worker andcustom hauler
Family and hiredworker
Family andcustom hauler
Family only
Percent of Manure that is Incorporated Within 24 Hours, By Storage System
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
No Storage Storage Combined
Perc
ent o
f Far
ms
in C
ateg
ory
None of it
Less thanhalf
Over 50%
Understanding Manure Understanding Manure Spreading BehaviorSpreading Behavior Previous work found ‘manure gap’Previous work found ‘manure gap’
– Farmers only utilizing 23-44% of Farmers only utilizing 23-44% of croplandcropland
Why?Why?– HypothesesHypotheses
Absence of storageAbsence of storage Labor or machinery shortageLabor or machinery shortage Weather or soil conditionsWeather or soil conditions Distance of fieldsDistance of fields Land tenureLand tenure
ResultsResults
Structured Question: Structured Question: – How important are the following How important are the following
factors in your decision to spread on factors in your decision to spread on a particular field?a particular field?
Open-ended QuestionOpen-ended Question– What kinds of fields do you seek to What kinds of fields do you seek to
spread manure?spread manure? Asked separately by season (fall, winter, Asked separately by season (fall, winter,
spring, summer)spring, summer)
Reasons for Spreading on Particular Fields
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
CropRequire-
ments
SoilResidualNutrientLevels
SoilConditions
WeatherConditions
How fullmanure
storage is
Availabilityof Custom
Hauler
HaulingDistance
Perc
ent o
f Far
ms
Percent saying it is "Very Important"
Percent Citing Reason as the "Most Important" Factor
Most Important Considerations in Selecting Field to Spread Manure
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
No storage Storage Weighted OFG totalsample
Distance from barn
Combination ofboth NM and NC
Natural Conditions
NutrientManagementconsiderations
Reasons Given for Spreading Manure on Specific Fields, By Season
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
FALL WINTER SPRING SUMMER
Pile
Don't haul
Other Reasons
Biophysical Char.
Closest fields
Furthest away fields
Hay or pasture
Other tilled crops
Corn fields
Incorporating ManureIncorporating Manure
50% overall do not incorporate at all50% overall do not incorporate at all 25% of farms incorporate < 1/425% of farms incorporate < 1/4thth
10% incorporate 25-50% of manure10% incorporate 25-50% of manure Why? Why? (hypotheses)(hypotheses)
– Management system Management system (daily haul, no-till)(daily haul, no-till)– Labor & equipment constraintsLabor & equipment constraints– Seasonality & weatherSeasonality & weather– Lack of concern/motivationLack of concern/motivation
Reasons Farmers Do Not Incorporate Their Manure
No Reasons Given, 4.8
Not a priority; doesn't make difference, 5.2
Not practical (frozen ground), 9.5
Weather/seasonal conditions, 27.2
Lack appropriate equipment, Cost, 6.3
Not practical (Traction/slippery to
drive on manure), 7.6
Time, lack of labor, 23.5
Don't plow until spring, 3.9
Only incorporate liquid from storage, 4.9
Not practical (no-till land and hay ground),
13.7
Not practical (daily haul system), 20.1
Reasons Given For Not Incoporating Manure Within 24 Hours, By Storage System
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
No storage Storage Combined
No ReasonsGiven
Motivation
Seasonality orweather
Labor andEquipment
Managementsystem
Perceptions about Perceptions about Manure as Fertilizer Manure as Fertilizer SourceSource Open-ended questionsOpen-ended questions
– What is the biggest What is the biggest advantageadvantage of of manure in comparison to manure in comparison to commercial fertilizers?commercial fertilizers?
– What is the biggest What is the biggest disadvantagedisadvantage of of manure compared to commercial manure compared to commercial fertilizer?fertilizer?
Perceived Advantages of Manure as Compared to Commercial Fertilizers
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cheap Good organicmatter; good
for soil
Available Good nutrientvalue
Have to get ridof it
Perc
ent C
iting
Thi
s Ad
vant
age
Perceived Disadvantages of Manure as Compared to Commercial Fertilizers
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Per
cent
Citi
ng
This
Dis
adva
ntag
e
Lessons and Lessons and ConclusionsConclusions Small and mid-sized farms face Small and mid-sized farms face
many constraints to use of many constraints to use of recommended manure recommended manure management systemsmanagement systems– No storageNo storage– Inability to incorporateInability to incorporate– Inability to get to many fields on timely Inability to get to many fields on timely
basisbasis These factors are not just ‘poor These factors are not just ‘poor
motivation’ or a lack of informationmotivation’ or a lack of information
ImplicationsImplications
Blanket policies to NM regulation Blanket policies to NM regulation might disproportionately impact might disproportionately impact small- and mid-sized operationssmall- and mid-sized operations– Unrealistic Nutrient Mgt Plans might be Unrealistic Nutrient Mgt Plans might be
hard to follow (if enforced)hard to follow (if enforced) Alternatively, policies and technical Alternatively, policies and technical
solutions limited to the largest solutions limited to the largest operations might fail to provide operations might fail to provide opportunities for improved outcomesopportunities for improved outcomes
More ImplicationsMore Implications
Develop technical solutions and Develop technical solutions and mgt systems that work within mgt systems that work within these constraintsthese constraints– Education/Info is not enoughEducation/Info is not enough– May not be ‘optimal’ (from NM May not be ‘optimal’ (from NM
perspective), but can improve perspective), but can improve performanceperformance
Suggestions for Future Suggestions for Future ResearchResearch Assume integrated crop/livestock systemsAssume integrated crop/livestock systems Assume many will not have long-term Assume many will not have long-term
storagestorage More information about timing and More information about timing and
placement of manure (vis-à-vis cropping placement of manure (vis-à-vis cropping patterns and landscape features)patterns and landscape features)
Low-tech/cost options for manure handling Low-tech/cost options for manure handling and storage (in barn, farmstead, spreading)and storage (in barn, farmstead, spreading)