The theme of the 2011 North American Manure Expo is Professionalism in Manure Management and will include commercial field demonstrations, "hands-on" product and safety education, educational sessions and commercial vendor displays. For the first time the event will be held in Nebraska at the Northeast Community College’s Ag Complex in Norfolk. It will take place on Wednesday, July 20, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The North American Manure Expo is open to operators and producers across all livestock species from all of North America. New this year is the application of manure through sprinkler systems.
The 2011 event is sponsored by the University of Nebraska – Lincoln Extension and is supported in part by a consortium of land grant universities and conservation agencies from across the U.S. in partnership with Nebraska custom applicators and businesses and the Iowa Commercial Nutrient Applicators Association.
Three of the educational speakers provide a glimpse of the Expo’s content with their following remarks.
Charles Shapiro
Soil Scientist – Crop Nutrition
University of Nebraska, Haskell Agriculture Laboratory
Session topic: Manure Scene Investigation
Q. Why is this topic important?
SHAPIRO: Manure Scene Investigator is a situational learning opportunity. We are creating different manure application scenarios and will ask participants to think about the conditions that may cause the symptoms that they see. When we troubleshoot situations in the field there never is a sign next to the problem that we can turn over and see the correct answer. We need to be able to use the principles we know and apply them to real world situations.
Q. What do you hope attendees will take away from this presentation?
SHAPIRO: Attendees will practice thinking through potential errors and management issues that may affect crop growth related to manure application.
Paul C. Hay
Extension Educator
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Session topic: Tile outlet setbacks and buffers, are they really effective?
Q. Why is this topic important?
HAY: When manure is applied to cropland fields there is a required setback from waterways; creeks and streams; and ponds and lakes. In many areas tile outlet terraces are used to protect soil from erosion and get the excess rainfall to the bottom of the hill. This research looked at the phosphorus losses from the field and the effect of manure applications and setbacks on phosphorus losses.
Q. What do you hope attendees will take away from this presentation?
HAY: The research information should prove helpful to farm operators and commercial spreaders in their approach to setback requirements in different field situations. I am also adding a brief summary of the recently released study on phosphorus and nitrogen sources in the Mississippi River Basin, which gives a broad view of this issue.
Joe Lally, Iowa State University, and
Caitlin Koselove, U.S. EPA
Session topic: What is in my NMP?
Q. Why is this topic important?
LALLY: The importance of the NMP (nutrient management plan) is based in good business first and foremost, and along the way, it also happens to result in environmental soundness. It is required by both the regulatory community and many supplier/vendor relationships. Also, because "It's the right thing to do" in the farm stewardship mission.
Q. What do you hope attendees will take away from this presentation?
LALLY: It is our goal to identify the required components of an NMP, what information it takes to prepare an NMP, the role of the nutrient management planner, and the responsibilities of NMP implementation.
Click here to view more information about the 2011 North American Manure Expo. PD
-
Karen Lee
- Midwest Editor
- Email Karen Lee
