Nutrient Management Team - Success Story -

1. Nutrient Management Team- Success Story - Presented by: • David Fischer Dane County Crops & Soils Agent Nutrient Mgmt. Team Co-leader • Scott Sturgul Nutrient & Pest Mgmt. Program Nutrient Mgmt. Team Co-leader UWEX-ANRE Conference - December 13-15, 2005

2. Nutrient Management • Combine on-farm nutrient sources, with commercial fertilizer, to meet crop need. On-farm nutrient sources (manure, legumes, soil reserves) Commercial fertilizer Minimize nutrient losses

3. Nutrient Management Planning in Wisconsin Agricultural & Natural Resource Protection Agencies Water Quality Protection University Soil Fertility Research Education & Demonstration Regulation Nutrient Management Standard - 590 Implementation on Wisconsin Farms Private Industry, Conservation and Extension staff

4. Education/Implementation Efforts

5. On-farm Demonstrations • Promote agricultural management practices that protect water quality while maintaining or improving farm profitability. • Facilitate information exchange between farmers and researchers.

6. Publications

7. Development of the NMFEC • Dennis Frame & Paul Kivlin • Developed & piloted the concept • Curriculum refined and mass produced by: • Soils faculty, NPM Program, Discovery Farms, UWEX NM-SDT • UWEX-CNRED-ERC contributions: • Evaluation tool – Farm Practices Inventory (FPI) • County-level funding for implementation via MALWEG grants • 1999 initial release - with 3 subsequent updates • Financial supporters of project: • WMMB WDATCP* NRCS • Wis. Farm Bureau UWEX-ERC *Statutorily endorsed as mechanism for certifying farmers to write NM plans

8. Intent & Purpose • To develop meaningful NM plans (plans that could be implemented rather than ignored). • To teach producers basic nutrient management principles and practices for protecting water quality and farm profits. • To involve farmers in the development of their own NM plans. • To assist farmers in complying with regulatory NM plan requirements (provide a mechanism for NM plan delivery).

9. Nutrient Management Farmer Education Program - Curriculum • Based on UW soil fertility recommendations and current nut. mgmt. regulations. • Delivered locally by UWEX, LCD, NRCS, technical colleges, private industry. • Workshops, on-farm demonstration, etc. with end product being functional nutrient management plans. • Majority of plans prepared by farmers themselves.

10. Accomplishments & Evaluation

11. NMFE Curriculum Accomplishments2000 – 2005 • 1,400+ producers participants • Major enterprise = dairy • ~ 80% developed or assisted in the development of their NM plans • ~ 423,000 acres planned • 28+ Wisconsin counties

12. NMFE Curriculum Evaluation Data • Farm Practices Inventory (FPI) tool • UWEX-CNRED-ERC development, analysis, result reports for specific projects • Overall multi-year NM adoption analysis of the farmers participating in NMFE projects • Example from Dodge Co. (Drummy, Fanta, Hanson) • From 2000 to 2002, 75 lb/a reduction in N applications • From 2000 to 2002, 15 lb/a reduction in P (P2O5) applications • Pre- and Post-workshop evaluations

13. Nutrient Management Plan AcresReported: 1996-2002 4,018 plans reported on 1.3 million acres since 1995.

14. Spin-offs • Dairy Dietary Curriculum -March, 2003 • Various publications • More to come Dairy Whole-Farm Nutrient Management Diet Connection

15. Future Plans • Major revision and re-issue of the Nutrient Management Farmer Education curriculum in 2006. • Continued utilization in local delivery of nutrient management education programs.