JANUARY Notes. Nutrient Management Tips

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1 JANUARY 0 Review soil tests and nutrient management program. To protect surface water, don t allow manure to runoff from heavy use areas or barnyards. Don t spread manure within concentrated water flow areas such as ditches, waterways, gullies or swales. New Year s Day 0 For Grazing Operations Review grazing records and make needed adjustments such as paddock size, time in rotation, fertilizer needs, and/or watering and mineral station locations. Review records of weed problems to determine crop rotation and herbicide changes. Order crop seed. Order needed equipment parts before spring planting. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday 0 Good Planning Plan upcoming field rotations and fertility needs by reviewing the farm s conservation plan, soil test results and nutrient management records. Contact the local NRCS or Conservation District office to update conservation and nutrient management plans. 0 December February Notes JANUARY 0

2 FEBRUARY 0 January President s Day March Determine crop s needs for nutrient/herbicide/insecticide for each field. Frost-seed legumes into grass hay field or pasture. Attend Professional Crop Producers Conference in Grantville, PA. For Graziers And Other Livestock Producers Vaccinate livestock for pink eye. Annually take manure analysis to determine the nutrient value of this resource; use wisely to help lower fertilizer costs. Take advantage of early-bird fertilizer and pesticide prices. Check the manure storage footer drain for manure leakage. Check for foul-smelling or discolored flow from the outlet of the footer drain. Did You Know Notes Act (Nutrient Management Regulation) defines winter as: December February or when the ground is frozen at least inches deep or the ground is snow covered. Act regulations also call for fields receiving fall or winter manure applications must have at least % cover or a cover crop established to prevent manure runoff getting to streams. FEBRUARY 0

3 MARCH 0 Record manure application rates, locations, and dates. Calibrate the manure spreader and begin early application. Take annual manure tests. February April For Graziers Frost-seed legumes into existing pasture. Check fence system, including stream-bank fence to ensure livestock are excluded from surface waterways. Check water systems and clean watering troughs. Top dress no-tilled wheat and barley fields for needed nitrogen/acre. Check seed depth of no-tilled alfalfa, grasses and oats seeding depth for alfalfa and grasses is / / inch, seed depth for oats is. inch. When selecting herbicides, consideration the crop rotations and cover crop species. 0 0 Improve Pastures Improving sod increases dry matter for livestock and reduces polluted runoff from pastures. Frost-seed legumes into existing pastures or inter-seed the pastures with grasses/legume mix. Notes MARCH 0

4 APRIL 0 Easter 0 Use this calendar to briefly record manure applications, grazing rotations, or fertilizer applications throughout the year. Check vegetative growth at the manure storage footer drain outlet. Lush or burnt grass can be a sign of a leak. Manure storage leaks can cause ground water pollution. 0 Notes 0 Grazing Cover Crop Take full advantage of a cover crop. Cut and feed as green chop or graze the cover crop before the stand is chemically burned down. Avoid grazing the cover crop when fields are too wet in order to avoid soil compaction. Planting a cover crop reduces nutrient and sediment runoff from fields. Cover crops also lower groundwater pollution events by slowing nutrient leaching. Chemically burn-down cover crops when stand is between - inches tall. Order cover crop seeds for summer planting. March May For Graziers Use this calendar to record where grazing animals are rotated and length of time in each paddock. Renovate pastures by interseeding pasture areas with grass/legume seed mix. APRIL 0

5 MAY 0 Be timely when killing cover crops to achieve the preferred amount of residue cover. Killing cover crops too early means too little cover, but killing it too late may cause planting problems such as hair-pinning. Check for slugs and spot treat hot-spots. April Stream-side Buffer Maintenance Scout buffer areas for invasive plants or other competitive weeds. Mow or use pre-emergent herbicides to control invasive plant growth. Precision is needed when applying herbicides on weeds. Take care not to spray native trees and shrubs in the buffer. Examine manure storage for needed repairs and promptly fix them. Check the manure storage footer drain for manure leakage. Check for foul-smelling or discolored flow from the outlet of the footer drain. For Graziers Apply nitrogen for additional forage growth. De-worm livestock after first rotation through the paddock system. Take forage samples to monitor forage quality. 0 Notes Memorial Day 0 June MAY 0

6 JUNE 0 Use this calendar to help record manure application s dates and locations. 0 May July Grazing Plant summer annual forages like brassicas and sorghumsudangrass. Apply nitrogen to pastures for additional growth. Update grazing and nutrient application records. Use this calendar to record manure application rates, locations, and dates. Use preside-dress soil nitrate tests to determine correct nitrogen application rates. To reduce sediment runoff polluting nearby streams, examine vegetated filter areas for erosion, reseed as necessary. 0 0 Check soybean and corn planter performance. Identify and fix planter problems for next year. Plant summer annual cover crops such as millets, sorghum-sudangrass, and buckwheat. Begin post-emergence herbicide applications and follow label instruction. Storage Foundation Drain Maintenance Check the outlets of manure storage foundation drains frequently. The drain's outflow should be observed when the facility is being used. Repairs should be made to correct any leakage into the footer drain to reduce the risks of groundwater pollution. Leaks may be detected by the color and smell of the out-flowing liquid. The vegetation around the outlet could be either lush and dark green or dying and burnt. Notes JUNE 0