What Works: Farming Practices

Transcription

1 What Works: Farming Practices Forestry, Farming and Filtration: Productive Lands and Water Supplies Can Coexist September 23, 2010 St. Paul Center, Augusta, Maine

2 Farming Practices Protect Water Nutrient Management Plans Reduced Tillage Pest Management Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Crop Rotation Decisions Cover Crops Irrigation Choices Pastured Livestock

3 Nutrient Management Plans Maine Nutrient Management Law No manure spreading Dec. 1-Mar. 15 Variances granted in some situations Nutrient Management Plans created by certified planners Nutrient Management Plan required if: Over 50 animal units Verified Complaint Import over 100 tons compost, manure, biosolids

4 Nutrient Management Plans Considerations in NMP Volume of manure produced/imported Animal type, bedding, storage type (liquid/semi-solid) Manure Nutrient Analysis Crop Crop Type, yield goal Soils Erosion potential Soil analysis, ability to meet yield goal of crop Phosphorous excessive?

5 Soil Sampling

6 Nutrient Management Plans Considerations, continued Maps Show wells, waterways Is Farm in a Most at Risk Watershed? Manure Storage Adequate for storage needs of the operation?

7 Liquid Manure Lagoon

8 Liquid Manure Spreader

9 Nutrient Management Plans USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) requirements To qualify for cost share funding on many projects a Comprehensive NMP is needed CNMP is like Maine NMP plus considers: Silage leachate Mortality Carcass Disposal Movement of water over farmstead impervious surfaces

10 Grass Filter Strip

11 Reduced Tillage Reduced tillage practices increasing No-till Zone Till Potential to improve soil quality Reduction in erosion Generally requires herbicide use for weed management Manure not incorporated

12 Pest Management Farmers need to protect crops to optimize yields Weeds Insects Diseases Rodents

13 Always Learning!

14 Pest Management Integrated Pest Management Identify Pest and Understand life cycle Monitor Pest population Control when Economic Threshold is reached Understand control options Cultural management Tillage, variety selection, rotation Pesticides Select right product for pest, crop rotation,

15 Pesticides Newer Chemistries, generally More pest specific Less leaching Shorter ½ life Days vs. Years Lower rates per acre Fractions of ounces vs. pounds

16 Genetically Modified Crops Herbicide Tolerant Round-up Ready Plant Incorporated Protectants Bt Corn GM Traits reduce volume of pesticides applied to crops

17 Crop Rotations Break pest cycles in crops Weeds, insects, diseases Maintain/Improve soil quality Organic matter levels, soil microbial life, nutrients

18 Crop Rotation Examples Potatoes/Small Grains Silage Corn/Grass Forage Winter Squash/Sweet Corn/Small Grain

19 Grass Diversion between fields

20 Winter Cover

21 Cover Crops Prevent movement of soil Physically protect soil from water and wind erosion Capture and hold nutrients that may be lost to environment Nitrogen and Phosphorous Legumes add Nitrogen for next crop Grasses break disease cycles

22 Winter Cover

23 Riparian Buffers Biological Filters Protect waterways from: Nutrient laden eroded soil Pesticides Bank Erosion

24 Riparian Buffer Planting

25 Irrigation Choices Crops require supplemental water in times of drought to achieve adequate yield and quality of the crop Different methods of applying water can impact environmental water quality

26 Hard Hose Traveler Gun Irrigation

27 Center Pivot Irrigation

28 Drip Tape Irrigation

29 Rotational Grazing, Fencing

30 Pastured Livestock Well managed grazing is good for water quality Dense sods formed Reduces erosion Modest levels of nutrients distributed over time and space Reduces potential for point source pollution

31 Good Fences Make Good Water

32 Services Available to Farmers University of Maine Cooperative Extension Ag Industry Field Representatives Fertilizer, Pesticide, Biosolid Companies Maine Department of Agriculture USDA NRCS FSA Private Crop Consultants Commodity Associations Non-profits Land Trusts, etc.

33 Questions? Lauchlin W. Titus, CPAg AgMatters LLC Vassalboro, Maine