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)

QUESTIONS & QUESTIONS & COMMENTS?COMMENTS?