The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Department of Agriculture recently assembled scientists, agricultural industry leaders, environmentalists, farmers, county conservation districts, and representatives of Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to find solutions that maintain or improve production while reducing the pollution impacts from manure and the challenges of managing manure to improve farm profitability.

Animal manure is one of the largest sources of nitrogen and phosphorus deposited on the Bay watershed’s 64,000 square-mile land area. This pollution has seriously damaged the health of local rivers, streams and the Chesapeake Bay. Reducing nitrogen and phosphorus in feed can reduce manure nutrients without impacting production and while reducing nutrient management planning costs.

“Almost 4,000 miles of Pennsylvania’s streams are impaired due to agricultural production and it is important that we look at ways to reduce nitrogen pollution from manure,” explained CBF Pennsylvania Executive Director Matt Ehrhart. “There are innovative solutions available that would protect the environment from nutrient pollution without adding costs to a farmer’s bottom line.”

Approximately 60 people attended “Animal Nutrition: Understanding the Problems, Progress and Future” and learned about examples of success to reduce excess nutrients fed to livestock. Scientific research has shown that livestock can be fed rations that provide a better balance of amino acids, minerals in more digestible forms and other improvements, so that adding excess nutrients is unnecessary to maximize production. Reducing excess feed nutrients will ease the burdens of many farmers in managing their manure.

“The Department recognizes that animal nutrition is a partial answer in addressing the concerns over nutrient management. We’re pleased to be working in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and others to develop some strategies that work for Pennsylvania farmers,” said Secretary of Agriculture Dennis C. Wolff.

Those attending highlighted several opportunities and challenges for broadening the use of more efficient livestock diets:

· more routine analysis of feed ingredients by feed mills

· better coordination among and within universities for research

· improved collaboration among feed companies, crop and livestock producers, government agencies and researchers.

Financial assistance may be needed in some cases to encourage producers to conduct pilot projects to test new strategies on the farm and ensure that production is maintained. Dairy producers and others who rely heavily on forages may need additional support for analysis of their hay, pastures and silage that often vary widely in nutrient content.

11/26/2004