Nutrient
Management
Planning
Eric Thomason
Nutrient management is
the process of accounting for
nutrient inputs and outputs on
farms. It involves understanding
the nutrient needs of a crop at
a specified target yield and the
nutrients required to produce that
crop. The nutrients can come
from residual amounts already in
the soil or from added nutrients
in the forms of fertilizers or
manures. A Nutrient Management
Plan is a nutrient balance sheet
of all of the farmer’s fields and
their associated crops, with
a plan to supply the needed
nutrients without adding too
much of any nutrient. Nutrient
Management Planners help
farmers understand this process to
supply adequate nutrients with the
right amendments. Planners must
be certified by passing a nutrient
management exam and they must
receive continuing education
credits to keep abreast of new
18 West Virginia Fa Bureau News
18 West Virginia Farm Bureau News
West irgi i Farm urea News
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materials and concepts.
Although nutrient management
programs have been around
for quite some time, nutrient
management planning and
the development of nutrient
management plans (NMPs)
for individual farms have been
gaining more interest and scrutiny
in recent years. The West Virginia
Department of Agriculture began
a nutrient management planner
certification program in 2000
due to increasing concerns with
environmental issues and nutrient
loading in water bodies such as
the Chesapeake Bay. Regulations
for controlling nutrients on farms
have been discussed by federal
and state regulatory agencies
and the Farm Bureau is doing
its best to protect the interests
of farmers while at the same
time encouraging environmental
stewardship.
Good farm management, and
nutrient management in particular,
can increase profits and may make
the difference between a profit
or a loss on the farm. Having
a Nutrient Management Plan
does not mean that anyone from
the DEP or EPA is going to pay
you a visit. They may pay you a
visit but having a NMP will not
prompt them to visit you because
a NMP is your private document.
A nutrient management plan is
simply a good farm business
management tool and it would be
a great asset if you are ever the
recipient of such a visit. Most
West Virginia farmers already
do a certain amount of nutrient
management planning, even if
they don’t technically have a
written NMP.
Have you ever taken a soil or
plant tissue sample and sent it
off to be analyzed? Have you
ever sent a manure sample for
analysis? If so, why? Perhaps
you didn’t call it “nutrient
management planning,” but
you recognized the importance
of putt