Tools
for integrating livestock feeding
decisions into the CNMP process
Dr. Rick Koelsch
University of Nebraska
While
manure management software exists, it may not account for variations among state
regulations and recommendations, temporal issues, climate or new computer
systems. The Manure Management
Planner (MMP) developed at Purdue University takes these variables into account
and provides opportunities for strategic and tactical planning, record keeping
as well as GIS links. The MMP
serves as an electronic filing system through which the user enters information
about the operation’s fields, crops, storage, animals and application
equipment then receives manure allocation rates on a monthly basis for the
length of the plan (1-10 years). Sufficient
crop acreage, seasonal land availability, and manure storage capacity are taken
into accounted in determining allocation. The
MMP is available for thirteen states, including Ohio, and may be downloaded
from: http://www.agry.purdue.edu/mmp/.
The Spatial Nutrient Management Planner (SNMP) is a decision support tool that facilitates the collection, analysis and presentation of spatial information related to nutrient management planning. It is linked to Purdue University's Manure Management Planner to allow export of information to create manure allocation plans. It is available for download at: http://www.cares.missouri.edu/snmp/.