It’s encouraging farmers to develop what’s called a nutrient management program. It’s designed to help keep nitrogen and phosphorus out of county lakes and streams. Both nutrients can be found in manure that often gets spread on fields.

Gary Osborne, with the Conservation Division, says theoretically, every farm in the state should have a nutrient management program in place by January 1st of 2008.

He says the program is individualized for every farmer, depending on the number of animals he or she owns.

"Each farmer would need updated soil tests on the farm, and then we calculate with the farmer how much manure is produced on that farm and then based on those recent soil tests, Osborne said. “The farmer can calculate how many loads of manure should go to each field for next year's crop needs.”

Osborne says the crops will then use all of the nitrogen and phosphorous that’s spread on the field. That way, none of it can move off the land and into streams

Source: WEAU.com