DEP Approves New Standard Animal Weights
Standard animal weights are used in the Nutrient Management Planning process on farms that do not have their own documented animal weights to determining the animal equivalent units (AEUs) for each type of animal. If the farmer does not have records of actual weights of the animals on his or her operation, the standard animal weights identified in Agronomy Facts 54 must be used. On May 9, 2017 the State Conservation Commission (SCC) approved new standard animal weights and animal groupings. The new standard animal weights will take effect on October 1, 2019 which is the beginning of Crop Year 2020. The new standard animal weights can be found in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Pennsylvania's Nutrient Management Act (Act38)
The Nutrient Management Act is a state law that passed in 1993. The regulations became effective in October 1997. The main goal of the Act is to minimize surface and groundwater nutrient loads from agricultural operations and to increase farm profitability through proper nutrient management.
Plan Requirements:
1. Cover Page
2. Nutrient Management Plan Summary (along with summary notes, the manure rate calibration table, and additional NM plan requirements and the operator management map)
3. Nutrient Management Plan Agreement and Responsibilities
4. Operation Information
5. Manure Group Information
6. Crop and Manure Management Information
7. Phosphorus Index
8. Manure Management (See Section Below)
9. Stormwater Control
10. Importer/Broker Agreements and Nutrient Balance Sheets Pennsylvania Act 38/Nutrient Management Program/Technical Manual October 2015 NMP Submission: Required Appendices and Supplemental Information – Page 2
11. Operation Maps (including topographic maps and soils maps)
12. Supporting Information and Documentation Submission of the following worksheets and forms is required when they are relevant to a plan.
• Rainfall Additions Worksheet - Submission is required when manure generation is calculated and includes the addition of rainfall and/or runoff.
• Winter Manure Application Matrix – Submission is required when winter manure application is included in the plan. A winter Application Matrix is also required to be included along with the NBSs where winter manure application is planned to occur on these importing sites.
• Manure storage setback waiver forms – Submission is required if a manure storage setback waiver is required in order to implement the plan as proposed.
• Manure N Residual Calculator Worksheet – Submission is required when residual manure nitrogen availability is calculated using Agronomy Guide Table 1.2-15. Refer to Appendix 4: Crop and Manure Management Information for more information about the use of Agronomy Guide Table 1.2-15.
• Table 3 Worksheet – Submission is required when crops are entered into the NMP Spreadsheet.
• Table 4 Worksheet – Submission is required when a legume nitrogen residual management scenario is entered into the NMP Spreadsheet.
• For CAFO Operation only, supporting information, calculations and references for manure storage winter capacity planning levels must be included in Appendix 10: Supporting Information and Documentation.
This may include, as applicable, worksheets from the Manure Storage Winter Capacity Planning Level Determination Spreadsheet for Sloped Waste Storage Facilities.
The plan must include separate Nutrient Management Plan Summary and Nutrient Management Plan Summary Notes tables for each individual crop year included in the plan. The crop year is entered in the Nutrient Management Plan Summary.
A crop year is typically understood as the growing season when the crop is harvested. However for manure management planning purposes, the manure and nutrient planning year actually begins following the harvest of the previous crop. Therefore, plan implementation for a specific crop year actually begins in the late summer/fall timeframe. Based on this understanding, crop years in Act 38 nutrient management plans are understood to begin on October 1. Under Act 38, nutrient management plans cover three crop years. Two approaches can be used to address the multiple crop years in a single plan.
2. Nutrient Management Plan Summary (along with summary notes, the manure rate calibration table, and additional NM plan requirements and the operator management map)
3. Nutrient Management Plan Agreement and Responsibilities
4. Operation Information
5. Manure Group Information
6. Crop and Manure Management Information
7. Phosphorus Index
8. Manure Management (See Section Below)
9. Stormwater Control
10. Importer/Broker Agreements and Nutrient Balance Sheets Pennsylvania Act 38/Nutrient Management Program/Technical Manual October 2015 NMP Submission: Required Appendices and Supplemental Information – Page 2
11. Operation Maps (including topographic maps and soils maps)
12. Supporting Information and Documentation Submission of the following worksheets and forms is required when they are relevant to a plan.
• Rainfall Additions Worksheet - Submission is required when manure generation is calculated and includes the addition of rainfall and/or runoff.
• Winter Manure Application Matrix – Submission is required when winter manure application is included in the plan. A winter Application Matrix is also required to be included along with the NBSs where winter manure application is planned to occur on these importing sites.
• Manure storage setback waiver forms – Submission is required if a manure storage setback waiver is required in order to implement the plan as proposed.
• Manure N Residual Calculator Worksheet – Submission is required when residual manure nitrogen availability is calculated using Agronomy Guide Table 1.2-15. Refer to Appendix 4: Crop and Manure Management Information for more information about the use of Agronomy Guide Table 1.2-15.
• Table 3 Worksheet – Submission is required when crops are entered into the NMP Spreadsheet.
• Table 4 Worksheet – Submission is required when a legume nitrogen residual management scenario is entered into the NMP Spreadsheet.
• For CAFO Operation only, supporting information, calculations and references for manure storage winter capacity planning levels must be included in Appendix 10: Supporting Information and Documentation.
This may include, as applicable, worksheets from the Manure Storage Winter Capacity Planning Level Determination Spreadsheet for Sloped Waste Storage Facilities.
The plan must include separate Nutrient Management Plan Summary and Nutrient Management Plan Summary Notes tables for each individual crop year included in the plan. The crop year is entered in the Nutrient Management Plan Summary.
A crop year is typically understood as the growing season when the crop is harvested. However for manure management planning purposes, the manure and nutrient planning year actually begins following the harvest of the previous crop. Therefore, plan implementation for a specific crop year actually begins in the late summer/fall timeframe. Based on this understanding, crop years in Act 38 nutrient management plans are understood to begin on October 1. Under Act 38, nutrient management plans cover three crop years. Two approaches can be used to address the multiple crop years in a single plan.
Helpful links & manuals
Nutrient Management
Manure Management