NUTRIENT LOSS LESSONS FOR DAIRYING by Sue Webster A nation-wide effort to increase the efficient use of nutrients and curb nutrient losses from Australian dairy farms could prevent consumer water-quality conflicts before they start, says a visiting US professor. Farmers who improve their nutrient use to best practice could help the industry avoid regulations, said Professor Quirine Ketterings. New York state farmers with excessive soil nutrient levels can be banned from applying fertiliser or dairy effluent, and sometimes have to grow crops for years to remove excess nutrients from the soil, she said.
Accounting for the nutrients going in and out of dairy farms in New York was an effective way of improving nutrient management on farms. Despite differences in manure management between New York and Australia, Prof Ketterings’ research has important implications for nutrient management on Australian dairy farms. The Cornell University professor addressed Australian scientists and Victorian DPI staff over a four-day visit last week that also included a visit to the Pinch family dairy farm at Willow Grove in Gippsland. Her visit was arranged as part
of the recently commenced Accounting for Nutrients* project. She had a message for Australian dairy farmers. “The key solution lies in finding ways to economically increase nutrient use efficiency on farms,” she said. “Also to decrease nutrient imports and increase exports in sales while reducing nutrient loadings to the watersheds. “Knowing a farm’s nutrient balance is one step towards achieving that solution.” The lessons learned from upstate New York dairy farms were gained from stiff anti-pollution laws introduced in 2002 to protect water supplies for New York City.
JerseyJournal June/July 2007 —
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