Dietary nutrients, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus, are excreted in manure from feedlot cattle. Dietary strategies, including calculated protein supplementation and phase-feeding programs, can be implemented by cattle feeders to decrease nutrient excretion and improve nutritional efficiency of the animal.

This year’s Land Application Recertification sessions, called Applying Manure Management Concepts On-Farm, are scheduled to be in-person at many locations across the state in June, with one taking place in May in Lexington. Manure trainings earlier this year were held virtually, but we’re making progress, and that means we’re looking forward to seeing everyone in-person for the next manure event.

Vegetative Treatment Areas (VTA) are used in multiple Nebraska cattle operations to help improve and maintain water and nutrient quality. This article will explain what a VTA is and how it works. It will then detail how valuable nutrients contained in the manure will be captured and reused. It will also describe what size of feeding operations should install a VTA. Lastly, it will detail how a producer can get assistance to install one.

This is a summary of the webinar “The Role of the Odor Footprint Tool in Livestock Nuisance Litigation” given on Jan. 21, 2021, as part of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Agricultural Economics Extension Farm and Ranch Management team’s weekly webinar series.

There are many challenges associated with variable rate manure applications such as variable nutrient content within the manure source and nutrient availability, application equipment, and prescription methodology. However, in many cases, these challenges are outweighed by environmental and economic benefits from variable rate manure applications.