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.

Nebraska’s livestock industry can benefit from manure generated in the integrated animal and corn agricultural system. Farmers, who only run crop operations, can also benefit from animal manure field applications.

Manure produced in animal feeding operations is a source of fertilizer that can be used to reduce our dependency on commercial fertilizers. Manure contains several essential nutrients that crops that crops rely on to grow, most notably nitrogen and phosphorus. Proper management of manure before, during, and after land application helps to slow down the contamination of our streams and reservoirs.

Supplemental protein has historically been the most expensive component in beef cattle diets. However, over the past 20 years with the rapid expansion of ethanol production and distillers grains supply, rations have changed.