MANURE MANAGEMENT PLANS BASED ON PHOSPHORUS In 2002, the Legislature adopted a law that requires the Department of Natural Resources to develop a phosphorus index for the application of manure from confinement feeding operations. The index is to be used to determine application rates and timing, based on the number of pounds of phosphorus that may be applied per acre and application practices. The law established staggered years for implementation. A person who submits an original manure management plan on or after October 25, 2004, must include a phosphorus index as part of their original plan and annual updates. A person who submitted their original plan on or after April 1, 2002, but prior to October 25, 2004, must submit a phosphorus index with their first update on and after August 25, 2006. A person who submitted an original plan prior to April 1, 2002, has to include a phosphorus index with their first update on and after August 25, 2008. The Legislative Committee did put a 70-day delay on one portion of the rule - record keeping of commercial application of fertilizer. The section says starting August 25, 2005, records were to be kept on date(s) and application rate of commercial nitrogen and phosphorus on fields that received manure. Copies of the rules can be found on DNR's webpage at: www.state.ia.us/epd/wastewtr/feedlot/feedlt.htm __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail is new and improved - Check it out! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]