The new Poultry Litter Land Application Worksheet Tool allows Tennessee poultry producers who do not have a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) permit to set agronomic litter land application rates for their specific farms and fields.
The tool is based on the UT Extension’s publication, Litter Land Application Management, and the calculations and recommendations presented therein.
Objectives
The Worksheet Tool is designed to meet the following objectives:
- Maximize Litter Value. Agricultural producers need to control production costs. The Worksheet Tool maximizes the value of litter nutrients and minimizes costs for commercial fertilizers without sacrificing economic crop returns.
- Environmental Regulations. Stormwater runoff that contains land-applied litter, or excess nutrients from land-applied litter, can be considered an illegal discharge by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To avoid being considered an illegal discharge, litter must be “land applied in accordance with site-specific nutrient management practices that ensure appropriate agricultural utilization of the nutrients” (40 C.F.R. § 122.23(e)(1)). This regulatory requirement applies to poultry farms that confine 82,000+ laying hens or 125,000+ of any other type of chicken (40 C.F.R. §122.23(b)(4)). This Worksheet Tool provides poultry producers with a field-specific nutrient management system for agricultural utilization of litter nutrients, as well as a required recordkeeping form (40 C.F.R. §122.23(e)(2)).
- NOTE: This Worksheet should NOT be used by poultry farms required to have a CAFO permit or that voluntarily choose to operate with a CAFO permit. Permitted farms MUST follow the Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) approved with their permit.
- Minimize the Negative Environmental Impact of Land Applied Litter. Applying more nutrients than your crop demands can enrich surface waters with nutrients that degrade both local and distant receiving waters. The Worksheet Tool sets litter application rates that minimize the possible negative environmental impacts of litter nutrients.
Required Information
Assemble the following information prior to using this Worksheet Tool:
- Field soil test(s).
- If you use the Soil, Plant and Pest Center Soil Testing Lab, you will be able to select from your soil test results to use in the calculations.
- Litter test(s).
- Field crop history and yield data (five years).
- Field litter application records for the prior two years.
- Field images/maps that show the field area in acres — obtain from your local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service or Farm Service Agency office.
Accessing the Worksheet Tool
Current Customer with Account
If you are a current customer of the Soil, Plant and Pest Center and have an account in our system, you can sign into your account as usual. Once in the system you will find a new option titled “New Poultry Litter Worksheet” on the Details page (see image below).
New User without Account
If you are a new user who is not a customer of the Soil, Plant and Pest Center and do NOT have an account in our system, you can create an account to access and use the Poultry Litter Land Application Worksheet Tool.
Once you have created an account you will find the option for Create New Poultry Litter Worksheet on the Details page (see image below).
