Planning - Nutrient Management
Minnesota NRCS

Updated 01/31/2012

This page focuses on plan formats and content. Visit the “Standards and Policy page” of this website for NRCS nutrient management guidance. Visit the “Plant Nutrient Requirements” page for procedures used to estimate plant nutrient needs. Visit the “Environmental Assessment” page for procedures used to determine sensitive areas that must be considered when managing nutrients. Visit the “Manure Management Page” for guidance on determining plant available food from manure.

 These documents require Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word.

Planning Guidance

Planning for Odor Management
Link to University of Minnesota Extension site

Emergency Response Planning
Link to University of Minnesota Extension site. Focuses on manure spills but can be developed for other spill incidences.

USDA-NRCS-Minnesota Nutrient Management Planning Policy (pdf; 300 KB)
Minnesota Amendment to National Planning Procedure Handbook (NPPH). Describes nutrient management and comprehensive nutrient management planning procedures. This policy is located on the Standards and Policy sub-page of this website

Components of a Nutrient Management Plan  (pdf; 84 KB)
Brochure describing similarities between MPCA’s Manure Management Plans and NRCS Nutrient Management Plans.

Plan Component Checklist  (doc; 149 KB)  5/09
(USDA-NRCS Minnesota Form MN-ECS-015)
NRCS list used to check nutrient management plans.

State Manure Management Plan Requirements (pdf)
 (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)

Planning Software

Version 3.0 of Nutrient Management Planner for Minnesota (pdf; 234 KB)  5/09
 This software calculates crop nutrient needs and plant food available from manure.  It allows the user to develop custom nutrient management plans or plans that meet USDA-NRCS requirement.   One version 3.0 runs in Access 2003.  Another version runs in Access 2007.

Purdue University Manure Management Planner
This web-based tool can be used for nutrient management planning purposes. However it currently provides some but not all reports required by NRCS in Minnesota.

Manure Management Planner Spreadsheet
This computer spreadsheet can be used to develop a manure management plan that meets State of Minnesota feedlot rule requirements. However it does not contain all reports or recommendations needed for an NRCS nutrient management plan. These additional reports would have to be appended to the spreadsheet reports.
 

Sample Nutrient Management Plans

EQIP 1st year Nutrient Management-NRCS Jobsheet 590b (pdf; 26 KB)
Jobsheet 590b is used to schedule nutrient management activities for producers receiving USDA incentive payments for managing nutrients. Used in the 1st cost-shared year if the producer hasn’t already conducted the listed activities.

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan  (pdf; 953 KB)
Developed when producers request USDA financial assistance to design and install manure and other animal by-product storage, treatment or transfer systems. Also used when producers request a manure or nutrient management plan that meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) requirements. Provides recommendations for manure handling and treatment; sensitive area practices; mortality disposal; emergency response planning, recordkeeping and other items. Specific to livestock operations. Developed once and only updated as necessary.

Annual Plan (pdf; 223 KB)
Used in years following development of baseline plans or CNMPs. Provide field specific nutrient application recommendations. Reviewed annually and updated as necessary.

Baseline Plans
Baseline plans are called strategic plans in other states; are only developed once; and address many facets of nutrient management other than fertilizer recommendations (e.g. sensitive area practices; soil and manure sampling and testing guidance; equipment calibration guidance; and/or operation and maintenance information). Producers receiving USDA EQIP incentive payments for managing nutrients should have a baseline plane developed by the end of the 1st cost-shared year of nutrient management

Baseline Plan for Livestock Farm (pdf; 2170 KB)
Used when producer is only requesting advice for land application of commercial fertilizer and manure.

Baseline Plan for Non-livestock farm (pdf; 259 Kb)
Used when producer is only requesting advice for land application of commercial fertilizer

Plan Templates
Analogous versions of plan templates can be found in the Nutrient Management Planner for Minnesota software.

EQIP 1st Year Nutrient Management-NRCS Jobsheet 590b (doc; 111 KB)

Baseline Nutrient Management Plan for Livestock Operations (doc; 870 KB)  5/09

Baseline Plan for Operations without Livestock (doc; 966 KB)  5/09

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan(CNMP) (doc; 948 KB)  5/09

Annual Field Nutrient Management Plan Table of Contents (doc; 46 KB)  5/09
Used with Annual Field Nutrient Management Plan.

Annual Field Nutrient Management Plan- NRCS form MN-CPA-023  (doc; 118 KB)  5/09
Used for field specific nutrient budgeting and recommendations. Analogous form is found in the Nutrient Management Planner for Minnesota software.

Annual Farm Nutrient Management Plan-NRCS form MN-CPA-38 (doc; 308 KB)  5/09
Contains recommendations for multiple fields. Analogous form is found in the Nutrient Management Planner for Minnesota software.

Inventory and Evaluation Worksheets and Forms for Appendices of Baseline Plans including CNMPs. Analogous versions of these worksheets and forms can be found in the Nutrient Management Planner for Minnesota software.

Field Nitrogen Loss Assessment (doc; 140 KB)
Also found on Environmental Assessment sub-page of this nutrient management web-site.

Field Phosphorus Loss Assessment (doc; 96 KB)
Also found on Environmental Assessment sub-page of this nutrient management web-site.

Nutrient Application Restrictions in Sensitive Areas (pdf; 92 KB)  5/09
Also found on Environmental Assessment sub-page of this nutrient management web-site.

Management Practice Considerations for Nitrogen and Phosphorus
Found on Environmental Assessment sub-page of this nutrient management web-site.

Soil Sampling Fact Sheet (pdf; 187 KB)
Also found on the Management-Plant Nutrient Requirements sub-page of this web-site

Manure Sampling Fact Sheet (pdf; 70 KB)
Also found on the Management-Manure sub-page of this web-site.

Farming Practices Inventory- NRCS Form MN-CPA-40 (doc; 129 KB)
Used when working with client the 1st time to determine general farming practices. Also used to list sensitive areas on planning acreage

Cropping History and Soil Fertility Inventory- NRCS Form MN-CPA-41 (doc; 214 KB)
Used when working with client the 1st time to gather information needed for nutrient management planning purposes.

Manure Information Inventory- NRCS Form MN-CPA-42 (doc; 92 KB)
Used when working with client the 1st time to gather information needed for nutrient management planning purposes.

Nutrient Management Practices Inventory- NRCS Form MN-CPA-43 (doc; 131 KB)
Used when working with client the 1st time to gather information needed for nutrient management planning purposes.

Record Keeping Form (doc; 184 KB)
 
Practice Certification Form  (doc; 125 KB)
Minnesota form MN-CPA-046 used by USDA program participants to certify that nutrients and pests have been managed according to NRCS guidelines.

Additional plans and forms specific to Appendices of CNMPs  Analogous versions of these plans and forms can be found in the Nutrient Management Planner for Minnesota software.

Manure and Wastewater Handling and Storage  Assessment Worksheet  (doc; 138 KB)  5/09
Used to help guide the assessment of the manure and wastewater handling and storage system.

 Manure and Wastewater Handling and Storage Recommendations Worksheet (doc; 29 KB)  5/09
Recommendations based on assessment are entered on this worksheet.

Operation and Maintenance Plan (doc; 72 KB)

Emergency Response Plan (doc; 77 KB)  5/09

Animal Mortality Worksheets (doc; 228 KB)

NRCS Mortality Plan (doc; 210 KB)  5/09

MPCA Odor Management Plan (doc; 112 KB)
Developed if needed

CNMP Rotational Crop Nutrient Budgets (doc; 112  KB)  5/09
Used to calculate generic crop specific nutrient rate recommendations prior to construction of manure storage or handling systems. A separate form is needed for each crop in the rotation.

Rotational Crop Nutrient Management Plan (xls; 31 KB)  5/09
Similar to rotational crop nutrient budgets but calculations are not shown and multiple crops and cropping scenarios are entered on the same form.

Animal Nutrition Self-Assessment Worksheets (doc; 91 KB)
NRCS worksheets used by producers to review their current feed management program.

 Management Fact Sheets
Explain the relationships between feed management and excreted nitrogen and phosphorus from livestock.

        General (pdf; 444 KB)
        Dairy (pdf; 438 kb)
        Poultry (pdf; 438 kb)
        Swine (pdf; 438 kb)
        Beef (pdf; 438 kb)

Conversion Factors and Tables

Factors and Tables Useful When Planning (pdf; 112 KB)

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