Factors Affecting Manure Applications as Directed by Nutrient Management Plans at Four Connecticut Dairy Farms

Abstract

Distribution of manure on a farm is constrained by strategic, tactical, and operational factors and can be optimized by use of a nutrient management plan (NMP). Variables affecting a farmer's choice to implement manure recommendations can be identified by econometric models. Probit and feasible generalized least squares multiple regression models for panel data were fitted using 4 to 5 yr of field-by-field records of manure applications from four dairy farms in Connecticut. The results of the models showed that the farmers' decisions about manure applications were significantly affected by a common factor: the distance from the manure storage lagoon to the field. Other factors, including field ownership, field size, crop, soil test P, recommended manure application, fertilizer N and P applications, and N and P requirements for crop growth, also significantly affected some of the farmers' decisions about manure distribution. Identification of the factors affecting a farmer's decision is important for NMP planners and policymakers for developing more feasible and adoptable NMPs while minimizing the negative effects of land application of manure. This research illustrates how to use and interpret econometric models to analyze the decisions farmers make when they face two alternatives: a traditional practice or an improved NMP.