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Dairymen advised about TNRCC's latest |
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| By JULIET BRISKIN | Central Texas Edition | |||
September 27, 2001 -- The TriCounty Agribusiness Association, Inc. (TCAA) recently sponsored the eleventh annual Texas Dairy, Farm and Ranch show in Stephenville. The two-day event featured over 100 agricultural product and service dealers, various seminars, and a golf tournament. The event began as simply a dairy day in Dublin 11 years ago and has grown into a major show for Central Texas dairy farmers. For the past six years the event has been held at the Tarleton State University Ag Center. According to July Danley, executive director of TCAA, the event is designed to bring together agricultural producers with their product and service suppliers. "This is an opportunity for producers to check out all the latest innovations that will help them run a more efficient operation," she said. Kyle Grigsby, TCAA board of directors member, worked with local Extension agents to arrange all the seminars presented at the show. Seminar participants received one hour continuing education credits for each program they attended. Dr. Tony Provin, assistant professor and soil chemist at Texas A&M University, presented a seminar on the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission's (TNRCC) new nutrient management requirements and most recent rule changes. "In many cases it is difficult for the Legislature, the NRCS, the TNRCC or any regulatory agency to have a dramatic impact on urban sectors," stated Provin. "Naturally they are going to look at where they will have an impact. They have identified that as industry and agriculture." According to Provin, the NRCS has spent the last 10 years developing national nutrient management plans. "We have a national plan that is in place at the present time but it really only affects those individuals that might be cost-sharing in any program with NRCS or the USDA," he said. Provin stated that there are many issues that need to be considered when developing a Nutrient Utilization Plan (NUP). They include drought, where crops are to be grown and who is going to certify a producer's NUP. "For the most part there is only two areas where these nutrient utilization plans are focusing," said Provin, "and that is on nitrogen management and phosphorus management." According to Provin the type of soil test a producer can use has been narrowed. "NRCS opted for whatever method that the A&M laboratory is using," he stated. "If you have surpassed the 200 parts per million (ppm) level, all is not lost. The NRCS has developed a phosphorus index tool that takes into account the soil test levels, the type of cover, the rainfall intensity in a given area and the potential for run-off of a given field." "The impact for the requirements is that you can use the phosphorous index which will potentially allow you to have a higher phosphorous level in soils that are less likely to have a negative run-off," stated Provin. Recently, according to Provin, legislation has forced changes along the Upper North Bosque and the North Bosque River. "It mandates that only a certified nutrient management specialist to take soil samples and a 500 ppm trigger," he said. "If for any reason you exceed 500 ppm, you have to get below that value in one year. If you do not fall below the 500 ppm in one year you have to go through an entirely new nutrient management planning process." |
