Transcript Agricultural Waivers: How do they affect irrigators?

Manure BMPs and Water Quality
Protection
 Founded 1997
 Non-profit organization: agricultural, urban projects
 Promote stewardship, Best Management Practices (BMPs) to
production agriculture
 Parry Klassen, Executive Director
 Jim Markle, Assistant Projects Manager
 Tamara Taliaferro, Projects Coordinator
www.curesworks.org
E coli Bacteria
Most common exceedance
Sources
 Birds
 Squirrels
 Other wild animals
 Leaky sewer lines or septic systems
 Dairy runoff
 Irrigated pasture
 Domestic animals (dogs, cats)
 Manure applied to residential yards or farmland.
E coli Bacteria
Is it from irrigated agriculture?
Not all, but …
 Make sure our own house is in order
- Proper manure storage
- Proper manure application
- Drainage management in irrigated pasture
Manure Profile
 Non-composted or incompletely
composted manure carries harmful
pathogens.
- Pathogens are bacteria that may
potentially cause human illnesses.
- Pathogens can survive for several
years after application
 Stacked and aged manure has less
potential to harbor surviving
pathogens.
Manure and compost should be closely
managed
Manure/Compost
Best Management Practices (BMPs)
Source: Almond Board of California, Good Agricultural Practices
 Use only treated compost/manure that has undergone
pathogen reduction by decomposing and stabilizing
“The Almond Board of California does not support the use of manure as
fertilizer, but if use, the manure must be applied properly.”
Composting Practices
 Maintain compost temperature between 131ْ F-141ْF
for at least 15 days in a windrow composting system.
 Rotate windrows at least 5 times over this period.
If you buy compost:
-
Ask for proof from compost producer that he has followed
proper procedures to reduce pathogens.
 Raw manures that have not been composted must sit for at
least 6 months prior to application.
Storing
Raw Manure
 Develop physical barriers to
act as a buffer to help prevent
contamination from stacked
piles.
 Provide covers or other
barriers to minimize the
particle drift that may be
caused by wind onto
unintended products or crops.
Storing Raw Manure
 Stacked manure should reach 131ْ - 140ْ for
at least 3 days at a depth of 12-24” in order to
kill harmful pathogens
 Don’t add fresh manure to an already
decomposing stack: this will only re-contaminate
the stack
BMP Application Procedures
 Apply manure when the soils are warm and not saturated
 Incorporate manure into soil immediately after application to
prevent wind drift and runoff in storm water
 If incorporation isn’t possible use adequately composted
materials to maximize pathogen elimination.
Almonds: never apply non-treated compost 120 days prior to
harvest
BMP Application Procedures
 Document compost/manure applications
- Date, rate and location
 Do not …
- sidedress with fresh or slurry manure
- use biosolids or municipal waste.
A pathogen reduction checklist to record this data included in handouts
Parry Klassen
Executive Director
559-288-8125
[email protected]
"Education For Environmental Responsibility"