Noticing .......

They say, algae blooms are caused by nitrogen from fertilizers (manure in particular but also man made fertilizers) spread on fields that runoff into streams and rivers that feed lakes which is where blooms are occurring. My common sense tingle says we have been spreading manure on fields for hundreds of years, if not thousands, so why has algae blooms just become a problem recently?

It is probably not from manure. However,if it is from manure, it probably has to do with change in practices and the increase in scale. Where I live, for example, a lot of farmers spray manure on the fields while the snow is melting in March and April. It runs right into the streams and lakes. Apparently they used to spray manure in summer, but the neighbors in the new housing developments complain too much about the smell.
 
Apparently they used to spray manure in summer, but the neighbors in the new housing developments complain too much about the smell.
I'd rather smell cow manure than industrial pollution. At least it's natural. It's also less potent than synthetic fertilizer from ALL I've read of fertilizers throughout my life - so, I'm guessing - less responsible for algae blooms than the potent synthetic stuff??
 
I'd rather smell cow manure than industrial pollution. At least it's natural. It's also less potent than synthetic fertilizer from ALL I've read of fertilizers throughout my life - so, I'm guessing - less responsible for algae blooms than the potent synthetic stuff??

I agree. But the Yara facility is in Porsgrunn, and I live in Bergen, so the fertilizer production doesn't affect us here. It's just self-centered people who move out to the countryside and want to change everything to suit themselves.
 
It moves water off fields faster so it doesn't have to travel through soil that has traditionally helped filter it.
Yessir, that was my point since drain tile is buried it isn't removing the surface runoff that is alleged to be the problem. Instead of the chemicals and manure farmers apply soaking into the soil it gives it a path straight to drainage which seems to defeat the purpose of stopping runoff.
Kind of streamlining all rainwater to the creeks and rivers instead of just surface runoff but I am no expert in any of this bud.

I laid drain tile at my house to dry up a near-constant wet spot that was created by an underground spring.
It is probably not from manure. However,if it is from manure, it probably has to do with change in practices and the increase in scale. Where I live, for example, a lot of farmers spray manure on the fields while the snow is melting in March and April. It runs right into the streams and lakes. Apparently they used to spray manure in summer, but the neighbors in the new housing developments complain too much about the smell.
Do you see more new farms popping up in your area or do you see more farms getting abandon? I didn't mean for this to turn into a debate, all I mean is we have less acres being used for farmland than when I was a kid. In my area I see old farms abandon and the fields overgrown, conversely I don't ever see new farms established nor do I see woodlots being cut down and turned into fields. From a common sense point of view, in my area we have less manure and fertilizers being spread yet we have this new problem of algae blooms blamed on just that.
 
When time allows, I trout fish as much as possible. S.E. MN has several hundred miles of spring fed trout streams and rivers. I have never seen the algae this bad this early in the season.

The problem with nitrates is that they stay in the ground a long time and filter into the ground water. This years algae problem isn't from just recent events. It's from continued poor land practices over many decades.

I wonder how much nitrogen a farmer has to apply to get 300 bpa ? My next question is, how much of the nitrogen is the crop even using? I would bet well over half of it just leaches down to the water table.
 
Do you see more new farms popping up in your area or do you see more farms getting abandon?

I haven't been here very long, but there seems to be an increase in agricultural activity. Because of the regulations and the geography, it's not really common for land to go in our out of agriculture use. But the frequency and intensity of agricultural activity seems to be increasing.
 
When time allows, I trout fish as much as possible. S.E. MN has several hundred miles of spring fed trout streams and rivers. I have never seen the algae this bad this early in the season.

The problem with nitrates is that they stay in the ground a long time and filter into the ground water. This years algae problem isn't from just recent events. It's from continued poor land practices over many decades.

I wonder how much nitrogen a farmer has to apply to get 300 bpa ? My next question is, how much of the nitrogen is the crop even using? I would bet well over half of it just leaches down to the water table.

Based on ^ about 0.9# per bushel. So on 300 bushel corn, thats about 587# of urea per acre. Be interested to know use percentage as well.
 
It's just self-centered people who move out to the countryside and want to change everything to suit themselves.
That figures. We have that same thing happening in the Pa. Pocono Mountain Region. If you want convenience stores and city comforts / conveniences ...... stay in the city. Local natives in the Poconos say the influx of newbies want to change things, and they boss everyone around like they own everything. Where have respect and manners gone???
 
Here they are using human waste and spraying on fields,They bring out a crew and are usually at one 160 acre field for several days
 
Cover crops are getting more common here. The neighbor has been trying different brassicas and has even had it flown on. He has been planting winter rye and haying it pretty successfully; then spray and plant beans. Some people plant brassicas and let the cows out on it, but you do run the risk of compaction.
The deer pile into his fields, so it makes a few acres of rye on my place fairly useless as a draw. I plant clover to at least be different.
 

Based on ^ about 0.9# per bushel. So on 300 bushel corn, thats about 587# of urea per acre. Be interested to know use percentage as well.
That number looked quite high. I get 270# at the rate mentioned. Am i missing something?

I would like to know the amount that is actually used by the plant per acre.
 
Nitrogen for corn? It depends. The common approach is to determine the amount of N removed and carried off in the harvested product. So, an agronomist might say you need to replace 200 lbs of N if your yield is 200 bu (+/-). As corn progresses thru its growth stages much more N is required than is carried off in the harvested grain of silage. Mother Nature by way of the remains of prior crops OM breakdown supplies some. There were a couple references to N (and P) in the posts above about leaching into water and how cover crops can stop some of that.

If you want to know the max N a corn crop can handle look at the yield contests conducted around the country. The point of such competitions is to determine the maximum potential of the seed under near ideal conditions. It seems like small amount of N are applied multiple times a week while the corn is in its vegetative state. There's a lot of plant to feed!

In production ag the N problem is one of economics. It isn't possible to spoon-feed corn. Two, maybe three applications are all that are possible. The first is at planting, the second as the corn bursts into its growth stage. This second application can be of 100 or more lbs per acre. We hope it stays in the soil for the corn plant to use in the couple of weeks it grows leaf and stalk as fast the Jack's bean stalk. It usually doesn't. It leaches quite readily in certain types of soils and under many climate conditions.
 
That number looked quite high. I get 270# at the rate mentioned. Am i missing something?

I would like to know the amount that is actually used by the plant per acre.

Urea is 46-0-0 so only 46% Nitrogen. 587# of urea is 270# of nitrogen.


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He has been planting winter rye and haying it pretty successfully; then spray and plant beans. Some people plant brassicas and let the cows out on it, but you do run the risk of compaction.
Cover of winter rye, followed by haying & then drilling soybeans seems to be very common around SE Pa. Lots of new beans coming up now here.
 
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