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Managing Dairy Manure for Clean Water

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Managing Dairy Manure for Clean Water

Project  —  suscon.org/project/managing-dairy-manure

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Organizations:
Agricultural Manufacturing Office Strategic Interest
Projects:
Proposed In Progress Completed
Organizations:
Agricultural Manufacturing Office Strategic Interest
Projects:
Proposed In Progress Completed
Amazon
Area: 5888268 km2
Countries:
Brazil; Peru; Suriname; France; Colombia; Guyana; Bolivia; Venezuela; Ecuador
Cities:
Santa Cruz; Manaus; La Paz
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Countries: United States of America
Basins: North Pacific (446) (San Joaquin & Sacramento)
Project SDGs:
Includes Sustainable Development Goals from the project and its locations.
Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2.4)
Water Quality (SDG 6.3)
Water Use Efficiency (SDG 6.4)
Protect and Restore Ecosystems (SDG 6.6)
Project Tags:
Includes tags from the project and its locations.
Dairy and Livestock
Groundwater
Irrigation Management and Technology
Pesticide and Fertilizer Management
Services Needed: No services needed/offered
Desired Partners: Business
Government
NGO / Civil Society
Language: English
Start & End Dates: Jan. 01, 2015  »  Ongoing
Project Website: suscon.org/project/managing-dairy-manure
Project Source: Other
Profile Completion: 69%

Project Overview

Dairy manure is a valuable by-product that producers traditionally use to fertilize the crops they grow to keep their cows happy and healthy. However, with few export options and limited on-farm management strategies for this “black gold,” farmers end up using more manure nutrients on their fields than their crops can absorb. This can lead to nitrate pollution of local groundwater aquifers that supply communities and agriculture. Water supplies are also under threat as Calif…

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Dairy manure is a valuable by-product that producers traditionally use to fertilize the crops they grow to keep their cows happy and healthy. However, with few export options and limited on-farm management strategies for this “black gold,” farmers end up using more manure nutrients on their fields than their crops can absorb. This can lead to nitrate pollution of local groundwater aquifers that supply communities and agriculture. Water supplies are also under threat as California faces current and future extreme climate shifts. Dairies need new approaches to manage their manure in ways that boost water quality, conserve water supplies, keep their farms in line with regulatory mandates, and protect their bottom lines.

Project Results

To address this need, Sustainable Conservation is partnering with CWAC members and local dairy farmers to demonstrate an innovative drip irrigation system that can reduce water use, nutrient use, and GHG emissions while growing quality feed crops. In addition to financial support, CWAC members are providing their agronomic and economic expertise and encouraging participation of dairy processors and farmers. If this innovative system is adopted on 1/3 of California’s most sensitive corn silage acreage, it could save more than 125,000 acre feet (40 billion gallons) of water per year and lower nitrate loads in groundwater.

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Partner Organizations


California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC) (Organization)

cawateraction.org

Water scarcity in California is rapidly increasing due to unsustainable water use and decreasing supply reliability. Worsening droughts, intensifying wildfires, and degradation of freshwater ecosystems, all amplified by climate change, are further threatening water supplies for people and nature. To … Learn More

Netafim (Organization)

www.netafim.com

A pioneer and the world-leading provider of Drip Irrigation solutions, Netafim is the largest player in the global irrigation industry. With 14 manufacturing facilities in 11 countries, 27 subsidiaries, and a strong global distribution network across 110-plus countries, Netafim combines … Learn More

Sustainable Conservation (Organization)

suscon.org

Sustainable Conservation helps California thrive by uniting people to solve the toughest challenges facing our land, air, and water. Learn More

Suzannah Sosman
Primary Contact  

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