The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has teamed up with the National Weather Service to design a tool that helps farmers and commercial applicators determine the best time to apply manure.
The Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast tool uses past and predicted National Weather Service weather data like precipitation, temperature and snow melt. It predicts the likelihood that applied manure will run off fields in daily, next day and 72 hour increments. Farmers and commercial applicators use an interactive map to locate their field and find the forecasted risk. Users can also sign up for email or text messages for their county that alert them to a severe runoff risk for that day.
When someone goes to the interactive map, the runoff risk is displayed in one of four categories: no runoff expected, low, moderate and severe. When the risk is moderate or severe, it is recommended that the applicator evaluate the situation to determine if there are other locations or later dates when the manure application could take place.
The forecasting tool can also be used by others looking for climate information including 2" soil depth temperatures which are useful at planting time and 6" soil depth temperatures which are helpful when determining fall fertilizer application in appropriate areas.
The Minnesota Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast is part of a larger federal project. The National Weather Service has provided data and guidance to states to create similar tools in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. State funding for the project was provided by the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment.
The Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast tool uses past and predicted National Weather Service weather data like precipitation, temperature and snow melt. It predicts the likelihood that applied manure will run off fields in daily, next day and 72 hour increments. Farmers and commercial applicators use an interactive map to locate their field and find the forecasted risk. Users can also sign up for email or text messages for their county that alert them to a severe runoff risk for that day.
When someone goes to the interactive map, the runoff risk is displayed in one of four categories: no runoff expected, low, moderate and severe. When the risk is moderate or severe, it is recommended that the applicator evaluate the situation to determine if there are other locations or later dates when the manure application could take place.
The forecasting tool can also be used by others looking for climate information including 2" soil depth temperatures which are useful at planting time and 6" soil depth temperatures which are helpful when determining fall fertilizer application in appropriate areas.
The Minnesota Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast is part of a larger federal project. The National Weather Service has provided data and guidance to states to create similar tools in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. State funding for the project was provided by the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment.
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