Tuesday, November 6, 2007
222-9

Comprehensive Farm-Level Nutrient Management Planning Software.

Robert L. Hill, Patricia Steinhilber, and Eugene Mironenko. University of Maryland, ENST - 1109 H. J. Patterson, College Park, MD 20742-5825

Nutrient Management for Maryland, Professional Edition (NuMan Pro) is Windows ® based nutrient management planning (NMP) software. The software serves as an updated and integrated version of the Nutrient Management for Maryland (NuMan MD) software program and the Maryland Phosphorus Site Index (PSI) software program. NuMan Pro facilitates the use of organic wastes and fertilizers to meet crop needs in an efficient and easy﷓to﷓use manner. The software calculates fertility recommendations for over 260 crop/management scenarios, has over 200 crop/management informational notes, and mineralization rates for 28 types of organic wastes. Options are available to calculate crop﷓based phosphorus removal and/or to have recommendations in different units. Phosphorus loss risk assessment may be computed via the Maryland Phosphorus Site Index (PSI). In support of the PSI calculations, a simplified version of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) software has been included. Soil information used in calculations has been queried for all mapping units in Maryland from the USDA﷓NRCS National Soils Information System database. The software will produce nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium﷓based nutrient management plans and accounts for annual legume and/or organic nitrogen carry﷓overs, pre﷓side dress nitrogen testing for corn, and file﷓based soil test inputs. Split applications of the same and/or different organic wastes may be applied. The software has a waste balance component that calculates waste storage requirements considering both the timing that waste materials will be used within the nutrient management plan and the rate of waste production. A waste generation component will estimate manure production for almost any animal production system including specialized modules for both the poultry industry and confined / unconfined animal feeding operations such as in the dairy industry. NuMan Pro is a comprehensive software package that addresses all phases of nutrient management planning.