Abstract

Nitrate is the most common chemical contaminant found in ground water. Recent research by U.S. EPA has shown that land application of manure can cause nitrate contamination of ground water above the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) of 10 mg NO3-N/L at significant depths. This finding and similar ones across the nation are raising concerns about the potential for manure to degrade ground water quality near concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The objectives of this research were to determine if nutrient management plans (NMPs) for CAFOs are inherently protective of ground water under variable crop and application strategies for dairy manure.

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