A Systems Approach

Abstract

Traditionally, the management of manure nutrients has focused primarily on the production, collection, storage, and field application of manure. By contrast, a total systems approach expands this focus to include concerns about human and animal health, odor and fly control, nutrient import and handling, ration balancing and feeding management to optimize dietary nutrient utilization, management of crop harvest and storage to maximize feed palatability and nutrient digestibility, manure processing for export, farm economics of nutrient management, and the broader economic impacts of environmental regulation and enforcement.In the future, the focus of manure and nutrient management must be to optimize nutrient flow and utilization at every point within the total dairy farm system. A total systems approach to nutrient management is vital to the future of the dairy industry. This approach requires a broad spectrum of scientific expertise that includes multidisciplinary teams involving agronomists, dairy scientists, economists, engineers, microbiologists, soil scientists, veterinarians, and regulators to deal successfully with the complex issues pertaining to dairy nutrient management.