What Is Manure Management Planner?

Manure Management Planner (MMP) is a Windows-based computer program developed at Purdue University that is used to create manure management plans for crop and animal feeding operations. The user enters information about the operation's fields, crops, storage, animals, and application equipment. MMP helps the user allocate manure (where, when and how much) on a monthly basis for the length of the plan (1-10 years). This allocation process helps determine if the current operation has sufficient crop acreage, seasonal land availability, manure storage capacity, and application equipment to manage the manure produced in an environmentally responsible manner. MMP is also useful for identifying changes that may be needed for a non-sustainable operation to become sustainable, and determine what changes may be needed to keep an operation sustainable if the operation expands.

MMP currently supports 14 states (IN, IL, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, OK, PA, SD and WI) and generates fertilizer recommendations based on each state's Extension guidelines. MMP uses manure nitrogen content, time and method of application, soil properties, and long-term weather data to estimate the amount of manure nitrogen available for crop uptake. MMP currently uses information from the USDA/NRCS Map Unit Interpretation Record (MUIR) soil database as part of the manure spreading priority setting scheme throughout the plan period.

If you have questions about MMP, please contact the authors. If you have agronomic questions, contact:

  Dr. Brad Joern
  Agronomy Dept.
  Lilly Hall of Life Sciences
  Purdue University
  West Lafayette, IN 47907-1150

  Phone:   (765) 494-9767
  FAX:     (765) 494-2926
  E-mail:  bjoern@purdue.edu

If you have software questions, contact:

  Phil Hess
  Agronomy Dept.
  Lilly Hall of Life Sciences
  Purdue University
  West Lafayette, IN 47907-1150

  Phone:   (765) 494-8050
  FAX:     (765) 494-2926
  E-mail:  pjhess@purdue.edu

Last updated: April 16, 2001