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Wintering Site Assessment and Design Tool | |
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| | The practice of feeding cattle in a field setting during the winter, called extensive winter feeding, is increasing across the Prairies. The main driver behind this increase is reduced yardage, feeding and manure hauling costs. Extensive winter feeding also converts nutrients in the feed into “natural” fertilizer placed on the field, increasing soil fertility and enhancing yields on the site.
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Careful site selection and good site management practices are both essential to ensure that producers receive the benefits of winter feeding while addressing the potential environmental concerns. However, winter feeding also comes with some environmental risks. In particular, there is a risk of excessive nutrient accumulation at the site and an increased potential for these nutrients to be transported into surface or groundwater sources in the surrounding watershed.
The Wintering Site Assessment and Design Tool (WSADT) is designed to assist producers in identifying the environmental risks associated with extensive wintering sites, weighing the risks of one situation against another, and considering the adoption of beneficial management practices (BMPs) to address the risks.
Source: Agdex 420/580-3 |
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Trevor Wallace.
This document is maintained by Laura Thygesen.
This information published to the web on April 17, 2018.
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