Nutrient Management for Emerging Animal Species

Dr. Jennifer Becker is the PI. The purpose is to develop a nutrient (manure) management education program for horses, alpaca, goats, and sheep (HAGS) owners in the Mid-Atlantic region. Production of horses, alpaca, goats and sheep is increasing in the Mid-Atlantic region. Many producers of these animals do not recognize the potentially negative impacts that the manure could have on the environment and are not familiar with best management practices (BMPs) for minimizing these impacts.

This project, which is being undertaken in collaboration with Jactone Ogejo (Virginia Tech), Robert Graves (The Pennsylvania State University), and Tom Basden (West Virginia University) will accomplish the following objectives: (1) Document the number and sizes of HAGS producers and assess their potential impact on water quality in the Mid-Atlantic region; (2) characterize the nutrient content and other characteristics of manure produced by HAGS; (3) develop educational materials and conduct a nutrient management training session for HAGS producers and extension personnel in the Mid-Atlantic region.

This extension project is funded by a grant from the USDA/Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) Mid-Atlantic Regional Water Quality Program. The impacts are: (1) Documentation of HAGS production potential impacts on water quality in the Mid-Atlantic region; (2) improved knowledge of the characteristics of HAGS manure, which is needed to develop effective nutrient management plan; (3) educational materials that can be integrated into the national eXtension Web site or other training curricula; and (4) recommended BMPs for HAGS manure.

For more information, contact Dr. Jennifer Becker

Last updated: 02/7/2008