Milwaukee-Agriculture interests don’t like the “one size fits all” approach of more strict fertilizer and manure runoff limits being proposed by the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board. The board wants to create new performance standards, to keep these nutrients out of waterways during snow melt and rains, with setbacks and implementation of a new phosphorus index. “There are a couple of things agriculture isn’t very happy about,” Wisconsin Agribusiness Council President and CEO Ferron Havens told Green Markets. He said one is the automatic setback rule, which would prohibit cultivation within 20 feet of rivers, lakes, ponds, or other surface water. “We’re not opposed to setbacks or to conservation measures,” Havens asserted. “But we’re opposed to a blanket policy that treats every area the same. That could potentially take a lot of land out of production if you’re along a stream area. We don’t like the fact that one size fits all. Some areas may need this and other areas would need less or more.” Havens also raised concerns about implementing a Phosphorus Index (PI) of 6, which is “another problem where you can’t use a blanket approach for agriculture land.” He cited studies that show a PI of 6 could be difficult to reach and maintain in many areas. Havens said the board is ignoring the findings at the Wisconsin discovery farm established by universities and the agriculture industry to carry out research concerning manure spreading, fertilizer application, and other aspects that deal with fertilization. The index is a modeling tool for assessing phosphorus leading to waters from fertilizer and other sources.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain