- Improves soil quality and promotes carbon sequestration by building or maintaining soil organic matter
- Protects surface water quality by reducing nutrient and sediment runoff (the organic matter in manure creates an open soil structure that stabilizes nutrients and lets water in more easily, reducing runoff)
- Also protects surface water quality through manure application methods that prevent pathogens, nutrients and organic matter from entering waterways
- May reduce the risk of groundwater contamination from nitrogen leaching compared to commercial fertilizers, as the nitrogen in manure is more stable and more easily utilized by crops
- Reduces the risk of drinking water contamination by ensuring appropriate setbacks when applying manure near wells or in vulnerable drinking water supply management areas
- Helps protect air quality by controlling odors from manure
- Conserves energy compared to manufacturing, mining, processing and transporting of commercial fertilizers
- Reduces or eliminates the need to purchase commercial fertilizer for crops
- May improve crop use of nitrogen relative to commercial fertilizers; the nitrogen in manure is more stable, releasing slowly as soils warm and crops grow
- Improves soil productivity through increased water-holding capacity and greater nutrient availability and retention
- Aids compliance with Minnesota regulations on manure application
- Well managed manure can be used in a methane digester to produce energy, and control odors and methane emissions
- Manure management is often integral to crop nutrient management, comprehensive nutrient management planning, feedlot/barnyard runoff controls, rotational grazing and manure digesters.
- Manure management often involves manure storage, manure storage covers and composting. Another related practice is manure storage abandonment.
- Manure management is often an important component of drinking water protection in agricultural areas.
The Stream Power Index (SPI) is a measure of the erosive power of flowing water and can help identify areas on the landscape where concentrated flow and gully erosion are more likely to occur. The SPI is a function of both slope and contributing area. High SPI values indicate areas with large drainage areas and steeper slopes.
Why should farmers and landowners care about the SPI?
Think of high SPI values like conveyer belts that can transport sediment, nutrients/manure and pesticides off fields during snowmelt or heavy rainfall events. Installing grassed waterways, edge of field prairie strips or other conservation practices in areas with high SPI values can help reduce this risk. It may not be practical to address all SPI areas on your farm, so prioritize based on color (darker orange areas) and proximity to streams.
Details about these Data
The SPI for the Root River Watershed was created using a non-hydro conditioned 3-meter resolution digital elevation model from a 2008 LiDAR flight. Data were filtered to only show the 85th percentile and above values. These data are currently only available for the Root River Watershed with plans to expand to other areas when they become available.
Note: High SPI values in flatter landscapes found in Mower and Dodge County may not always appear. SPI values do not factor in existing conservation practices.
The SPI for the Root River Watershed was done in connection with the Root River Field to Stream Partnership
The Stream Power Index (SPI) is a measure of the erosive power of flowing water and can help identify areas on the landscape where concentrated flow and gully erosion are more likely to occur. The SPI is a function of both slope and contributing area. High SPI values indicate areas with large drainage areas and steeper slopes.
Why should farmers and landowners care about the SPI?
Think of high SPI values like conveyer belts that can transport sediment, nutrients/manure and pesticides off fields during snowmelt or heavy rainfall events. Installing grassed waterways, edge of field prairie strips or other conservation practices in areas with high SPI values can help reduce this risk. It may not be practical to address all SPI areas on your farm, so prioritize based on color (darker orange areas) and proximity to streams.
Details about these Data
The SPI for the Root River Watershed was created using a non-hydro conditioned 3-meter resolution digital elevation model from a 2008 LiDAR flight. Data were filtered to only show the 85th percentile and above values. These data are currently only available for the Root River Watershed with plans to expand to other areas when they become available.
Note: High SPI values in flatter landscapes found in Mower and Dodge County may not always appear. SPI values do not factor in existing conservation practices.
The SPI for the Root River Watershed was done in connection with the Root River Field to Stream Partnership
| Type of Product | MDA response |
|---|---|
| Pesticide spray adjuvants | No, Minnesota does not register or regulate adjuvants/additives. |
| FIFRA25(b) minimum risk pesticides | No, Minnesota does not require registration of FIFRA 25(b) minimum risk pesticides. For more information visit: EPA Minimum Risk Pesticides Exempted from FIFRA Registration. |
| Manufacturing Use Pesticides (MUPs), technical grade pesticides, and /or pesticides used for formulating | Yes, Minnesota requires registration of MUPs, technical grade, formulating use pesticides. |
| Pest control devices | No, Minnesota does not require registration of devices used to control pests. For more information about what qualifies as a device and the differences between pesticides and devices, visit the EPA's guide, Pesticide Devices: A Guide for Consumers. |
| Physical barrier products | No, a physical barrier product is not required to be registered in Minnesota if it is not required to be registered with EPA. For more information visit: EPA Office of Pesticide Programs Barrier Products Clarification Document |
| Plant incorporated protectants (PIPs) | No, however permits for experimental use and distribution are needed. For more information visit: EPA Overview of Plant Incorporated Protectants. |
| Products distributed by Supplemental distributors | Yes, these products registrations are not dependent on the manufacture’s original product (2 part EPA number) being registered in the state prior to the distributor products and can be registered at any point during the registration period. |
| Fertilizer/pesticide combination products | Yes, each grade of fertilizer that contains a pesticide is considered a unique brand of fertilizer and requires separate registration as a specialty fertilizer in addition to registration as a pesticide. |
| The EPA Reg. No. OR the name of my product(s) has changed | Yes, when an EPA Reg. No. or a product undergoes a name change a new registration is required for the state of Minnesota. Furthermore, the pesticide with the old Reg no. must continue to be registered separately or discontinued. |
| Type of Product | MDA response |
|---|---|
| Pesticide spray adjuvants | No, Minnesota does not register or regulate adjuvants/additives. |
| FIFRA25(b) minimum risk pesticides | No, Minnesota does not require registration of FIFRA 25(b) minimum risk pesticides. For more information visit: EPA Minimum Risk Pesticides Exempted from FIFRA Registration. |
| Manufacturing Use Pesticides (MUPs), technical grade pesticides, and /or pesticides used for formulating | Yes, Minnesota requires registration of MUPs, technical grade, formulating use pesticides. |
| Pest control devices | No, Minnesota does not require registration of devices used to control pests. For more information about what qualifies as a device and the differences between pesticides and devices, visit the EPA's guide, Pesticide Devices: A Guide for Consumers. |
| Physical barrier products | No, a physical barrier product is not required to be registered in Minnesota if it is not required to be registered with EPA. For more information visit: EPA Office of Pesticide Programs Barrier Products Clarification Document |
| Plant incorporated protectants (PIPs) | No, however permits for experimental use and distribution are needed. For more information visit: EPA Overview of Plant Incorporated Protectants. |
| Products distributed by Supplemental distributors | Yes, these products registrations are not dependent on the manufacture’s original product (2 part EPA number) being registered in the state prior to the distributor products and can be registered at any point during the registration period. |
| Fertilizer/pesticide combination products | Yes, each grade of fertilizer that contains a pesticide is considered a unique brand of fertilizer and requires separate registration as a specialty fertilizer in addition to registration as a pesticide. |
| The EPA Reg. No. OR the name of my product(s) has changed | Yes, when an EPA Reg. No. or a product undergoes a name change a new registration is required for the state of Minnesota. Furthermore, the pesticide with the old Reg no. must continue to be registered separately or discontinued. |
| Type of Product | MDA Response |
|---|---|
| Product with a separate label for each scent (examples: lavender, citrus, vanilla) | Each scent is considered a separate registration. |
| Product with a separate label for each color (examples: blue, green, red) | Each “color” is considered a separate registration. |
| Product with a separate label for each quantity (examples: 1 gallon, 5 gallons, 10 gallons) | Only one registration is needed if the product comes in different quantities, if the labels are otherwise identical. |
| Different cat or dog weight or age ranges for the same flea and tick product (examples: 1 to 5 pounds, 6 to 10 pounds) | Each label with a different weight range needs a separate registration. |
| Different grades of fertilizer in a weed-and-feed product | Each label with a different fertilizer grade needs a separate registration. |
| Alternate brand names or distributor labels | Each pesticide with a unique United States Environmental Protection Agency pesticide registration number or a unique brand name must be registered with the commissioner (MINN. STAT. § 18B.26). Accordingly, alternate brand name, distributor products are required to be registered. |
| Type of Product | MDA Response |
|---|---|
| Product with a separate label for each scent (examples: lavender, citrus, vanilla) | Each scent is considered a separate registration. |
| Product with a separate label for each color (examples: blue, green, red) | Each “color” is considered a separate registration. |
| Product with a separate label for each quantity (examples: 1 gallon, 5 gallons, 10 gallons) | Only one registration is needed if the product comes in different quantities, if the labels are otherwise identical. |
| Different cat or dog weight or age ranges for the same flea and tick product (examples: 1 to 5 pounds, 6 to 10 pounds) | Each label with a different weight range needs a separate registration. |
| Different grades of fertilizer in a weed-and-feed product | Each label with a different fertilizer grade needs a separate registration. |
| Alternate brand names or distributor labels | Each pesticide with a unique United States Environmental Protection Agency pesticide registration number or a unique brand name must be registered with the commissioner (MINN. STAT. § 18B.26). Accordingly, alternate brand name, distributor products are required to be registered. |
