A Nutrient, or Manure Management Plan (NMP) , looks into the future to identify the location and rate for fertilizer and manure applications.  A NMP illustrates how fertilizer and manure is going to be utilized during the upcoming cropping year to maximize the nutrients from fertilizer and manure while protecting surface and groundwater resources.

NMPs organize and utilize manure, field and crop history data, sensitive features data, soil tests, and crop needs to outline a nutrient-based application rate for fertilizers and manure.  Applying fertilizer and manure where crops need and will utilize the nutrients best will reduce nutrients and bacteria from leaching to groundwater and being transported by rain and runoff to streams and lakes.   If implementing an NMP properly, manure treated as a nutrient rich fertilizer rather than a waste product, may yield considerable savings in fertilizer costs without reduced crop yields.