Crop Nutrient Application Forecasting System (NAFS)

The Nutrient Application Forecasting System (NAFS©) is a computer software system for providing real-time running forecasts for the capacity of certain crops for absorbing nutrients based on agronomic standards. This program can also provide a running real-time forecast for absorbing nutrients by current status versus agronomic limit for a targeted substance like nitrate.

The development of NAFS© began when analyses of several CAFO-land application fields showed manures being applied at volumes and concentrations that exceeded agronomic rates.

A clear major concern was that:

• Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) for CAFO’s were not being followed or BMP’s were not based on real-time data or forecasting;
• CAFO’s were applying manures at volumes and concentrations that exceeded agronomic rates, e.g. exceeded crop uptake of regulated chemicals such as nitrate;
• The soils in the land application fields were becoming overloaded with regulated chemicals and manure solids that reduced the land application and manure disposal options to the CAFO operator; and
• Excess manures and regulated chemicals might run off into surface waters, causing pollution or leach, or might have already leached into underlying aquifers, polluting groundwater and causing the CAFO to be out of compliance with government permits.

NAFS© provides the CAFO operator with a powerful tool to avoid creating compliance issues that can severely impact the finances of a dairy and result in long-term environmental liabilities that can end a successful dairy operation.