Many livestock producers in Iowa have manure management plans that will need to be revised in 2011 to meet the requirement to update plans every four years. The four-year plan requires new Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and Phosphorus (P) Index calculations.

Learn how to use the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation 2 (RUSLE2) and the Iowa P-Index for nutrient management and manure management plans at a July 26 workshop. The event is hosted by Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Manure Management Action Group (IMMAG), in collaboration with the Iowa USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service.

According to the IMMAG, this introductory-level, hands-on workshop will provide participants with software orientation. It will also introduce operating parameters for RUSLE2, explain selection of input values for RUSLE2, and assist users when developing and saving management operations for RUSLE2. Real field examples will be used to determine risk calculations of the Iowa P-Index and illustrate how to incorporate these numbers into manure and nutrient management planning requirements. Also included will be parameters for RUSLE2 and P-Index calculations on snow-covered or frozen ground. Soil sampling requirements for manure management plans will also be discussed.

The registration fee is $200 prior to July 22 or $225 on or after July 22. Fees include handout materials, a CD with software, refreshments and lunch. Participants are required to bring a MS Windows-compatible laptop computer equipped with a CD-ROM drive and Microsoft Excel Software. Participants must have their administrator password to the computer in order to install software. The workshop will be held at the Polk County Extension Office in Altoona, IA, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is limited to 30 participants.

Online registration, program information and directions to the workshop are available at www.ucs.iastate.edu/.