WHOLE-FARM NUTRIENT MASS BALANCE BENCHMARKS FOR NEW YORK DAIRIES

The long-term sustainability of dairy farms depends on their ability to be profitable while limiting their environmental footprint. The development and implementation of tools and policies that address nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) imbalances before they become extreme are essential to the long-term sustainability of dairy farming. At the 2011 Cornell Nutrition Conference, initial data were presented showing that whole-farm nutrient mass balance (NMB) assessments can be used to identify management alternatives that enhance nutrient use efficiency and farm profitability (Ketterings et al, 2011). A NMB approach allows farmers to set targets and then choose the range of practices and approaches to meet goals over time, recognizing that each farm is unique. Case study farms clearly illustrated the potential for large gains in nutrient use efficiency when monitoring of progress becomes part of the package of best management practices, and when producers have complete control of where to make changes in their individual operations. For these reasons, we strongly encouraged dairy producers to participate in an annual NMB assessment and we also urged nutritionists to get involved as imported feed is frequently the single largest contributor to nutrient imports and hence NMBs of dairy farms. In this paper we evaluate a dataset with NMBs for 102 New York dairies to: (1) examine initial NMB benchmarks based on what 75 % of the farms achieved, and (2) identify drivers for nutrient imbalances. Benchmarks offer a potential mechanism to assist farms to meet nutrient use efficiency targets while remaining economically viable and retaining management flexibility