A standard methodology for the evaluation of soil suitability in the prairie landscape for the application of swine manure was developed through the collaborative efforts of Research Branch and PFRA. The procedure involves the integration of soil, landscape and geological information to define environmental sensitivities and thus highlight management requirements to sustain soil and water quality. Resource information for both soils and geology has been standardized and integrated to define a series of nine soil management groups (SMGs). Example maps depicting the various components and the resultant soil management groups have been developed for three
test areas encompassing rural municipalities or portions of counties in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The main function of this methodology is firstly, to provide a standard description of the land resource base in terms of environmental limitations, and secondly, to serve as a decision support mechanism to link users directly to management information such as provincial farm practice guidelines through a menu-driven interactive process. The methodology will be used by resource specialists and land use planners at the provincial and local municipal level and will be applied at a broad level in the planning process. This decision support system is intended to
assist resource specialists and planners in making environmentally sound decisions for the purpose of siting swine production units and in making recommendations for application of swine manure to the land base in an environmentally sustainable manner. The Research Branch in collaboration with PFRA, NRCan, and provincial resource specialists, developed this evaluation methodology using expertise in pedology, geology, hydrology, meteorology, soil chemistry, land use and manure management.