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Best Management Practices Series

Author: OMAFRA Staff
Creation Date: 01 December 2001
Last Reviewed: 12 March 2008

farmstead drawing

What is a "best management practice?"

  • a practical, affordable approach to conserving a farm's soil and water resources without sacrificing productivity

Who decides what qualifies as a best management practice?

  • a team of farmers, researchers, extension staff and agribusiness professionals.

The Best Management Practices Series is...

An award-winning series of innovative publications:
  • presenting affordable options for protecting soil and water resources on the farm;
  • supporting individual farm planning and decision-making in the short and long term;
  • harmonizing productivity, business objectives and the environment;
  • available in both English and French;
  • each book presents a range of circumstances and options to address a particular environmental concern - use the information to assess what's appropriate for your property.
The titles are:

 Order #
Complete Title
BMP01E
Farm Forestry and Habitat Management
BMP02E
Field Crop Production
BMP06E
Soil Management
BMP07E
Water Management
BMP08E
Irrigation Management
BMP09E
Integrated Pest Management
BMP10E
Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management
BMP11E
No-Till: Making It Work
BMP12E
Water Wells
BM12KE
Keeping Your Well Water Safe to Drink (An information Kit to Help you Care for Your Well)
BMP13E
Pesticide Storage, Handling and Application
BMP14E
Nutrient Management Planning (revised edition 2006)
BMP15E
Buffer Strips
BMP16E
Manure Management
BMP17E
Greenhouse Gas Reduction in Livestock Production Systems
BMP18E
Agroforestry Series Volume 1 - Woodlot Management
BMP19E
Streamside Grazing

 

How Do I Obtain a Book?
    Hardcopies of publications can be ordered through ServiceOntario (effective March 3, 2008)

    Online at ServiceOntario Publications

    By phone through the ServiceOntario Contact Centre
    Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM

    416-326-5300
    416-325-3408 (TTY)
    1-800-668-9938 Toll-free across Canada
    1-800-268-7095 TTY Toll-free across Ontario

    In person at ServiceOntario Centres located throughout the province

BMP01E - Farm Forestry and Habitat Management

Farmers who manage their woodlands have long realized the benefits: reliable returns, products for on-farm use, and resource and habitat protection. This 40-page book will help you choose suitable best management practices - both traditional and new - from the following:forestry photo

  • planting windbreaks, shelterbelts and natural fencerows
  • reforesting marginal and fragile land
  • planting buffer strips around water bodies and woodlots
  • managing wildlife habitat to benefit your property and wildlife
  • intercropping field crops and tree crops
  • planting trees and allowing livestock access
  • managing woodlands for profit and the environment
  • producing quality timber, firewood, posts and poles.

BMP02E - Field Crop Production

If you're considering changes to the way you grow grains, oilseeds or forages, then Field Crop Production is for you. Effective change takes careful planning and know-how - one change may require several adjustments to your cropping system.

field crop photoDoing it right requires an understanding of the basics, so this 133-page book starts off with a review of management principles for soils, water, nutrients, crop residues and pests.

The next three sections focus on management options for tillage systems: conventional, mulch, and no-till/ridge.

Non-tillage options are also explored: conservation practices and erosion control structures for cropland, streams and ditches. A case study concludes the comprehensive book.

BMP06E - Soil Management

soil erosion photoIf you're experiencing problems with soil erosion, surface water runoff, compaction or loss of organic matter, it's time to try some different approaches to managing your soils.

By reducing tillage, adding organic matter either through crops or other sources, and maintaining good soil structure (tilth), you can maintain proper conditions for high yields, good returns, and minimal environmental impact.

This comprehensive 68-page book begins with the basics of soil management.
It then provides many practical tips and trouble shooting tactics to help you assess and improve soil quality in the short and long term.

BMP07E - Water Management

farm photoWater is precious. But too often, we take it for granted. Protecting your water supplies will safeguard your family's health, the well-being of your farm operation and downstream users.

Water Management explains the water cycle. It follows the pathways of water as it moves into and around major features of your property the house, farm buildings, fields and natural areas. Potential sources of contamination for ground and surface water are uncovered.

Filled with practical management options, this 93-page book will help you reduce impacts of farm operations on water quality and quantity.

BMP08E - Irrigation Management

Photo showing an irrigation methodCrops such as fruits, vegetables, tobacco, sod and nursery stock must be of top quality to win acceptance in the marketplace. Water plays a key role in determining quality. Properly done, irrigation provides crops with the right amount of water, when crops need it, at the lowest cost and with the least impact on the environment.

This detailed 116-page book helps you assess whether irrigation is appropriate for your operations. It describes scheduling techniques, i.e., how to determine when and how much to irrigate. Systems - sprinkler, trickle and sub-irrigation - are also described and compared in detail. Tips for irrigating a range of horticultural crops, sod and tobacco are provided in handy charts. The book also explains environmental concerns to bear in mind when considering irrigation.

Cost-benefit worksheets conclude the publication.

BMP09E - Integrated Pest Management

IPM is an increasingly popular way to control disease and insects. Applying a mix of cultural, biological and chemical control methods, growers can save money on inputs and use fewer pesticide applications.

This primer begins with the IPM basics: pest monitoring, pest identification and pest thresholds. Control options are then presented, including:

insect photo
  • site and cultivar selection
  • crop rotation
  • sanitation
  • biological control
  • nutrition and water needs
  • removal
  • planting and harvesting dates
  • trap crops
  • pesticide timing and application.

Case studies for crops found across Canada conclude the 37-page book.

BMP10E - Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management

If you have rural property, and you're interested in providing habitat for fish and wildlife, this book can get you started. There are many long-term benefits of managing habitats on your property environmental and economic not to mention the sheer pleasure that seeing wildlife can invoke.

fish and wildlife photosThis 91-page book explains how to restore or improve habitats in ways that are compatible with farming, good for soil and water, often profitable and always practical. It also provides tips on ways to help you prevent wildlife from becoming a problem, and practical advice on what to do when wildlife becomes a nuisance.

With the help of many colour illustrations and photos, it describes potential habitat sites on:
fish and wildlife photos
  • farmlands
  • woodlands
  • transitional areas (e.g., wetlands)
  • aquatic areas.

Practices for each habitat type are presented, ranging from simply maintaining existing habitats to planting buffers to improving in-water habitat.
You choose which ones suit your property, your time, and your goals.

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BMP11E - No-Till: Making It Work

No-till has been adapted to a range of enterprises, crops, soils and climates across Ontario. This manual is for farmers interested in implementing no-till in their operation those who've already adopted no-till practices, and those who are curious but undecided.

tillage photoBeginning with a review of no-till basics, the book will provide a step-by-step account of managing no-till system components, such as soil, manure and other nutrients, residues, pests and hardware. Plenty of troubleshooting tips are included throughout.

The 91-page book uses case studies to help you understand potential problems and how to overcome them to make no-till work for you.

BMP12E - Water Wells

If your drinking water comes from a well, you should have this manual handy. While most wells may adequately supply ground water to homes and farm buildings, some wells - old and new - may act as pathways for contamination.

The 89-page book begins with the water cycle, the time and pathway for ground water contamination, and the effects on human and livestock health.

child drinking a glass of water

Read on to learn how to implement best management practices for the construction, maintenance, monitoring and abandonment of the three major well types:

  • drilled
  • dug/bored
  • sand-point.

It then provides many practical tips and trouble shooting tactics to help you assess and improve soil quality in the short and long term.

The Best Management Practices Series of Books was originally published in cooperation with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

BMP13E - Pesticide Storage, Handling and Application

Crop protection chemicals are an important part of many cropping systems in Ontario. If mishandled or misused, they can be toxic to the pesticide handler, and put water supplies (and the people and animals who use them), at risk.
pesticide storage
Designed for use in the driveshed office or the field, this 100-page manual will help growers establish or refine a safe and effective system for:
  • storage - options (constructed, prefabricated or modified), and alternatives to storage, such as custom work
  • handling - transportation, spills, mixing-loading practices and structures
  • application - effective spraying techniques, maintenance and calibration.

BMP14E - Nutrient Management Planning

Nutrient management planning involves the careful attention to meeting crop nutrient needs, using cost-effective and environmentally responsible management practices.
This 36-page book will help you produce a plan by showing you what you need to:
soil testing photo
  • understand the principles of nutrient management
  • know your soil and landscape features
  • know your soil fertility reserves
  • know what you should be applying
  • calibrate application equipment to know how much you're applying
  • implement best management practices for application of nutrients
  • adopt best management practices for soil management and soil and water conservation
  • implement best management practices for monitoring and emergencies.

This handbook will help you put together the pieces to develop an effective plan.

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