Nutrient management procedures to enhance environmental conditions: an introduction.

The advent of concentrated, large animal production units presents a monumental challenge for the effective management of nutrients in animal manure. This symposium was organized to address the issue of the environmental impact of animal production and to offer suggestions on nutrient management procedures for reducing the environmental impact. There were four presentations on environmental concerns of animal manure that covered the topics of using the severe Dutch legislation that limits the amounts of nitrogen and phosphate in the manure allowed for application on cropland, potential for reducing odorous compounds in swine manure, alternatives to reduce the environmental impact of large swine production units, and, finally, perspectives on nutrient management procedures from a swine integrator's viewpoint. This introduction to the symposium highlights the major areas discussed within each of the four presentations.