Nutrient management has become increasingly important as the off-site movement of improperly applied commercial fertilizers and animal wastes has become evident. Major regional problems associated with nutrient loss such as hypoxia in the Mississippi River basin increased nitrate levels in the Suwannee and the St. Johns Rivers and high phosphorus levels in the Okeechobee Basin in Florida, etc. have resulted in both voluntary and mandated implementations of the Best Management Practices (BMPs).

The most recent of them are numeric criteria and specific TMDLs for impaired watersheds developed across the southern states to minimize the nutrient impacts. Most recent state soil testing programs are unable to conduct correlation/calibration studies and get needed support to adapt to potential changes and advances in crop varieties and/or cropping systems, in different agro-ecological environments.

Since the Southern region shares major physiographic features such as coastal plain soils and watersheds such as the Suwannee River Watershed that transcend political boundaries, the Southern Regional Water Quality Program under the USDA-NIFA (formerly USDA-CSREES) has been providing leadership through the Regional Nutrient Management Program for effective coordination of extension programs and educational events for minimizing nutrient-related impacts on the environment.

Pathogens, nutrients, and oxygen-depleting substances commonly associated with livestock and poultry waste are listed by EPA as three of the top five contaminants of concern for water quality. The situation only gets further complicated when the source of these nutrients is manure from Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) - (example: Lake Okeechobee and the Suwannee River Basins, where significant animal agriculture is present in Florida). Land application of these sources leads to accumulation and/or accelerated losses of N, P, and typically Cu and Zn. Therefore, water quality issues associated with animal production have received significant regulatory scrutiny as state and local regulatory agencies have expanded their authority to include these issues as associated with confined animal production.

The Animal Waste Management Team provides leadership and coordination in the Southern Region for providing educational and outreach programs disseminating accurate, scientific information about animal waste management to livestock and poultry producers, environmental groups, commodity organizations, and decision-makers, in the region. This objective strengthens the link between the southern land grant university system and federal/state/local agencies that are stakeholders in the nutrient management process on livestock farms and is another primary goal of the Southern Region Water Program.