Recycling nutrients in the beef supply chain through circular manuresheds: Data to assess tradeoffs.

Nutrient circularity can help supply chain participants meet sustainability targets. Across the segmented beef supply chain, opportunity exists to reinforce and introduce nutrient circularity by recycling surplus manure nutrients from cattle feedlots to lands where cattle feed is produced. We describe four datasets developed to evaluate options in U.S. and Canadian beef systems. The datasets delineate three "circular manuresheds," each encompassing a hay-grazing landscape where beef cattle are raised on grazingland and supplemented with hay grown nearby, and the distant feedlots where those cattle produce manure nutrients for potential import back to the hayfields. We selected the hay-grazing landscapes of New Mexico, USA; Florida, USA; and western Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia) because of their significant grazingland production and potential to substitute feedlot manure for commercial fertilizer on hayfields. In each circular manureshed, the manure nutrients from major feedlot destinations could supply a considerable proportion of the P used by hay for grazing cattle: 34% of the P requirements in New Mexico, 36% in Florida, and 6% in western Canada. The average distance to return the resource was 647 km for New Mexico, 1,884 km for Florida, and 1,587 km for western Canada. These magnitudes and distances suggest that the New Mexico circular manureshed may be the most economically viable in the current agri-food system, but this reflects only part of a greater, multi-factor assessment of tradeoffs. The circular manureshed concept provides a platform for simultaneous consideration of competing factors for sustainability via circularity.

Nutrient circularity can help animal supply chain participants meet sustainability goals. The manureshed concept can help willing consortia operationalize nutrient circularity. Data delineate three circular manuresheds where feedlot manure is recycled onto hayfields in landscapes where feedlot cattle originated. Available nutrients and transport distances for the three circular manuresheds are calculated. These findings can inform a comprehensive assessment of tradeoffs of circular manureshed management.

P-FLUX: A phosphorus budget dataset spanning diverse agricultural production systems in the United States and Canada.

Quantifying spatial and temporal fluxes of phosphorus (P) within and among agricultural production systems is critical for sustaining agricultural production while minimizing environmental impacts. To better understand P fluxes in agricultural landscapes, P-FLUX, a detailed and harmonized dataset of P inputs, outputs, and budgets, as well as estimated uncertainties for each P flux and budget, was developed. Data were collected from 24 research sites and 61 production systems through the Long-term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network and partner organizations spanning 22 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces. The objectives of this paper are to (a) present and provide a description of the P-FLUX dataset, (b) provide summary analyses of the agricultural production systems included in the dataset and the variability in P inputs and outputs across systems, and (c) provide details for accessing the dataset, dataset limitations, and an example of future use. P-FLUX includes information on select site characteristics (area, soil series), crop rotation, P inputs (P application rate, source, timing, placement, P in irrigation water, atmospheric deposition), P outputs (crop removal, hydrologic losses), P budgets (agronomic budget, overall budget), uncertainties associated with each flux and budget, and data sources. Phosphorus fluxes and budgets vary across agricultural production systems and are useful resources to improve P use efficiency and develop management strategies to mitigate environmental impacts of agricultural systems. P-FLUX is available for download through the USDA Ag Data Commons (https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/1523365).