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This publication discusses how excess zinc and copper from animal manure can lead to soil toxicity and harm crops in North Carolina. It covers where zinc and copper come from, potential harmful effects, and ways to prevent toxicity. Management strategies include soil testing, accurate manure application, record-keeping, and adjusting animal feed. Mitigation methods like soil turnover and pH modification are also discussed.
North Carolina has an abundant supply of clean water, a resource vital to our high quality of life. Rivers, lakes, groundwater aquifers, and coastal estuaries are crucial to public health, economic development, and recreational opportunities. However, our water sources are constantly threatened with degradation by such activities as imprudent development, improperly managed agricultural and industrial activities, and unsound waste disposal practices. The soil exerts an important influence on water quality. How we manage the soil and what we put on it determine, in part, the level of treatment required to make our water supplies safe and enjoyable. This fact sheet explains how soils influence water quality and why efficient soil management helps protect water quality.
