Frequently Asked Questions about MMP

What software does MMP require to run?

MMP runs under Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. No other software is required for basic program operation.

If you want to use a custom tool, you will need the software that the tool was developed with. For example, the standard set of custom tools included with MMP requires Microsoft Word and Access. To see what software a tool requires, look on the Tools dialog box's Custom panel. Please note that custom tools are optional - MMP also includes built-in reports that do not require external software.

To export a plan to a Microsoft Access database file, you will need to have Microsoft's Data Access Objects (DAO) installed. DAO is included with Microsoft Access and other software that can open Access databases, although it may not be installed by default with some software. To install DAO, run your software's setup program. (MMP can also export a plan to dBASE files - no other software is required for dBASE exporting.)
What changes does MMP's installer make to my system?

MMP's installer does not add or replace any files in the Windows or system folders. The only changes the installer makes are the following:
- Creates a folder that you specify where it stores the MMP program and other files that MMP needs.
- Adds an MMP item to the Programs menu. You can select this menu item to start MMP.
- Adds an MMP shortcut to the Desktop on non-USDA-NRCS computers. You can double-click this shortcut to start MMP. (Tip: If you don't like to clutter up your Desktop with shortcuts, you can delete the MMP shortcut by right-clicking on it and selecting Delete. You can still start MMP from the Programs menu or by double-clicking an MMP plan file in Windows Explorer.)
- Adds several keys to the Windows Registry that are required for file association and uninstalling MMP.
Can I uninstall MMP?

Yes. If you need to remove MMP from your system, use Add/Remove Programs on the Windows Control Panel. This removes the items listed in the previous question. Be sure to exit MMP first before uninstalling it.
Is there a Macintosh version of MMP available?

No. MMP is a Windows-only program. However, you can run MMP on a Mac that has Connectix's Virtual PC 5 (http://www.connectix.com/) with Windows installed. MMP has been tested on a Mac G4 Cube with Mac OS 9.2 and VPC 5.0.2 running either Windows 98 SE or Windows 2000.
Is MMP a recordkeeping program?

MMP itself is not a recordkeeping program in the usual sense, although you enter some of the same data that you would for farm recordkeeping. MMP is a planning program that helps determine if an animal feeding operation has enough storage, equipment, and spreadable acres to handle the manure produced by the operation's animals during the period of the plan.

MMP does include the Manure Application Recordkeeping Tool for entering information about actual manure applications. This tool draws on field, storage and equipment data entered in MMP. The Recordkeeping Tool can be found on the Custom panel of the Tools dialog box.

You can also use WinMax (www.agry.purdue.edu/max) to do more comprehensive recordkeeping. WinMax can import field, soil test and crop data from an MMP plan file, so you won't have to re-enter any of that data.
Can MMP be used with other software?

Yes. There are four ways that MMP can be used with other software:
1. You can export plan data and other data to an Access file or to dBASE files. You can then open these exported files with other software to work with your data.
2. You can import field data into MMP from other software or sources.
3. You can add custom tools developed with other software to MMP.
4. Other software can manipulate MMP remotely via Automation, using MMP as an "engine" for generating fertilizer recommendations and performing other calculations.
Where should I save my plan files?

When you save a new plan file, you can save it anywhere you want. However, here are a few suggestions:
- If you're running Windows 98 or later, there's a folder called My Documents where you can save your plan files and other files that you create.
- You can create a folder where you can save just your plan files to keep them separate from files created by other programs. To locate and open a plan file in this folder, click the Open button and navigate to your folder using the controls at the top of the Open Manure Management Plan File dialog box. You can also open a plan file by double-clicking on the file (.mmp extension) in Windows Explorer.
- In general, don't open and work with a plan file on a diskette or other removable media. Work with the plan file on your hard drive, then copy the file with Windows Explorer to a diskette to back it up when you're all done editing the file with MMP.
- By default, the Save Manure Management Plan As dialog box comes up in the folder where you installed MMP. You can save your new plan file in this folder if you want. Uninstalling MMP (for example, prior to installing a newer version) leaves your plan files alone and removes only the files distributed with MMP. After installing the new version, you can move your files to the new version's folder.
How do I move a plan to another computer?

Simply copy the plan file (.mmp extension) to the other computer. Remember that the other computer must have the same or a more recent version of MMP installed in order to open the plan file.

Tip: You can send a plan file as an attachment to an e-mail message. It's a good idea to zip up the plan file (http://www.winzip.com/) and send the zipped file to prevent the plan file from being modified in transit or by the recipient's e-mail system.
How do I import my soil test data into MMP?

MMP can import field data from dBASE files that are in its standard import format. Click the Import dBASE Field Data File button on the Tools dialog's Import panel to start MMP's Import Wizard, then select the dBASE file to import.

If your data is not in MMP's standard dBASE import format, you can use Import File Maker on the Tools dialog's Custom panel to convert your data to a standard dBASE import file.

Tip: Some GIS programs store field data in MMP's standard format or are capable of exporting field data in the standard format. With these programs, just use MMP's Import Wizard to import the program's data – you don't need to convert this data with Import File Maker. If you are using a GIS program to lay out fields, consult the GIS program's documentation to determine if it can save or export data in MMP's standard dBASE format.

Note: MMP's standard dBASE import format is documented in file ImportDbfSpec.doc in the TechDocs folder. For an example of a standard dBASE field data import file, see file ImportExample_IN.dbf in the Samples folder.

Tip: To use the field identification from a soil test data file in your plan, import the data into a new plan that does not have any field data entered yet.
How do I import data from the USDA-NRCS Customer Service Toolkit into MMP?

You can import field data from a customer's conservation plan to MMP as follows:
1. Create a new plan in MMP for the conservation plan's state.
2. Use Import File Maker on the Tools dialog's Custom panel to make an import file from the conservation plan's data. Typically this data is in a file named consplan.dbf in the customer's Plan_Maps folder. Import File Maker will suggest a name for the import file it creates (for example, consplan_import.dbf) – you can use this file name or enter your own. (Tip: Import File Maker attempts to support conservation plan files from both CST v.2 and v.3, but will warn you if the number of columns in the selected file isn't what it expects. If you're sure you've selected a valid dBASE plan file, you can ignore this warning.)
3. If necessary, edit the import file in Excel to make sure the field and subfield names are what you want to use in MMP. By default, Import File Maker uses a field's tract number and Common Land Unit (CLU) field number as the MMP field ID and a field's Toolkit Land Unit (LU) field number as the MMP subfield ID. You can change the FIELD_NAME and SUBFLD_NAM data to whatever you want to use in MMP. You may also need to delete non-crop fields from the import file.
4. Click the Import dBASE Field Data File button on the Tools dialog's Import panel to start MMP's Import Wizard, then select the import file that Import File Maker created.
5. To move the customer's name and address to MMP, do the following: On the customer's General panel (in Outlook), use your mouse to highlight the contents of one of the input boxes (Company, Full Name, etc.). Right-click the highlighted text and choose Copy from the popup menu to copy the text to the Windows clipboard. Now switch to MMP and right-click the corresponding input box on MMP's General panel (Operation, Contact, etc.) and choose Paste from the popup menu. This pastes the clipboard contents into the input box.
How many years should my plan be?

In general, you should have enough years in your plan to handle your longest crop rotation. If almost all of your fields are on a two-year rotation, you might be able to do just a two-year plan, since very little will be different between years 1 and 3 or 2 and 4. If you have fields that are on a three- or four-year rotation, you will probably want to have a longer plan. A five-year plan is useful if you want to see what the projected impact of manure application will be on soil test levels after a couple of rotations.
What month should I start my plan?

July, August and September are good starting months since very little manure is applied during the summer months in many operations. This minimizes the number of applications at the end of the plan that will actually be utilized by crops in the year immediately after the plan's final year.
What field identification system should I use?

You can use whatever system you want to identify fields. For each field, you enter a main field ID and an optional subfield ID if you've subdivided the fields and are managing the subfields separately. In general, a subfield is the smallest manageable unit in the field.

A field ID can be up to 15 characters long and a subfield ID can be up to 5 characters long. The only requirement is that the combined field ID and subfield ID must be unique within the plan.
Why aren't there any soils in the Soil Type column's pick list on the Fields panel?

Make sure you've selected a county on the General panel. The pick list only contains soils that are valid for that county.
How do I decide which soil type to select for a field?
1. If a field has more than one soil type, select the type that's most important to you. This could be the type with the most acreage or the field's critical soil type.
2. With a soil complex, select the component that's most like the field's predominant soil.
3. In some cases, more than one soil survey may have been conducted in the county you selected. With these counties, the soil survey ID is included with the map unit symbol in the soil description to distinguish between duplicate map units. Be sure to pick a soil that is in the appropriate survey for the field.
4. Sometimes an operation's fields may span more than one county. With a field that's not located in the county you selected on the General panel, select a soil that's similar to the one you want.
Example: After locating a field on the published soil survey map, you determine that its soils are made up of about 70% SwA (Starks-Fincastle complex) and 30% Md (Mahalasville-Treaty complex). You decide that SwA is most representative of the field since it makes up the most area and also because its 1-3% organic matter is more typical of the field than Md's 3-6% organic matter. Since SwA is a complex, you pick the largest (first) component, Starks. As the largest component of SwA, Starks probably makes up at least half of the SwA area in the field, or about 35% of the entire field.
How do I select the soil test data's units on the Soil Tests panel?

Check the Levels Are In Lb/A box if a field's P, K, Mg, Ca and Na soil test levels are in Lb/A; leave the box unchecked if the test levels are in ppm. All five values must be in the same units.

To convert a soil test level that's expressed in ppm to Lb/A, multiply by 2.

To convert a soil test level that's expressed in Lb/A to ppm, divide by 2.
Why can't I enter soil nitrate test data on the Soil Tests panel?

Many states use a nitrate soil test in generating nitrogen recommendations. Nitrate soil test data is only valid for the year in which it was collected. This data isn't relevant for multiple-year planning purposes. MMP can still generate N recommendations without the nitrate soil tests.
How do I override MMP's default fertilizer recommendations?

MMP's fert recs are based on your state's extension recommendations. If you have custom fert recs that you prefer to use instead, simply scroll the grid to the right on the Crops panel and enter your recs in the appropriate Custom columns. MMP will use your custom fert recs instead of its default fert recs. Be sure you document the source of your custom recs by entering that information in the Source column.

To view the source of MMP's default fert recs, click on a default fert rec cell. MMP displays the source in the status line. This source is usually an extension publication that you can go to for more information.
How do I enter a field's previous crop for the first year of a plan?

You don't need to enter a previous crop for a field's first year. MMP attempts to determine the first year's previous crop by looking at the field's crop rotation. Once you've entered crops for enough years, MMP can determine the rotation; it will then update the first crop's N rec, taking any N credit if applicable.

If a field's planned crop rotation isn't the same as its historical rotation, or if you don't think MMP is determining the first year's previous crop properly, you can add or subtract the N credit from the first crop's default N rec (if you know how much credit should be taken) and enter your N rec in the first year's Custom N Rec column. This will override the Default N Rec column. Be sure to document the reason for the custom N rec in the Source column.

For the amount of N credit and whether the crop can take a credit, consult the indicated source of the default N recommendation (displayed on the status bar when you click on the crop's Default N Rec column).
How do I enter a double crop or a cover crop?

On the Crops panel, enter the second crop in the Planned Crop column, then scroll the grid to the right and enter the first crop or cover crop in the Planned Cover Crop or First Crop column.

MMP considers a cover crop to be a non-harvested crop, so don't enter a yield goal for a cover crop if it won't be harvested.

MMP considers a first crop to be the first harvested crop in a double-cropped year, so be sure to enter a yield goal for a first crop. If the field will have only one harvested crop in the current year, enter it as the Planned Crop, even if it's planted in the fall.
How do I override MMP's estimated manure analysis and production?

Scroll the grid to the right on the Analysis panel and enter a measured manure analysis and production. Be sure to document the source and date of your analysis by entering a lab name or other information in the Source column.
How does MMP estimate how much nitrogen will be lost from manure applied to a field?

MMP uses an N loss algorithm developed by Dr. Jay Johnson of Ohio State University. This algorithm takes into account manure nitrogen content (total N and ammonium N), method of application, time of application, soil type, and long-term weather averages to estimate how much manure N will be available to the crop.
How does MMP determine what crop the manure is fertilizing?

MMP assumes that manure applied beginning in July is for the following year's crop. If you plan to apply manure during July and August that is intended for the currently growing crop (for example, through irrigation), you can enter this application in June on the Manure Apps panel to trick MMP into including it in the manure total for the current crop. Be sure to document in the application's Notes column that the manure will actually be applied later in the summer.
How can I sort one of the data entry grids?

You can sort the Fields, Soil Tests, Storage, Animals, Analysis and Equipment grids by any column. Simply right-click on the header row of the column you want to sort the grid by and choose Sort Ascending or Sort Descending from the popup menu.
How can I see more columns in a grid to avoid scrolling left and right so much?

Enlarge the main window by dragging its borders or click the maximize box in the upper right corner of the main window to use the entire screen.
How can I avoid re-entering duplicate field data?

If you have data that's the same for several fields (for example, field ID's, farm ID's, FSA ID's, yield goals), you can copy and paste this data between grid cells using the Windows clipboard. For example, with a field that's been divided into subfields, enter the field ID and subfield ID for the first subfield, then move back to the field ID column and press Ctrl+C. This copies the highlighted field ID to the Windows clipboard. Now move to the field ID cell of the next subfield's row in the grid and press Ctrl+V. This pastes the clipboard contents (the field ID) into the field ID cell. Tab to the next column and enter the subfield ID. Repeat this for each subfield that has the same field ID.

Tip: You can also right click in a grid cell and choose the Copy or Paste command from the popup menu.
Why aren't the numbers right justified in the columns of the built-in reports?

This is a known problem with the rich text control included with Windows 95, 98 and NT. The control that ships with Microsoft Office 2000 and Windows 2000 has been improved somewhat, but still has a few problems. Hopefully Microsoft will finally fix this control in a future service release.

In the meantime, for best results, you can save the report to a Rich Text Format file in the Preview dialog box, then open the file in Microsoft Word for viewing and printing.

Tip: If you have Word 97 or 2000, you can view a report in Word without first saving the report to a file. Select the report on the Tools dialog box's Custom panel and click the Run Custom Tool button. MMP will run Word and open the report automatically. When done viewing the report, close Word to return to MMP.
Why don't the columns line up properly in my reports?

Your storage and equipment ID's may be too long. These reports try to pack in a lot of information and don't have much room to display these ID's. One solution is to keep storage and equipment ID's to no more that 15 mixed-case characters. Another solution is to use the Access custom reports - Access will truncate any ID's that are too long to fit in the report column.
How can I print a blank form for use in recording plan data away from the computer?

Open sample plan BlnkForm.mmp, then click the Tools button, click the Custom tab, and run the "Generate Plan Data Report With Access" custom tool. When the report appears, you can print as many copies of it as you need. Note that this custom report requires Microsoft Access 97 or 2000. If you don't have Microsoft Access, you can download this report in the form of a "snapshot" file from www.agry.purdue.edu/mmp/MmpRpts.htm and print it with Microsoft's free SnapShot Viewer.

Tip: You'll only be able to open sample plan BlnkForm.mmp if you installed the Indiana sample files when you installed MMP. You can run the installer again and install just the Indiana files if necessary.

Last updated: April 28, 2002