A vegetative treatment system developed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is helping some Nebraska cattle producers control and treat manure runoff.

The UNL Extension Livestock Producer Environmental Assistance Project is aimed at making such operations more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

UNL's Chris Henry says the program is designed for small- and medium-sized cattle and cow-calf producers -- those with no more than 1,000 head.

Instead of using a conventional holding pond, the producers' vegetative system uses an area of perennial grass that drinks up the water and nutrients in the liquid runoff.

Or, the sprinkler vegetative treatment system can use the runoff as fertilizer for such crops as alfalfa hay.