Manure Management

I have been the author from time to time of Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans for livestock producers. I h ave not done enough of it to have it seem routine, but I have developed a decent working knowledge. There are some considerations that I like to incorporate into my plan.

Usually Hog and Chicken manure is high enough in phosphorous that over time, soil P levels will increase. This is especially true if manure is applied to meet the crop nitrogen requirement. I prefer to spread the manure around to different fields in different years to minimize the buildup of P. I also like to have the nitrogen applied at such a level that some fertilizer N will be used as well. Overall N can be reduced a bit because fertilizer N will speed up mineralization of the manure.

In No-till situations, manure can still be knifed in and meet the no-till standard most of the time. One reason to incorporate manure is that N loss will be greatly reduced. This extra N will more than pay for the trouble by reducing the need for fertilizer N. Whether your operation is big or small, Manure needs to be used in an environmentally sound manner. Not being sensitive to the environment comes back to haunt farmers in so many ways.