Category Archives: Manure

01May/18

Research demonstrates that animal manures can produce both environmental and productivity benefits over the commercial fertilizer it replaces.

Manure’s Impact on Yield, Nitrogen, and Carbon

May 1, 2018Manurecrops, environment, farmers, farming, literature review, manure benefits, manure value, nebraska, nitrogen loss, soil, soil amendments, soil organic matter, state of the sciencerkoelsch

Manure is often viewed by many as an environmental liability. However, if manure is applied at rates equal to or less than the nitrogen (N) requirement of a crop, can manure produce environmental benefits over commercial fertilizer? This was the focus of an Asian research group which summarized the results of 141 published studies from Asia, Europe, and the U.S. comparing manure substitution for fertilizer. This article summarizes the “Take Home Messages” from this research paper.

Effects of liquid manure injection into a winter rye cover crop: on-farm trials

March 4, 2018Manure, Soil Healthagriculture, dairy manure, manure and soil health, manure application, research, science, swine manureLeslie Johnson

Nitrate levels above the drinking water standard of 10 ppm are frequently found in subsurface drainage tile water or groundwater below farm fields of the upper Midwest. Nitrogen comes from applied manure and fertilizer, along withRead More…

01Feb/18

Manure being applied in the corn field, using a drag-hose system.

Can Manure Improve Soil Health?

February 1, 2018Manure, Soil Healthanimal manure management, manure, manure and soil health, manure application, manure benefits, research, science, soil, soil health, state of the scienceLeslie Johnson

Is there a correlation between soil health (or soil productivity) and manure? A Missouri team analyzed many soil health related variables and manure land application details, based on data collected under the Missouri Cover Crop Cost-ShareRead More…

24Jan/18

The North Central Region Water Network supports regional soil health capacity building through its Impact 2020 initiative. The Network is made up of a 12-state collaboration between Extension water resource professionals and university, federal, state, NGO and industry partners.

North Central Region Soil Health & Water Quality Initiative

January 24, 2018Manure, Soil Healthadoption, igrow, impact 2020, manure and soil health, ncrwn, north central region, soil health nexus, water qualityLeslie Johnson

Empower Educators to Improve Water Quality by Adoption of Soil Health Practices In December, I traveled to Indianapolis, IN to attend a meeting sponsored by the North Central Region Soil Health Nexus. The meeting was aRead More…

08Jan/18

Soil quality impacts of agricultural and municipal biosolids applications

January 8, 2018Manure, Soil Healthagriculture, literature review, manure, manure and soil health, manure benefits, organic matter, research, science, soil, state of the scienceLeslie Johnson

Background Soil health management refers to the preservation and improvement in soil physical, chemical, and biological properties to maximize the productive capacity of soil. Cover crops and reduced tillage are promoted for improving soil health; however,Read More…

01Dec/17

Value of beef open lot manure assuming crop benefits from potassium supplementation and 5% increase in yield. Estimated manure value is $28/ton.

What is the Economic Value of Manure?

December 1, 2017Manureagriculture, animal manure management, cattle, cattle manure, dairy manure, fertilizer value, manure and soil health, manure benefits, manure nutrients, manure value, nebraska, nutrients, phosphorus, potassium, swine, swine manureLeslie Johnson

Manure has value. That value may result from improvements in soil quality, increases in yield, and replacement of commercial nutrient required for crop production. Previous articles on manure’s value have focused on its soil health, environmentalRead More…

01Nov/17

Setbacks Reduce the Concentration of Manure Constituents in Runoff

November 1, 2017Manureanimal manure management, manure, manure application, manure runoff, nebraska, nutrient concentrations, phosphorus, phosphorus loss, rainfall simulation, reasearch, setbacksLeslie Johnson

What setback distance is required to reduce the concentration of manure constituents in runoff to background values? John E. Gilley, Aaron J. Sindelar, and Bryan L. Woodbury, researchers with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, examined the effectsRead More…

03Oct/17

Can application of sand laden manure impact soil texture?

October 3, 2017Manureanimal manure management, dairy manure, manure, manure and soil health, manure application, sand bedding, sand separation, sandy soils, soil textureLeslie Johnson

What does soil texture have to do with manure? Sand bedding has become a popular choice at many dairies due to the cow comfort and health benefits it offers. A question raised at manure application timeRead More…

01Sep/17

The Soil Health Institute and the Water-Soil Health Connection

September 1, 2017ManureLeslie Johnson

The Soil Health Institute (SHI) was created in 2015 to “Safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soil through scientific research and advancement.” As the independent, non-profit organization charged with coordinating and supporting soil stewardshipRead More…

01Aug/17

A recently added aggregate of livestock manure (left) versus a heavy soil aggregate of poor structure on the right.

Soil Organic Matter and Its Benefits

August 1, 2017Manureagregates, agriculture, animal manure management, beef manure, farmers, manure and soil health, manure application, organic matter, soil health, soil organic matter, soil tilthLeslie Johnson

Soils of Northern Great Plains are relatively young (11000 to 14000 years old) and have some of the highest organic matter levels (4 to 7%) of all mineral soils in the United States (Overstreet and DeJong-Huges,Read More…