“How much is this manure worth?” This is a common question from both livestock farmers who are supplying manure and crop farmers who are utilizing it. To answer this question, it is important to understand the difference between gross value and net value. The gross value of manure reflects the equivalent commercial fertilizer value of the nutrients contained in the manure. The net value considers the impacts of application method, transportation, and cropping system nutrient needs as well as intrinsic values that are much more difficult to put a number on. Therefore, this article will focus on determining the gross value of nutrients in manure.

Nebraska NRCS has announced ACT Now Signup 2 for initiatives and EQIP programs. An ACT Now signup process will be utilized for the Bazile, Big Sandy and Turkey Creek NWQIs and EQIP CPAs, DIAs, and CEMAs. Applications that may have been received for these initiatives after the November 18, 2022 EQIP application cutoff but prior to the December 19,2022 Signup 2 announcement, are eligible as well.

The Animal Manure Management team has announced the locations and dates for land application training in 2023. These sessions will take place in February and March. Anyone is welcome. Crop farmers and livestock operations will learn useful information to apply to their operations.

The 2023 Nutrient Management Calendars are now available from the Nebraska Extension. This easy-to-use record keeping calendar tracks manure-related records for livestock and cropping operations. It serves as a guide for livestock operations that are required by the State of Nebraska to keep records. It was designed to be used by all sizes of livestock operations and includes all records required for operations permitted for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).

Some crop growers have always removed crop residue for animal feed and bedding. Crop residue removal should be done in such a way that it benefits the grower without negatively impacting the health and productivity of the soil as well as the environment.