Leslie Johnson - Animal Manure Management Extension Educator

Leslie Johnson - Animal Manure Management Extension Educator

Not All Manure is Created Equal

visual representation of various manures' nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents compared to volume of organic matter and water.
Chicken, Beef, Swine and Dairy are all manures. All are valuable, but are they equal? Absolutely not. I could rank them by smell, another by their nutrient content, another by proximity to them, and yet someone else could separate them for their ability to influence soil health charateristics. This article will discuss a little about the different kinds of manure and explain why not all of this valuable product is created equal.

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Manure Application Following Silage

photo of corn silage harvest
With silage harvest coming up quickly, manure application will soon follow. Because silage is often the first crop to come off the field, it allows for earlier manure application and thus an earlier cleanout of pens before winter. As that manure application plan develops, include best stewardship practices for optimum rates and preferred application methods in final decisions.

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Waste to Worth Tour Piques Interest in Nebraska Replication

In April, I traveled to Ohio to attend the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Community’s Waste to Worth Conference. A highlight of this year’s conference is that the first day we all got to tour area farms and businesses that are doing great things with manure or other waste products.

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Carbon Sources for Composting HPAI Mortalities

Nebraska Extension is calling on municipalities, lawn care companies, farmers and others to donate or sell wood chips, hay, lawn waste and other carbon sources to livestock producers hit hard by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

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Manure Use and Composting following Application of Certain Herbicides

Example graphic from a pesticide label with grazing and composting restrictions.
The prices of synthetic fertilizers have increased significantly over the last year leaving growers and even homeowners facing the decision of finding alternative sources of nutrients. One great option is the use of manure or compost from a local farm or from your own operation. The use of manure in gardening can loosen compacted soil, increase carbon in the soil, and reduce surface runoff and leaching all while providing nutrients that your plants need. While this option is great, it is important to be aware of the potential carry over of herbicides in manure from grazing animals.

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