Land Application

With increasing regulations, the livestock producer needs to understand the scientific principles that affect manure transformations and how to use these principles to manage the manure for maximum fertilizer value with minimal environmental impact. Improved land application of manure is one part of the solution, but we suggest that the producer evaluate the quantity of nutrients arriving on the farm as feed, animals, and fertilizer compared to the total that is exported.

Wednesday February 26, 2025

A Beginner's Guide to Manure Spreaders: Ensuring Even Application for Healthy Fields

Manure spreader.
Manure spreaders are essential tools for distributing nutrients to crops to improve fertility and improve soil health. Therefore, achieving an even application of manure is just as important as with commercial fertilizers. Proper placement ensures that every part of a field receives the nutrients needed, leading to healthier crops and soil biology. This guide explains how to use manure spreaders effectively.

Crop Planning - Manure Nutrient Analysis and Application

Default values for manure nutrient concentrations are typical values, but concentrations can vary substantially from these due to the feeding program, type of animal housing, and manure handling system. Additional variation occurs within animal feeding operations due to time of year and weather conditions.

Crop Planning - Soil Testing

Regularly checking soil nutrient status by sampling and analysis should be part of one’s crop production plans regardless of whether manure use is an option. However, soil testing is especially important with manure application to insure that excessive amounts of nutrients are not accumulating in the soil.

Crop Planning

An annual crop nutrient management plan is needed to ensure an adequate supply of nutrients to sustain profitable crop production, and to balance nutrient inputs (including manure) with crop nutrient needs. Title 130 of the NDEQ requires that a permit application include a nutrient management plan with manure sampling and analysis procedures, soil sampling and analysis procedures, and planned land application rates, methods, and frequencies.

Custom Manure Application

Custom Manure Applicators are becoming more commonly used by livestock producers in the state of Nebraska. While the regulations in Nebraska do not restrict the use of custom applicators or the methods that they employ, it is in their best interest to apply manure in accordance with the permit holder's nutrient management plan. It is, however, the responsibility of the permit holder (livestock producer) to make sure that happens.

Manure Value

Aerial view of evident manure application error
Manure is often an under-valued resource. When well-managed and properly applied, it reaps many benefits. The benefits can be seen in the photo to the left, but are not captured in much of the field because of errors in application.

Land Application Training Requirements

The NPDES permittee, authorized representative, or an employee of the operation shall complete a land application training program approved by the Department within 180 days of NPDES permit coverage unless such training was satisfactorily completed in the previous 5 years. Additional training is required every 5 years.

Nutrient Management

Machinery in a Field
Water quality is affected by nutrient management when chemicals, soil, and residue move off of agricultural land or below it. This section focuses on a number of production issues that when managed correctly minimize the potential for off-site consequences because excess of the nutrients is limited or eliminated.

Manure Nutrient Management

Spreading manure solids on a field
Water quality protection is primary to good stewardship of our environment; and fundamental to good stewardship is application of manure and fertilizer nutrients at field-specific agronomic rates with careful consideration of timing and location. Following nutrient management principles is a requirement for compliance with Nebraska and U.S. environmental regulations for all permitted animal feeding operations.

Manure Spreader Calibration

Spreader over plastic sheet
As crops come out of the field, manure application equipment typically begins going in. While knowing the nutrient concentrations in your manure, the nutrient levels in the soil, and the nutrient needs of future crop needs are important, another critical component of the manure application process is using the right manure spreader setting, speed, and lane spacing during application. Combining all of these factors to optimize application efficiency is called calibrating the manure spreader.

Estimating Manure N App Rates

Manure nitrogen application rates must be estimated annually based upon the most recently available information for manure nutrient concentration (manure sample) and the estimate of crop nutrient needs. Since this information is not typically available at the time of a permit application, estimating manure nitrogen application rates as part of a permit is, at best, an educated guess made without essential information. However, the underlying principles and assumptions that will be used to estimate manure nitrogen application rates can be defined in a permit application.

Estimating Manure P App Rates

Manure phosphorus application rates should be estimated. These estimates should be based upon the most recently available information for manure nutrient concentration (manure sample) and the estimate of crop nutrient needs. Since this information is not typically available at the time of a permit application, estimating manure phosphorus application rates as part of a permit is, at best, an educated guess made without essential information.

With increasing regulations, the livestock producer needs to understand the scientific principles that affect manure transformations and how to use these principles to manage the manure for maximum fertilizer value with minimal environmental impact. Improved land application of manure is one part of the solution, but we suggest that the producer evaluate the quantity of nutrients arriving on the farm as feed, animals, and fertilizer compared to the total that is exported.