Soil Facts - SCCC

1 soil FactsThe application of cattle manure tofarmland is an economical and envi-ronmentally sustainable mechanism forincreasing crop production. Nutrientsin cattle manure can replace commer-cial fertilizers. However, the value ofmanure is more than the accumulatedvalue of the individual manure is an excellent soilamendment capable of increasing soilquality. Manure can increase cropyields by providing large inputs ofnutrients and organic material. Thebenefit of the nutrients and organicmaterial may not be immediatelyevident. Therefore, the value of themanure can best be thought of as theoverall crop yield and quality responseover several manure is a combination offeces and manure, bedding material,wasted feed, and water.

2 In solid formas pen manure, it has a high organicmatter content. The organic fraction of manure plays animportant role in increasing soil organic matter and tilth,improving soil structure and water infiltration. Many ofthe nutrients in the manure, however, are tied up in theorganic fraction and must go through a decompositionprocess to be converted to the inorganic forms availablefor plant the maximum value out of cattle manure requiresapplying the manure at proper rates and frequency. Overapplication can lead to transport of nutrients into thegroundwater through leaching or overland flow. As well,over application can lead to losses of ammonia andnitrous oxide into the atmosphere. Contamination of thesoil can also occur in situ, as excessive loading ofnutrients, sodium and other soluble salts can reduce soilquality and Cattle ManureTable 1.

3 Nutrient concentration in cattle Beef ManureCommercial Fertilizer (Lb/ tonne) (Lb/ tonne)Nitrogen (N)7-361030 Phosphorus (P)2-6500 Potassium (K)7-171160 Sulphur (S) : multiply P by to get P2O5 and K by to get K2 OAdapted from Schoenau , 1997 Solid cattle manure can be an excellent nutrient source and soilammendment. Getting the maximum value out of cattle manure requiresapplying the manure at proper rates and management PracticesAdopting best management Practicesfor manure application requires:1) knowing what is in the manure (manure nutrient analysis);2) determining nutrients available in the soil ( soil testing);3) matching crop nutrient demand to total nutrients applied (in manure and commercial fertilizers);4) strategy for application, and5) record keeping and Manure as FertilizerCattle manure has most of the nutrientsrequired for plant growth.

4 The manurecan replace or reduce the need forcommercial nutrients in crop produc-tion. However, the nutrient composi-tion of manure varies composition of manure differs for fresh or compostedmanure. It also varies with type of cattle, age, composi-tion of feed, rations, climate, type of bedding, manurestorage and manure to commercial fertilizers, the relative nutrientconcentration of cattle manure is quite low. This de-creases the distance the manure can be economicallytransported. The low concentration of nutrients in cattlemanure requires large application rates to apply anequivalent amount of addition to the quantity of nutrients in the manure, it isimportant to know the form of the nutrients.

5 Animalmanure has nutrients in the inorganic and the organicform. Solid manure has a high percentage of nutrients inthe non-plant available organic fraction. The organicform of the nutrients must undergo mineralization (de-composition) to convert it to the inorganic form. Solidcattle manure typically has 10% to 20% of the nitrogenimmediately available in the inorganic fraction. Avariable amount of the organic N becomes availablethrough mineralization during the year of application,depending on the carbon: nitrogen ratio. For example, ifthe manure has a lot of straw bedding or woodchipsmixed with it, the large amount of carbon relative tonitrogen will slow the release of available nitrogen andmay result in limited increases in soil available nitrogenin the first year or two following application.

6 Theinorganic form of nitrogen in manure is found as ammo-nium nitrogen (NH4-N). Lab tests will normally test fortotal N and ammonium nitrogen. Approximate organic Ncan be determined by subtracting ammonium-nitrogen(NH4-N) from total N. The availability of phosphorus incattle manure is estimated to be about 50% compared tocommercial phosphorus fertilizer and the response to thephosphorus depends on the availability of other nutrientsin the manure such as SamplingThe only way to determine the content and form of thenutrients in cattle manure is to sample the samples should be collected and sent to ananalytical lab for analysis. Instant analysis techniquesmay be limited to analyzing for only one or two elementsand there could be shortcomings in accuracy and preci-sion.

7 The nutrient content of manure is highly manure samples can be taken from holding areas ormanure piles prior to application. Composite samples (7-15) should be mixed and sent to the lab for ResultsLaboratory analyses of manure usually present thenutrient content as a wet % basis, including solids pluswater, as wet manure is the material that is applied to software recommendation packages have beendeveloped by commercial testing laboratories andgovernment agencies. The software simplifies the ratecalculations and allows record keeping and providesapplicator calibration is important to know the relative amounts of nitrogen,phosphorus and other nutrients in order to avoid the overor under application of another nutrient.

8 Getting the cropfertility requirements from manure is different than thefertility requirements from commercial fertilizer. Thenutrient requirement of crops doesn t match the nutrientComposition of cattle manure varies considerably depending on the type ofcattle, age, composition of feed, rations, climate, type of bedding, andmanure storage and manure of manure. Crops requirenitrogen and phosphorus in a ratio of10:1. The N:P ratio in cattle manure isoften much less. This translates into anexcess application of phosphorus whenthe nitrogen requirements are Nutrient Demand toNutrients SuppliedApplying manure to meet the croprequirements for N may be accomplishedwithout P overload initially as mostprairie soils have a high pH and highphosphorus sorption capacity thatimmobilizes the P in the soil .

9 However, ifthe soil phosphorus sorption capacitybecomes saturated due to repeatedapplications in excess of crop removal,further additions of phosphorus mayremain in a soluble, more mobile soils are the most susceptible toover application. Preventing soil erosionand overland water movement bymaintaining soil cover through soilconservation practices such as directseeding will prevent phosphorus fromentering water , economic and environmentally sustainable manureapplication over the long term requires balance betweenmanure nutrient application and crop nutrient application rates for the manure requiresestablishing target yields. Establishing target yields willdetermine the nutrient requirements of the crop.

10 Requirednutrients must be supplied either by the soil or the the nutrient requirements of the crop to nitrogensupplied by the manure and soil maximizes grain yield andprotein without leaving excess nitrates in the application can occur by applying higher rates than thecrop can take off over time. Since all nutrients aren tavailable in the year of application, repeated applications inexcess of crop uptake are one method of over application can lead to nutrient saturation and nitrates in the soil are readily soluble in water andmove with water. Nitrogen can also be lost to denitificationas either N2 or N2O gases. N2O is of concern because ti is apowerful greenhouse gas. Phosphorus is not as mobile asnitrates and tend to accumulate in the top layer of , P is not as susceptible to deep leaching but can belost with surface runoff and testing will give the operator a good indication of thenutrients applied to the field, but it can be difficult todetermine the actual rate of applied available nutrient.