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September 9, 2004 Using Manure to Increase Your Profits North Dakota livestock producers are not always aware of a valuable resource on their farms. That resource is the nutrients in the manure their livestock produce. These nutrients can be utilized for crop growth while adding value to their production system and increasing bottom line profitability. “The first year availability of nutrients in manure produced by one beef cow will typically contain about half the nitrogen needed to grow an acre of corn, phosphorous for about 2.5 acres and potassium for about 3 acres,” according to Ron Wiederholt, North Dakota State University livestock waste management specialist. “The cost to properly handle the manure has to be taken into account, but the offsetting decrease in costs of buying fertilizer is usually enough to make the manure handling costs quite affordable.” Producers need to take a slightly different approach when handling manure if it is used as a resource instead of a waste product. The biggest change is in the amount of time spent applying and handling the manure. When manure is treated as a waste, it is pushed into piles and forgotten about or hauled as quickly as possible to the closest fields and applied at higher rates than the crop needs. To get the most value out of manure, time must be spent applying manure on the fields that need it the most, in a uniform pattern and at correct rates. “There is abundant research showing that when applied properly, crops utilize the nutrients in manure in the same way as commercial fertilizer,” Wiederholt says. “In addition to nutrients for crop growth, research has also shown improvements in overall soil health after manure applications.” There are two methods of determining the amount of nutrients in manure. You can use estimated values compiled through research or you can have the manure analyzed. If the manure is scraped and hauled without stockpiling, estimated values can be used. If you stockpile or compost the manure, then testing the manure for nutrient levels is recommended. There are several labs in the state that offer testing services and will supply materials and directions. For more information on manure sampling, refer to NDSU Extension publication AE1259 Manure Sampling for Nutrient Management Planning. Another piece of the nutrient management puzzle is soil testing. If field fertility levels are not known, then manure application rates are just a guess. “If you compare the cost of soil testing once every four years or so with the return you get in proper fertilizer application, you quickly realize what a bargain soil testing is,” Wiederholt says. Producers can do their own soil testing or have it done by a local agronomist. “Proper utilization of manure nutrients may seem like a hassle or something not worth doing,” Wiederholt says. “However, if you spend a little time integrating it into your whole farm management picture, manure’s value becomes apparent. Nutrient management that includes utilizing manure nutrients will add bottom-line profits to your operation in the long run with a relatively small investment in time and money.” For more information about nutrient management practices, contact Wiederholt at the Carrington Research Extension Center at (701) 652-2951 or e-mail ron.wiederholt@ndsu.nodak.edu. Also, Bridget Johnson, NDSU livestock waste management specialist, Dickinson Research Extension Center can be contacted at (701) 483-2306 or e-mail mjohnson@ndsuext.nodak.edu. ### Source:
Ron Wiederholt, (701) 652-2951, ron.wiederholt@ndsu.nodak.edu
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