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May 4, 2006 Credit What You Spread, Says NDSU Nutrient Management Specialist Manure hauling has been going on for a few weeks, but farmers are still not sure what level of nutrients they can credit for the manure application. “I got a call the other day from a producer who, according to his soil test result, had 80 pounds per acre of nitrogen available in the top 24 inches of soil and was going to be applying 20 tons of beef feedlot manure per acre,” says Ron Wiederholt, North Dakota State University Extension Service nutrient management specialist. “The producer asked if he needed any more fertilizer to grow corn silage. The easy answer was no.” Typically, producers can credit first-year availability of 10 pounds of nitrogen per ton of beef feedlot manure spread per acre. In this situation, the farmer was getting 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre from the manure which, in combination with the soil test nitrogen results, should supply plenty of nitrogen for corn silage production. “If producers are hesitant to give full credit to the manure they spread, they can always split a field and check yields in the fall,” Wiederholt says. “Producers should apply their normal fertility program to one part of the field, and just use manure, applied at the proper rate, as fertilizer for the other portion. “We had several demonstrations around the state last year and are planning more for this coming year,” Wiederholt adds. “The results of these demonstrations have shown manure performing as well as, or in one case, better than commercial fertilizer.” The biggest concern farmers have when using manure as a fertilizer is that the crop never will have a deep green color as if fertilized with commercial nitrogen. This is due to the slow release nature of manure. The plant is getting enough nitrogen, but not the excess that can cause an overabundance of chlorophyll, giving the crop a deep green color. “To get these benefits, manure must be treated as a fertilizer,” Wiederholt says. “A nutrient analysis needs to be completed and the application rate has to be calculated.” For assistance with any of these processes, contact your local county Extension agent or Wiederholt at (701) 652-2951. ### Source: Ron
Wiederholt, (701) 652-2951, ron.wiederholt@ndsu.edu |
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