The handling of manure is a cost associated with the livestock portion of the farm. Handling manure has many costs connected with it, including equipment purchase and maintenance, the opportunity cost of the time it takes to apply manure to fields, and the liability if something goes wrong and there is a spill. Additional costs may be incurred where the land base is limited and additional land must be rented, or in situations where manure agreements must be established.
Manure has value. Although mainly credited for its nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) value, manure is valuable for the organic matter additions to the soil (especially solid manure and higher dry matter liquid manures), and for the micro nutrients added.
N-P-K
The nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content of manure have the most value when used in areas where soil fertility levels are lower. In these situations, there actually is a cost savings from not having to add commercial fertilizer. In fields where soil fertility levels are already very high, building additional soil fertility with manure will increase environmental risk. It will take many years before the phosphorus and potassium added by the manure will be utilized.
Organic Matter
The organic matter component of manure adds raw plant residues and microorganisms to the soil, which serve as a “revolving nutrient bank account” as well as an agent to improve soil structure and maintain soil tilth. The addition of manure helps to maintain soil organic matter levels, which improves soil moisture holding capacity and nutrient uptake by the crop.
Most soils in Ontario have a soil organic matter level in the 2 to 5 percent range. Decomposition and mineralization of nutrients from that range will release an estimated 40 to 80 lbs of nitrogen per acre per year. By maintaining the soil organic matter level with the long-term use of manure, it adds the additional value of soil health as well as a potential reduction in crop nitrogen requirement.
Manure Economics Worksheet
This worksheet compares the cost of commercial fertilizer application to manure application using average hog manure analysis. Nitrogen application is based on recommendations, while phosphorus and potash application meets crop removal levels. In the spring of 2011, the average cost of commercial fertilizer approximately:
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N $0.55/lb
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P205 $0.70/lb
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K20 $0.50/lb
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Average Provincial Custom Work Rates
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Fertilizer Application
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Cost $/ac
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Cost $/hr
|
| Custom Spread Dry Fertilizer |
8
|
261
|
| Rental of Dry Bulk Applicator |
9
|
14
|
| Anhydrous Application |
14
|
189
|
| Liquid Sidedress Application |
11
|
205
|
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Tillage Operations
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Cost $/ac
|
Cost $/hr
|
| Moldboard plow |
24
|
111
|
| Chisel/Soil Saver |
20
|
160
|
| Disc (primary-secondary) |
16-14
|
168-185
|
| Cultivate |
12
|
203
|
| Inter row cultivation |
11
|
190
|
| Rotary hoe |
8
|
193
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Provincial Average Cost of Manure Application
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Spreader Type
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Average Cost
|
|
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$/1000 gallons
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$/hour
|
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| Solid Loader only |
–
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$67 (range 50-85) |
| Solid Spread only |
–
|
$93 (range 65-135) |
| Solid loader and spreader |
–
|
$127 (range 80-190) |
| Liquid Drag hose boom applicator |
$7-10
|
–
|
| Liquid Drag hose – injected |
$12
|
|
| Liquid Tanker – surface applied |
$9
|
$127 (range 90-150) |
| Liquid Tanker surface applied + incorporation |
–
|
$195
|
| Liquid Tanker – knife injection |
$13
|
$165
|
| Truck transfer |
–
|
$110
|
Source:2009 Custom Farmwork Rated Charged in Ontario
Worksheet – Manure Versus Commercial Fertilizer
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Example
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Your Situation
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Corn Yield Goal: 175 bu/ac NPK applied 160 lbs N 60 lbs P205 50 lbs K20
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Yield Goal: _______bu/ac NPK applied _______lbs N ________lbs P205 ________lbs K20 |
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Example
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Your Situtation
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| Method 1: Commercial Fertilizer | |
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Cost/acre
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Cost/acre
|
|
Fertilizer through planter:
115 lbs MAP $41.40 Liquid Fertilizer $0
Additional fertilizer
150 lbs N (as 28%) $75.00 150 lbs K (once/3 years) $24.50 Application costs $13.67 |
Fertilizer through Planter:
________lbs________ $_______ Liquid Fertilizer
Additional fertilizer
________lbs________ $_______ ________lbs________ $_______ Application costs $_______ |
| Total Cost $154.57 | Total $_________ |
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Example
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Your Situtation
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| Method 2: Manure Application | |
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Equipment: 3000 gallon tanker with 30 ft spread-width covers 6 acres per hour) + cultivator
Application Rate: 3000 gallons/ac liquid hog
Analysis 80 lbs N 71 lbs P205 57 lbs K20 N-P-K Value $120 Organic Matter Value $ ?
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Equipment: _______________ _______________
Application Rate: _______________
Analysis ___lbs N ___lbs P205 ___lbs K20 N-P-K Value $_______ Organic Matter Value $_______ |
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Cost/acre
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Cost/acre
|
|
Cost of Application: $33.00
Additional fertilizer: $40.00 (80 lbs N (28%)
Application costs: $11.00 |
Cost of Application: $_____
Additional fertilizer: $_____ _____lbs N
Application costs: $_____ |
| Total Cost $84.00 | Total Cost $_________ |
| Net Value of Manure=$120 – $84= $36/acre |
Net Value $____ – $____ = $______ |
The further the field from the manure storage, and/or the less concentrated the manure, the higher the cost of application, and therefore the lower the net value of the manure. If the fields were far enough away that only 3 loads were applied per hour (ie. only 3 acres per hour), then the application cost of manure would increase to $54/ac and the net value of manure would decrease to $15/acre.