Crop Report – Week of July 8, 2024

Considerations for the Right Place for Manure

When it costs more to apply manure to high fertility fields than the manure is worth, it may be time to consider other options.

Fertilizer is expensive. Anyone growing crops knows that maintaining good soil fertility is essential to maintaining yields. Livestock farmers have fertility built into the system and often soil fertility levels, especially in the fields surrounding manure storages, can be quite high. As soil fertility levels rise so does the risk of nutrient loss to the environment. The best option for many livestock farms is to move the manure to lower fertility fields furthest from the storage.

Distributing manure nutrients from areas of high soil fertility to areas of low fertility has several advantages. Multi-season applications help maximize manure storage volumes and helps reduce methane production during the hot summer months. With an environmental focus on phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N) and organic matter (OM), the dynamics of manure management are changing to apply more manure during the growing season and ideally to growing crops. High soil P levels increase the risk of phosphorus loss to water sources, while soils with high nitrate levels in saturated soils can increase nitrous oxide emissions. Meanwhile OM is a sought-after commodity for improving soil health, especially on fields with a predominant corn-soybean rotation. 

Adding manure to fields with high fertility is like adding money to a retirement saving plan, in that it may take years before the crops will use the nutrients added from the manure.  In the short term, the manure added to these fields may only provide immediate return on investment for the applied nitrogen. 

Crop neighbours without livestock need the nutrients and are often willing to trade straw or pay their livestock neighbours for the fertilizer value, especially the P and K portion of the manure. Soil health benefits are amplified when the manure is applied together with cover crops. An example of this is illustrated using a typical 7.5% dry matter liquid dairy manure applied at 5,000 gallons per acre with a cover crop after wheat harvest. The manure would have an approximate available N-P-K nutrient value of 50-70-125 lbs/ac with a fertilizer equivalent value of about $150 per acre.  If applied to a field already high in P and K fertility, only the nitrogen component would be utilized by the crop while the P and K would further accumulate.  If the manure was sold or traded to crop neighbours with lower fertility levels, the livestock farm gets an immediate return on investment while the crop farm receives required macro and micronutrients along with organic matter.

The logistics of moving manure and the distance from storage to field will determine how practical selling or trading manure can be.  Application costs can be significant especially when travelling more than a few kilometers. The more concentrated the manure nutrients the more feasible it is to move manure further distances. There are new technologies available for removing water from manure to allow for easier and further transport. Separating solids also means dealing with the diluted “nutrient water” portion of the process. Watery manure (less than 1% dry matter) can result in significant yield boosts, especially when applied to moisture-stressed crops.  High boom technology like those used with irrigation in dry-land corn or those used for fungicide application in tasseling corn have also been transformed for watery-manure irrigation.  Figure 1 shows watery-manure irrigation into standing corn using a Rain 360© unit. 

Figure 1: Rain 360© unit applies watery manure to a standing crop of corn (photos from Glen Arnold-OSU)
Figure 1: Rain 360© unit applies watery manure to a standing crop of corn (photos from Glen Arnold-OSU)
Figure 1: Rain 360© unit applies watery manure to a standing crop of corn (photos from Glen Arnold-OSU)

Glen Arnold, Manure Nutrient Specialist from Ohio State University has been testing these units and says that “they are designed to apply manure into a standing (corn) crop throughout the growing season.  The manure is delivered to the base of the corn plant and the machine is set to operate continuously (day or night) while the field conditions are suitable.” Placement of the watery manure on the soil surface into a crop canopy reduces volatilization losses and odour.

The cost of handling manure is associated with the livestock portion of the business. In fields with high fertility, the bottom line may be boosted by trading or selling manure to neighbours without livestock. New technologies are enhancing these opportunities.

Weather Summary: Week of Thursday, July 4 to Wednesday, July 10 2024

LocationHighest Temp (°C)Lowest Temp (°C)Rain for Week (mm)Rain Since April 1st (mm)GDD0C April 1stGDD5C April 1stCHU May 1st
HARROW       
202429.614.850.0308.5170011981659
202330.315.535.8242.5149510061440
202231.413.211.1220.0153910681570
10 YR Norm (11-20)28.716.837.6329.5154010371582
RIDGETOWN       
202429.414.747.6387.4160411061562
202330.212.129.2323.314179361336
202230.58.34.9181.314399751440
10 YR Norm (11-20)29.314.825.9266.114449451469
SARNIA       
202431.215.073.1291.2158510891516
202332.212.319.7207.913688891248
202231.99.88.1165.214129531374
10 YR Norm (11-20)29.316.023.9290.213979001410
LONDON       
202429.115.253.4354.8157810781545
202330.111.79.7285.314129331335
202228.99.47.7195.213899341391
10 YR Norm (11-20)29.115.024.1291.614229261449
BRANTFORD       
202430.414.056.2300.8152210261493
202330.811.32.9253.314049221330
202229.48.46.8186.013909241353
WELLAND       
202430.215.761.2368.2158410851570
202330.611.90.9245.014079211323
202227.811.41.9192.514319571429
10 YR Norm (11-20)28.115.69.6281.214249271451
GODERICH       
202429.213.539.9240.514199271364
202331.012.216.4155.612878231191
202227.310.63.0150.612918381259
10 YR Norm (11-20)26.514.010.4241.812737861279
ELORA       
202428.312.542.6302.314189301395
202330.19.430.4204.712988321223
202226.710.210.9177.412718181240
10 YR Norm (11-20)28.113.123.4290.212697861282
MOUNT FOREST       
202428.612.561.8304.914039181379
202330.110.420.0243.712958341220
202226.78.87.0194.212688211250
10 YR Norm (11-20)27.813.122.7285.112517751276
BARRIE       
202428.713.797.0486.313618761352
202330.411.625.8283.412788121208
202226.38.111.3220.512407831224
10 YR Norm (11-20)28.013.313.0261.312317581251
PETERBOROUGH       
202431.112.022.7317.113999101368
202331.58.91.9194.713158391211
202227.06.56.2218.112778101258
10 YR Norm (11-20)28.912.78.7258.312878031289
KEMPTVILLE       
202430.016.157.2361.914769881484
202333.916.67.4238.514029301307
202227.98.89.4313.013688831356
10 YR Norm (11-20)29.914.620.6282.613518681373
SUDBURY       
202427.514.610.1368.612457831257
202331.39.840.2340.412067781172
202225.47.512.8207.811307031154
10 YR Norm (11-20)28.012.525.1263.611317071190
EARLTON       
202428.212.53.1328.012337781253
202333.610.832.6232.311967671167
202227.45.89.4200.011297101159
10 YR Norm (11-20)27.911.020.1235.210466461109
SAULT STE MARIE       
202423.412.311.8364.011336571068
202330.69.924.0210.911507191082
202222.38.17.2244.0954530886
10 YR Norm (11-20)27.310.224.3266.21001579998
THUNDER BAY       
202427.810.80.5246.51042589986
202328.06.43.4179.810436351050
202227.96.214.6358.3925534915
10 YR Norm (11-20)27.411.215.9262.3966553980
FORT FRANCES       
202427.79.91.3309.911046401075
202326.91.736.2190.512097951255
202227.28.665.4442.69956061046
10 YR Norm (11-20)27.010.819.7253.010856541130
Weather Summary compiled by OMAFRA using Environment Canada weather station data provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Data quality is verified but accuracy is not guaranteed and should be used for general information purposes only.