How nutrients are managed for crop production will depend on many other components of the whole farm operation. The 4R concept of nutrient management is an approach that is essential to the development of sustainable agriculture and is focused on the “4 Rs”: the right nutrient sources at the right rate, right time and in […]
Reasons for Tillage There are many reasons to perform tillage for crop production in addition to increasing soil dry-down. Soil is also tilled for reasons such as: Herbicides have resulted in reduced need for tillage to control weeds, except in organic production systems. And the development of equipment capable of planting into crop residue ensures […]
Agricultural systems that integrate crops and livestock offer benefits for sustainability, resilience, and economic diversity. Beyond the influences on ecological processes and soil microbial communities, the opportunity to utilize manure, crop residues (i.e. wheat straw for bedding), and crop rotations around feed production contribute to a more nutritious livestock feed production and promotes environmental stability […]
Sustainable crop production can be defined as “developing and utilizing crop production systems that meet the need of present producers without compromising the ability of future generations of producers to do the same” (adapted definition from Dr. G. Brundtland – Director General of the World Health Organization1). There are three segments to sustainable crop production: […]
Calibrating manure application equipment is essential. Technology including flow meters, load cells, on-the-go targeted application (e.g., HarvestLab 3000) and other precision ag tools are making calibration easier and less time consuming. Several manual methods can be used to measure spreading rates and uniformity of spread. Weighing a load of manure and measuring the area that […]
Nitrate-N and Manure Nitrogen Index NH4-N, whether applied directly or from the mineralization of organic-N, is further converted to nitrate-N (NO3-N) by microbial action in the soil. This process occurs rapidly (weeks) during the growing season. Unlike NH4-N, which will adhere to soil particles, the nitrate ion can move freely with soil water. Loss of […]
Manure application is an important part of manure management and equipment design and set up will impact manure distribution, utilization and potential losses. Application timing The timing of manure application may be driven by manure production and available storage. There should be enough storage capacity to allow application when field and soil conditions are fit. […]
Regular manure applications combined with forage-based rotations are the envy of crop producers when soil organic matter (SOM) levels and soil resilience are considered. What is the actual organic matter benefit from manure to the soil, and how does that vary with different types of manure and organic amendments? Livestock manure is an excellent source […]
Available organic nitrogen Organic nitrogen is not available to the crop until it has been mineralized to the ammonium form by microbial action. The speed of mineralization increases with warm temperatures and adequate moisture, which promote microbial activity and will slow down to almost no activity when soil temperatures approach freezing. Nitrogen from solid manure […]
Manure and organic amendments contain two main forms of nitrogen (N): organic nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N). The nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) in manure is negligible, however the ammonium portion in manure is converted to nitrate within weeks of application during the growing season. NH4-N and NO3-N are immediately available to a growing crop, similar to […]
Ontario labs accredited for OMAFA soil testing use similar methodology and report results with “as-is” or “as-applied” percentages or ppm for macro and micronutrients. Table 1 provides details for interpreting the results of a manure analysis and calculations used to determine available nutrients. OMAFA’s AgriSuite nutrient management software tools includes an organic amendment calculator that […]
There are many variables that impact manure composition. These variables include livestock type, stage of growth and ration, amount and type of bedding, type of manure storage and amount of liquids added (rain, wash waters, runoff etc.), length of time in storage, agitation, manure treatments (e.g., anaerobic digestion, aeration, additives, separation) and weather. Soluble nutrients […]
Manure is the by-product of livestock and poultry production. It includes the urine, feces, bedding materials, wasted feed, and sometimes wash water from livestock operations. The value of manure in crop production is often underestimated. In Ontario livestock generate over 25 million tonnes of manure annually. Manure contains all the nutrients needed by crops, but […]
Optimizing Crop Residue Management for Overall Profitability When and where should crop residue management start? It’s an ongoing and system-wide aspect of overall crop management, so choices such as crop rotation, fertilization and tillage feed into it. However, crop residue management generally starts with the combine. Combining crops without the proper equipment or setup can […]
Fall Herbicide Applications: Maximize Impact on Perennial Weeds Many farmers have seen the benefits of applying systemic herbicides in the fall, especially for the control of perennial weeds (Figure 1). Dandelion control can be improved by over 20% with fall application timings (Figure 2), while the population of other perennial species will be reduced and […]