Prioritizing Fields for Manure Application

Introduction

Spreading livestock and poultry manure on crop and pastureland is an increasingly popular and recommended way to provide plant nutrients or to fertilize fields. This reduces the need to purchase feed and inorganic fertilizer. Managing manure to optimize its economic returns and at the same time minimize its potential environmental impact is critical.

In the past, manure spreading strategies have often been based on convenience. Usually those fields that are closest to the barn receive most manure. This strategy does not account for the economic value of nutrients in the manure and fails to protect the environment, especially air and water quality.

Every farm is unique with respect to site conditions, cropping patterns, and number and type of livestock. However, there are basic criteria that can be used for developing a manure application strategy. Based on soil and manure analysis, cropping system, and site limitations, fields can be ranked from highest to lowest priority for receiving manure.

What follows is a simple and flexible ranking method which farmers can use to quickly determine which fields should have priority for receiving manure. Fields with the highest accumulated points should be considered priority fields for manure application.

Note Based on soil test and state specifications, fields are required to be ranked for receiving manure.

Note Prioritization of fields for manure application saves money and protects the environment.

For more information visit the UMass Extension Crops, Dairy, Livestock & Equine Program

Factsheets in this series were prepared by, Masoud Hashemi, Stephen Herbert, Carrie Chickering-Sears, Sarah Weis, Carlos Gradil, Steve Purdy, Mark Huyler, and Randy Prostak, in collaboration with Jacqui Carlevale.

This publication has been funded in part by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, Inc.