Manure Application & Hauling on Agnomy

The agronomic rate is the amount of manure that supplies the nutrients a crop will use without leaving excess to leach or run off. It is set from a manure nutrient test and the crop's nitrogen and phosphorus needs. Applying at this rate captures fertilizer value while protecting groundwater and surface water.

Incorporating manure soon after spreading, ideally within a day or two, sharply reduces odor and ammonia loss and keeps nutrients in the field. Soil incorporation also lowers runoff risk and improves the fertilizer value the crop receives. Surface manure left exposed loses nitrogen quickly to the air.

Manure is sampled and sent to a lab that measures nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, moisture, and sometimes other nutrients. Those values, combined with the crop's needs, set the application rate. Testing prevents both over-application, which risks pollution, and under-application, which shorts the crop.

Manure can replace a significant share of commercial fertilizer because it supplies nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic matter. The exact offset depends on the manure's nutrient content and how much nitrogen is available the first year. A nutrient test and spreader calibration are needed to credit it accurately.