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Title: VALUE OF MANURE AS A SOIL RESOURCE: NEED TO PRESERVE MANURE NUTRIENTS

Author
item Hatfield, Jerry

Submitted to: Water Environment Federation
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Livestock production practices have changed rapidly over the past 15 years in the United States. However, the change in the utilization of manure as a soil nutrient began 30 years ago with the rapid expansion of commercial fertilizer. There are many reasons for the move away from manure as a source of nutrients. However, manure provides many positive impacts on the soil. Manure additions can increase the soil cation exchange capacity, increase infiltration and soil water storage, increase crop yields, and restore the productivity of soils. These positive benefits have been ignored in current discussions about manure storage and utilization. Manure is a valuable resource, and efforts are needed to understand how to preserve the nutrients available in fresh manure in storage and to develop application systems that prevent both water and atmospheric contamination.