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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #66764
Title: EFFECTIVE USE OF MANURE AS A SOIL RESOURCE

Author
item Hatfield, Jerry
item STEWART, BOBBY - DRYLAND AGRICULTURE INST.

Submitted to: Complete Book
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Manure is often considered a waste and referred to as waste disposal rather than resource utilization. This attitude toward manure has led to much of the current misunderstanding of how we could use this resource to supply crop nutrients and increase soil organic matter. Our current understanding of manure is based on research conducted in the late 1960's with a few studies in the 1970's. Much of that research focussed on the supply of crop nutrients and not on the environmental consequences of surface runoff of phosphorus or leaching of nitrate-nitrogen through the root zone. There has been a change in the primary tillage in many farming operations, and manure application is onto land with a requirement of residue cover. The conservation requirements limit the incorporation of manure, and there is little equipment technology available to help the producer with these problems. This volume assembles the current state of knowledge on manure production from all segments of livestock production and evaluates the quality of manure and potential management options on manure quality. Environmental quality issues of nitrogen and phosphorus management within cropping and soil management systems provide insights into how we can improve manure management as part of the livestock-soil-cropping system complex. Quality of manure can be enhanced through processing, and some of the emerging technology on handling manure is described and the options for improvement of manure developed. Several studies have provided insights into the current attitudes of farmers and defined the social and economic barriers to the effective use of manure. Manure can be used as an effective soil resource that does not impact environmental quality.