virginia tech – crop and soil environmental sciences manure management for the 21 st century rory...

Virginia Tech – Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences

Manure Management for the 21st Century

Rory MaguireMarlin Burcham, Mark Alley Wade Thomason,

Chris Teutsch


Why Inject or Incorporate Why Inject or Incorporate Manure?Manure?

1.1. Reduce odors, becoming more Reduce odors, becoming more important with urban sprawlimportant with urban sprawl

2.2. AgronomicAgronomic - Improve N use efficiency - Improve N use efficiency by decreasing ammonia volatilization, by decreasing ammonia volatilization, but economic importance depends on but economic importance depends on N pricesN prices

3.3. EnvironmentalEnvironmental - Possibly decrease N - Possibly decrease N and P losses in runoffand P losses in runoff

A BMP that is cost effective?A BMP that is cost effective?


Why not just till after manure Why not just till after manure application?application?

Benefits of No-TillBenefits of No-Till

1.1. Reduced time and energy inputsReduced time and energy inputs

2.2. Buildup soil organic matterBuildup soil organic matter

3.3. Improved soil tilth (structure, Improved soil tilth (structure, drainage)drainage)

4.4. Reduced soil erosionReduced soil erosion


Benefits of No-Till Benefits of No-Till (Better Soils with the No-Till System, Penn State Univ)(Better Soils with the No-Till System, Penn State Univ)


Types of Tools AvailableTypes of Tools Available

1.1. Shallow incorporationShallow incorporation after surface after surface application, large range in soil application, large range in soil disturbancedisturbance

2.2. InjectionInjection of of liquid and dryliquid and dry manures manures using chisels, knifes, coultersusing chisels, knifes, coulters

3.3. AerationAeration – helps increase infiltration, – helps increase infiltration, sometimes includes aspects of sometimes includes aspects of incorporation (e.g. AerWay set at an incorporation (e.g. AerWay set at an angle)angle)


Manure PlacementManure PlacementPlacement of manure vs soil Placement of manure vs soil

disturbancedisturbanceInjection: vertical chisel or

diskInjection: horizontal

sweep

Shallow incorporation,

s-tine cultivator

Shallow incorporation, concave

disksJokela & Cote,

1994


Dietrich injector with hydraulic Dietrich injector with hydraulic wingswings


Nurse truckNurse truck

In-fieldIn-fieldManure Manure storage storage

containercontainer


Dragline systemDragline system (Mid-Atlantic Ag, PA) (Mid-Atlantic Ag, PA)


Dragline systemDragline system (Idaho) (Idaho)

No-tillNo-till


Side dressing corn with Side dressing corn with manure (Mid-Atlantic Ag, PA)manure (Mid-Atlantic Ag, PA)


Aerway AeratorAerway Aerator


Angle on entry determines the Angle on entry determines the level of disturbance (Basden, level of disturbance (Basden,

2008)2008)


Virginia Plant Available Virginia Plant Available NitrogenNitrogen

Surface application (25% ammonia Surface application (25% ammonia capture)capture)

= 5.84 lb PAN/1000 gal= 5.84 lb PAN/1000 gal

Injected manure (95% ammonia capture)Injected manure (95% ammonia capture)

= 12 lb PAN/1000 gal= 12 lb PAN/1000 gal

Increased Value due to Injection = ~ 6 lb Increased Value due to Injection = ~ 6 lb PAN/1000 galPAN/1000 gal

@ 70 ¢/lb, added value = $4.20 / 1000 gal@ 70 ¢/lb, added value = $4.20 / 1000 gal

Increased Nitrogen Value 500,000 gal = Increased Nitrogen Value 500,000 gal = $2,100$2,100


Drawbacks to manure InjectionDrawbacks to manure Injection

1.1. Slower, therefore takes more timeSlower, therefore takes more time

2.2. Equipment costs more to buy and Equipment costs more to buy and maintain, can the increased nitrogen maintain, can the increased nitrogen use efficiency cover the cost?use efficiency cover the cost?

• Retro fit an existing tanker with toolbar, Retro fit an existing tanker with toolbar, hydraulic shredder, distributor with hydraulic shredder, distributor with hoses , 6 x Yetter Avenger Injection units hoses , 6 x Yetter Avenger Injection units = $17,134= $17,134

• Use nurse trucksUse nurse trucks


Virginia Research Results

Part 1:

Ammonia Volatilization


Ammonia volatilization

0

20

40

60

80

0 50 100 150 200

Time (Hours)

Am

mo

nia

vo

lati

liza

tio

n (

mg

)

Tilled

Injected

Surface

Total ammonia volatilization (mg)

Tilled 191

Injected 49

Surface 363


Virginia Research Results

Part 2:

Strip trials


Manure strip trials Manure strip trials

1.1. 3000, 6000, 9000 and 12000 3000, 6000, 9000 and 12000 gal/acre surface applied and gal/acre surface applied and injected at 3 sitesinjected at 3 sites

2.2. Also in-field inorganic N response Also in-field inorganic N response trialtrial

3.3. Measuring Measuring yieldyield, quality and corn , quality and corn stalk nitratestalk nitrate

4.4. Used MILK2000 to covert yield and Used MILK2000 to covert yield and quality into milk productionquality into milk production


ChopperChopper Weigh Weigh wagonwagon

Harvesting strip Harvesting strip trials trials


Yield at site 1 (@65% Yield at site 1 (@65% moisture)moisture)

14

15

16

17

18

19

3000 6000 9000 12000

Manure rate (gal/acre)

Injected

SurfaceYie

ld

(ton

s/a

cre

)


Milk/acre at site 1Milk/acre at site 1

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

3000 6000 9000 12000


Injected

Surface

Milk (

lbs/a

cre

)



20

22

24

26

28

30

3000 6000 9000 12000


Injected

SurfaceYie

ld

(ton

s/a

cre

)



0

5000

10000

15000

20000

3000 6000 9000 12000


Injected

Surface

Milk (

lbs/a

cre

)



0

5

10

15

20

25

3000 6000 9000 12000


Injected

SurfaceYie

ld

(ton

s/a

cre

)



0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

3000 6000 9000 12000


Injected

Surface

Milk (

lbs/a

cre

)


Increased Carbon Capture?Increased Carbon Capture?


ConclusionsConclusionsManure injection either increased Manure injection either increased

yield or milk productionyield or milk productionSidedress plots generally Sidedress plots generally

unresponsive to UAN, so not sure unresponsive to UAN, so not sure whywhy

Possibly more carbon/soil water Possibly more carbon/soil water retention?retention?

Corn stalk nitrate tests results Corn stalk nitrate tests results comingcoming


Corn stalk Corn stalk nitrate nitrate


AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Thank you to the farmers who Thank you to the farmers who gave us help and access to gave us help and access to

their fields and manure pits for their fields and manure pits for this researchthis research


Still to ComeStill to ComeQuestions?

virginia tech – crop and soil environmental sciences manure management for the 21 st century rory...

Documents

virginia tech crop

pa slide

angle slide

reduced soil erosion

chris teutsch slide

penn state univ slide

manure application

buildup soil organic