Page 152 - Nutrient Management Planning Guide

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Manure Sampling

tip

Use only plastic buckets for collection and mixing of manure samples. Galvanized steel buckets can affect the results of the lab analysis for micronutrients. Do not use glass containers for sampling or shipping sub-samples due to the risk of breakage and personal injury.

tip

Avoid sampling un-agitated liquid storage facilities. It is extremely difficult to get a representative sample of the lagoon sludge layer without agitation.

Sampling Techniques for Liquid Manure

Before sampling, consult the manure-testing laboratory on lab-specific requirements for sample size, packaging and shipping, turn-around times, analytical options, and costs. Some labs provide containers, labels and submission forms for manure samples, and may cover the shipping costs depending on the number of samples submitted. A list of labs that analyze soil and manure samples is presented in Appendix 3.

Sampling During Application

Assemble the following equipment:

20 L (5 gal) plastic pail • small collection can, pole and cup device (Figure 4.2.3), small bucket, or pan •

clean, plastic bottle with a screw-on lid •

Hazards Associated with Liquid Manure Storage Facilities

Liquid manure storage facilities present several hazards to personal safety. Gases such as hydrogen sulphide (H

2

S) and ammonia (NH

3

) can cause symptoms ranging from headaches and eye irritation to death depending on length of exposure and gas concentration.

Adapted from Coffey et al. 2000

Figure 4.2.3 Liquid Manure Sampling Devices: (a) Composite Sampling Device, (b) Pole-and-Cup Sampling Device, (c) Bucket with Rope

Plastic sturdy bucket (4 - 10 litre capacity)

A B

C

Rope

(heavy guage nylon)

Plastic cup

Wooden handle 2 m (6 ft)

Clean-out dowel (2.5 cm (1 in.) PVC pipe)

End sealed

5 cm (2 in.) PVC pipe 2.5 - 3 m (8 - 10 ft)

Rubber ball (larger diameter than pipe)