Page 160 - Nutrient Management Planning Guide

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Manure Sampling

Recommended Analyses for Manure Samples

Laboratories offer a variety of tests and analyses packages for manure (costs can vary). The recommended tests for nutrient management planning purposes include:

moisture content, dry matter content, or total solids • total N (Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen TKN) • ammonium N (NH •

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-N) total P • total K •

Optional tests for manure samples include: nitrate-nitrogen (NO

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-N), pH, total carbon or carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N), electrical conductivity, chloride (Cl), sulphur (S), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and micronutrients such as copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe).

It is usually not necessary to analyze manure for mineral constituents such as Ca, Mg, Zn and boron (B). Most manure contains significant quantities of these minerals and fields with a history of manure application are rarely deficient.