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Chapter 4.5

more info

Specialists with AF recently completed an evaluation of several liquid manure injection technologies, which looked at characteristics such as manure placement, soil and residue disturbance, draft requirements and odour emissions. An executive summary of the study is available from the AF publications office, or downloaded from Ropin’ the Web.

AF. Liquid manure injection •

technologies: Performance evaluation. Agdex 743-1.

Download the complete project report from Ropin’ the Web.

AF. 2005. Performance •

evaluation of five liquid manure injection technologies. www1.agric. gov.ab.ca/$department/ deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex10096/ $FILE/743-1_report.pdf

Solid Manure

Most solid manure (20% or more solids) and compost is spread using broadcasting equipment (Figure 4.5.4), followed by tillage to incorporate the manure into the soil. Delayed incorporation can result in increased odour, risk of nutrient loss in runoff and volatilization losses of manure nitrogen.

Truck-mounted box spreaders improve travel times from storage to field compared to trailer-mounted spreaders, which affects the length of time required to apply stockpiled manure. Soil compaction can be a problem, but is usually reduced by using dual or flotation tires, or by simply delaying application until field conditions are dry.

Figure 4.5.4 Examples of Common Solid Manure Application Equipment

Manure Incorporation and AOPA

Under AOPA, anyone who applies manure or compost (including composting material) must incorporate within 48 hours of application, except those who are applying manure to forage, direct-seeded crops, frozen or snow-covered ground. Manure or compost may be applied without incorporation in these situations, provided that application is at least 150 m from a residence or regularly occupied building.

Solid Manure Injection?

The University of Saskatchewan and the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) have designed a rear discharge box spreader that can spread solid manure and compost more evenly than present equipment. They are presently testing additional components, such as a flexible auger delivery system, that one day may make it possible to simultaneously incorporate solid manure during application.

You can visit PAMI online at: www.pami.ca; and the University of Saskatchewan, Department of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering at: www.engr.usask.ca/ dept/abe/.