Farmwest Blog | Farmwest

OCTOBER Update to Manure Spreading Advisory #3 of 2018: South Coast Region

For the past two years, significant rainfall started by mid-October in the Fraser Valley, above the long term average (see Figure 1 below). Forecasts may provide some indication as to what can be expected this year, better to plan and be prepared in advance of the rainy season when manure applications are not recommended.

Video of a cow using a mechanical brush

This video shows a cow pushing open a weighted gate to get access to a mechanical brush during an experiment conducted at the UBC Dairy Eduction and Research Centre in Agassiz, Canada. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAAvnPFAEz0

Manure Spreading Advisory #3 for 2018: South Coast Region

Date: September 1, 2018

Perennial grasses continue to benefit from fall manure applications when applied to meet crop nutrient needs.
Manure applications for cover crops and newly seeded grasses should be based on a soil test and only applied if the cover crop will become well established to uptake nutrients prior to the end of the growing season. Manure applications on harvested or fallow fields are not recommended.

July UPDATE to Manure Spreading Advisory #2 of 2018: South Coast Region

Considerations for spreading manure during warm weather: When spreading manure during the summer, it is important to consider the impact of high temperatures on nitrogen (N) loss from manure. Volatilization of ammonia during and shortly after application is greatly increased when temperatures are high. Several other factors including manure composition, time to incorporation, wind, soil pH and moisture, and application method will impact ammonia loss as well. Losing ammonia from manure is a direct loss of its fertilizer value and should be considered when planning application timing and calculating manure’s contribution to crop N requirements. Spreading manure when temperatures are above 25°C can result in a loss of 50% of the ammonia N within three hours of application.