Farmscape for March 30, 2009   (Episode 3144)

Research conducted by the University of Saskatchewan shows solid manure injection compares equally with broadcast application and broadcast and incorporation.

The University of Saskatchewan's Department of Soil Science has completed the first two years of a three year evaluation of the performance of a solid manure injection system developed by the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute at Humboldt.

The prototype uses hydraulic augers to place solid manure into the soil in bands in channels at about a ten centimeter depth.

Research scientist and adjunct professor Dr. Jeff Schoenau says scientists are looking at how this method impacts nutrient availability, crop yield response, nutrient recovery and how it may influence the movement of nutrients with run-off water.

Clip-Dr. Jeff Schoenau-University of Saskatchewan  
We're working now just with one manure type which has been passively composted for about one year.

I would anticipate the type of manure that was used with this would affect what a person saw in terms of performance.

2007-2008 we haven't really seen a big effect of the placement.

We've got comparisons of broadcast, broadcast incorporate and then the solid manure banding.

We haven't seen a big difference in crop recovery or yield response to the different placements.

That might be a function of just the kind of manure that we're using, which actually most of it is in the organic form in this particular solid manure that we have.

Certainly in our trials over-all we are seeing a significant response to the cattle manure, especially when we supplement it with urea fertilizer nitrogen.

Dr. Schoenau notes this particular kind of manure doesn't have a high potential for gassing off and losing nutrients to the atmosphere compared to other types of manure, which may explain why the placement has had a limited impact on agronomic performance.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council