Manure Management in Precision Farming Yan Tang Plant and Soil Sciences

Manure as soil resource l Nutrient values l Soil amendment l Crop quality l Reduce commercial fertilizer

Nutrient values l Elements: Primary Nutrients: N, P, K Secondary Nutrients: Ca, Mg, S Micronutrients: Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, B, Mo, Cl l Availability

Soil amendment l Chemical Properties l Physical Properties l Biological Porperites

Crop Quality

Reduce commercial fertilizer

Problems l Difficult in application l Environmental Issues

Difficult in application l Bulky l Transportation cost l Odor

Environmental issues l Nitrogen pollution l Phosphorus pollution l Other pollutants

Manure precision management approach l Research trends l Best management practices

Research Trends l Crop nutrients conservation l Environment conservation

Best management practice (site-specific) l Manure factors l Plant and soil factors l Other factors

Manure factors 1. Manure sampling and analysis 2. Nitrogen or phosphorus application strategies 3. Spatial variability 4. Manure amendments 5. Manure transportation 6. Manure processing

Soil and plant factors l Soil properties l Plant requirements

Other factors l Climate l Topography l Application methods l Economy

Technologies in precision manure management l Database l GIS l GPS l VRT technologies

Site-specific Liquid Manure Application l Measurement l Control l Documentation

Determing Application Rate l Load Cell Methods l Flow Meter Methods

Load cell methods l Typically consist of load cells mounted under the manure “container” on an applicatior. Laod cells can provide static and continouse stream of weight data during applicatio discharge. l Measured wighty differences dring unloasing can be used to determine applicator discharge rate. l Work with both solid material application equipment. l Static accuracy ratings : 99.5 % l Error: Ground surface roughness and movement of liquid manure (2-8 percent)

A manure applicator equipped with load cells D. Ess

Flow sensing systems l Tyopically use electromagnetic flow meters. l Expensive l Handleliquids with a wide range and type of solids content l Measuing less than 0.5 percent l Not influenced by travel l Fange-mounted into transfer tubes on tanker applicators that sue slurry pumps

Electromagnetic flow meter installed on a manure applicator D. Ess

Conclusion l Manure management is important in precision farming l Manure management in precision is a relative concept l Manure management in precision farming become feasible as technologies develops such as GIS and GPS and other VRT technologies

References: Animal waste utilization: Effective use of Manure as a Soil Resouce, Edited by Hatfiedld J.L &B.A.Stewart, Ann Arbor Press,1998Animal waste utilization: Effective use of Manure as a Soil Resouce, Edited by Hatfiedld J.L &B.A.Stewart, Ann Arbor Press,1998

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