Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Completed Competitive Grant

Optimizing solid manure application by improving distribution

Project ID: 2001-24

Abstract

Improving the uniformity of manure distribution may make it a more effective substitute for commercial fertilizer and allow farmers to take proper nutrient credit for the manure. Manure-spreading equipment or application techniques may need to be modified to be more efficient.

Key Question: How can farmers gain confidence in the reliability of nutrient distribution from spreaders?

Findings: This work shows what manufacturers need to know to improve equipment performance and what farmers need to know about using manure spreading equipment effectively.

Lead investigator: H. Mark Hanna, ISU Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, et al

Year of grant completion: 2004

This competitive grant project was part of the Leopold Center's Initiative.

Topics: Nutrient management