Applying manure

- the weather

- plant species which is growing on the field

- structure of the field

- machines

- how much and when you will spread manure

Usually you have to know manure’s nutrient content before spreading it that you know how much you can put it per hectare. Otherwise the field can’t get enough nutrients what it needs. The EU or the government say how much manure you can put maximum per hectare.

If you spread manure to surface on the field, you have to cultivate it so quickly than is possible, because it reduce evaporation of ammonium and smell. It is better to use an injector than spread manure to surface. You also have to use an injector if the field’s is very abrupt and if you apply manure in the growing season.

Domestic animals’ manure is spread the way that minerals of manure don’t leach to the waters or ditch and ground water don’t polluted. You have to avoid spreading manure in areas where is a risk to pollute ground water.

You can avoid lost of minerals if you keep your field in good condition, then plants can use minerals better. That plants can use minerals the best way, you should keep amount of manure per hectare so small than is possible and apply more times.

Some farms use clover that will take nitrogen from the air and give it the soil. That way do only nitrogen-fixing plants. Organic farm give mostly 20 m3 per ha. He do that one time in March. The end of March is better.

An organic farmer said to us, when we asked “how you can avoid minerals?”:

“One time into two weeks I mix up the slurry that I can get air to manure, then minerals are in easier form for plants.”

Page updated 12.4.2006