Project title: Phytotoxcity of swine
effluent on agronomic crops in Nebraska
Duration: 2002-2003
Contact:
Charles Shapiro Northeast Research and Extension Center, Haskell Agricultural Laboratory, UNL, 57905 866 Road, Concord, NE 68728-2828, (402) 584-2803, cshapiro1@unl.edu
Project
description:
Management of swine manure and effluent is changing. Manure management is being improved by utilizing the material as a fertilizer and planning applications to time nutrient release with crop needs. In the past most manure applications where in the fall, winter and spring. Due to concerns about nutrient loss and water contamination these applications are now being discouraged in sensitive areas. There are many advantages to sprinkler applied swine manure. Applying manure to growing crops spreads out the work load, to apply manures in an environmentally sound manner, and can improve yields. To reduce costs, it is in the producers’ best interest to apply as much manure to one field as possible at one time. Generally the limitation with pit manures has been the fear of crop damage.
Manure from an earthen storage/pit will be applied at full
strength and diluted to produce a range of solutions with Electrical
Conductivities from less than 1 (normal irrigation water) to up to 20 (value of
some pit manure). These solutions will be sprayed with a backpack sprayer on
small plots to determine immediate effects on crop leaves. Crops will also be harvested to determine
yield differences. Most previous salt research with manure focuses on salt
effects on soil and subsequent crop growth response and not on crop leaf damage
and recovery.
Key
results: Research to be initiated in 2003
Publications: To be added later