manure/litter fertilizing plots

[Wind Gypsy]

I don't think my land has been owned by an actual farmer/rancher for 30 years but i believe the rancher that sold it back then still took hay bales off it until 4 or 5 years ago. The nutrient levels in the soil are quite low. I've been able to do ok growing some plots but would really like to improve fertility without tilling in or surface broadcasting a bunch of pellet fertilizer.

I've not seen much discussed in regards to how would would even go about using turkey or chicken litter or cow manure spread. I have easy access to one area where i'd probably want 6 or so acres amended. The tough spot would be my back plot (1.5 acre) which uses access through a neighbor's parcel and even my 6' flail mower is pretty tight through the woods.

I'm going to start by bouncing the question off a couple neighbors with small cattle operations but would like any insight from others.

Would liquid fert from an ATV sprayer be a feasible path? From what I gather that seems way more expensive than on a per nutrient # basis than pelletized fertilizer but maybe would be nice to not have all the salt? I already have a low ph.

 

[bigboreblr]

Fertilzer plus green manure strategies combined can really turn around a area. Any specific troubles or failures you're having with your plots?

Alot wiser folks than me on here on these things. But, 3 years rotations have done me pretty good. Sometimes nothing will overcome compaction of the soil well.

MAking sure the fertilizer you use stays on your plot.... Discing and subsoilers hav their place at times.

I'd go pelletized fertilizer rather than liquid. Using moderate amounts that don't run off and convert to plant litter is the key in my opninion. Nitrogen is easy to come by. Pottasium, phosphorus, calcium, magenesium, and even some trace minerals can take more time.

Transporting and spreading manure without owning the equipment will cost you mor than fertilizer will. npk .6-.4-.5 some places say higher. Weight has alot to do with moisture content as well, keep that in mind. 50lb of 15-15-15 is 1250 bs of manure for nitrogen, 1850 lbs for phosphorus, and 1500 lbs for potassium. Decent amounts are usually 200-300 lbs of fertilizer per acre. So your looking at 3.75 to 5.5 tons of manure per acre to equal 6 bags of fertilizer. To do 5 or 6 acres, you need a triaxle dump truck and then how are you going to spread it evenly.

I usually do about 4 bags of 6-24-24 every couple of years with some tillage. Could make that plot area your good plot, then put rye on it in the fall. You could put in nitrgoen rich crops like cow peas and add clover to it to get a start on rotation. Daikon raddish is a greta soil improver. Definitely saw a difference the year after. Your plot is going to smell like kimchi and your going to feel like puking looking at the trail cameras. Deer eating nasty rotted raddishes all winter.

Also, look at roting depth of various food plot plants. Here one just for clover. Gives some new light on plain old medium red.....

Root Development of Field Crops: Chapter XIV

Got any soil sample tests for your spots?

 

[Telemark]

I wouldn't be afraid to put some synthetic fertilizer on a big hay field initially to get the nutrient levels back up. Probably good to use a bunch of lime too.

If you're dead set against it, then spread out as much manure as you can, and then start cycling summer and winter covercrop/foodplot seed blends.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Some plot plants have grown well but i've had indications from others and from apple trees that there is quite a bit left to desire. Really i'd just like to have more biomass growth to keep the cupboards full. I like the idea of all the micronutrients, organic matter, and fungal community benefits of manure as well. Also not real sure on if it is as important to incorporate manure as it is dry fert. Most of this stuff hasn't been tilled in decades so I was hoping to avoid that because its pretty rocky, it's a PITA breaking sod with a 3 point disk, and for soil structure reasons after a couple years of diverse blends being planted.

I spread 2 tons dolomitic lime/acre last spring and my ph readings were LOWER this spring. I do wonder if the whole system wouldn't work well with a good shot of lime and fertilizer being incorporated and then sticking with just drilling in diverse blends.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Some plot plants have grown well but i've had indications from others and from apple trees that there is quite a bit left to desire. Really i'd just like to have more biomass growth to keep the cupboards full. I like the idea of all the micronutrients, organic matter, and fungal community benefits of manure as well. Also not real sure on if it is as important to incorporate manure as it is dry fert. Most of this stuff hasn't been tilled in decades so I was hoping to avoid that because its pretty rocky, it's a PITA breaking sod with a 3 point disk, and for soil structure reasons after a couple years of diverse blends being planted.

I spread 2 tons dolomitic lime/acre last spring and my ph readings were LOWER this spring. I do wonder if the whole system wouldn't work well with a good shot of lime and fertilizer being incorporated and then sticking with just drilling in diverse blends.

Lime and some fertilizers can move pretty slowly if they are just surface broadcast without tilling. Manure is great, but all of the farmers I know want to keep it on their own fields. If your nutrient levels and pH are low, I think going with dry fertilizer pellets and lime will get you back on track quicker than other options,

If I was in your position, I'd probably do a soil test and then amend with the recommended dry fertilizer pellets and lime. Then I would disk the soil and plant a few different types of plants to see what grows best and what doesn't. You can follow up with more soil tests in the future and once you get them to appropriate levels you can probably back off and go the no-till route if that is what you prefer.

 

[Brian662]

Any chance you'd fence the area and run cattle for a year or two?

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Any chance you'd fence the area and run cattle for a year or two?

Very unlikely. What would be minimum fencing cost? I'm assuming the costs/logistics with that way exceed my desire to avoid tillage and pel fertilizer.

 

[Brian662]

Very unlikely. What would be minimum fencing cost? I'm assuming the costs/logistics with that way exceed my desire to avoid tillage and pel fertilizer.

I would assume expensive, however that could all be worked out with owner of said cattle and possibly you wind up with beef in your freezer. Just throwing things out there, but overall I agree it is potentially less desirable than other alternatives.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Asked a neighbor with a small cattle operation if they were aware of anyone nearby that would spread some manure for $ today. He said i could come and grab manure and hook up to his spreader to spread it, maybe even for no charge? So that's exciting. Probably be sometime more like June though once things dry out.

I've no idea how much I should spread though. @BuckSutherland, do you have any thoughts on how much I should spread?

 

[TreeDaddy]

I would give PMSNBC a call

They spread endless manure for free

bill

 

[bigboreblr]

If it's the typical shallow trailer type spreader, just run the tractor a 3-4mph with a the pto around 540, maybe a little less. Been ahwile since I used one, about the next track is 4-5 feet away from the last tire tracks. Keep doing that until you get your next path. IF I recall those wagons would do a 1/2 acre a load.

How far away is the farm? Think you'll be pretty sick of driving your tractor after 2 applications. I'd definitely pick a corner to work on first, incase you run out of time or material.

IF it's liquid fertilizer, which is more and more common. Never ran one of them. Used to be an investor in a small horse farm years ago. Helped a friend who was great with horses, but bad with business.

 

[H20fwler]

Lime it then broadcast clover.
Keep using clover as an understory whatever you plant in future.

 

[BuckSutherland]

Asked a neighbor with a small cattle operation if they were aware of anyone nearby that would spread some manure for $ today. He said i could come and grab manure and hook up to his spreader to spread it, maybe even for no charge? So that's exciting. Probably be sometime more like June though once things dry out.

I've no idea how much I should spread though. @BuckSutherland, do you have any thoughts on how much I should spread?

I would take as much as you can get. I would wanna put on at least good 10-15 tons/ acre. 20-25 tons would be better if you can deal with it that thick. Hopefully you can get some really good composted manure. Some nice wet slimy stuff used for bedding and not stuff from around a hay feeder. Stuff by the hay feeders will have more grass and weed seed.


Run high RPMs so the beater on the spreader is spinning fast. Move the apron slowly so the beater has a chance to break the clumps of shit apart. This should give you a more fine spread. Maybe drive about 3-3.5 mph so you arent moving too slow. You can always go over it again if you don't think you put it on thick enough. If you are gonna disk it in you will be able to spread a little more. I'm a huge manure fan. Fixes lots of soil problems, other than poor drainage. I like to get pretty good coverage.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

10-25 tons. holy cats! I don't think there will be anywhere close to that much available. This guy is mostly retired and doesn't have a very big herd anymore.

 

[Brian662]

It's just a food plot, not your livelihood. Anything is better than nothing!

I'd try to get soil samples before and after to see how much it positively affected the soil and you will know that much more for if you do it again.

 

[Mortenson]

I would take as much as you can get. I would wanna put on at least good 10-15 tons/ acre. 20-25 tons would be better if you can deal with it that thick. Hopefully you can get some really good composted manure. Some nice wet slimy stuff used for bedding and not stuff from around a hay feeder. Stuff by the hay feeders will have more grass and weed seed.


Run high RPMs so the beater on the spreader is spinning fast. Move the apron slowly so the beater has a chance to break the clumps of shit apart. This should give you a more fine spread. Maybe drive about 3-3.5 mph so you arent moving too slow. You can always go over it again if you don't think you put it on thick enough. If you are gonna disk it in you will be able to spread a little more. I'm a huge manure fan. Fixes lots of soil problems, other than poor drainage. I like to get pretty good coverage.

View attachment 63943View attachment 63944

I'd say that's pretty good coverage!

 

[FarmerDan]

Here in Virginia, a special case for sure, we produce more poultry litter than we can use. Well, we use it all - in some form - and a lot of producers would like to use as much as they can get. It, the poultry litter, comes with some concerns that start with soil chemistry and the eventuality that the excessive level of phosphorous found in it ends up in our waterways draining into the Chesapeake Bay.

That aside, from a soil nutrient perspective I, personally, am somewhat concerned about the possible build-up of P & K levels and the ratio imbalances that can occur between those two maco nutriets and the micros already in the soil. The manure is a great source of "free" nitrogen and organic matter and if you know your soils and the tested levels of nutrients in the litter/manure it's a simple mathematically calculation to determine how much you might want to use. We are limited to 1.5 tons per acre applied once every three years. Remove the runoff consideration and 3-5 tons a year, I think, would be feasible. But that's poultry litter on a dry matter basis. If it's wet or from another source like cattle or horses a different tonnage calculation would be needed.