nutrient efficiency from manure used asfertilizer. (NAPSA)—There’s genuine ex- citement in rural America about what to many may seem a surpris- ing subject: livestock manure. That’s because farmers can get improved nutrient efficiency from it as a naturalfertilizer source, the animal waste is easier to handle and apply, and someof the odors associated with release of ammonia gas are being reduced—all thanks to some recent technology available to livestock producers. When farmers have hundreds or thousands of hogs or dairy or beef cattle, millions of tons of waste are generated that must be managed in an environmentally sound way. In most cases, the manureis held in pits or lagoons before being applied to fields as a rich source of vital nutrients such as phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N), both of which are essential to crop growth and health. Technology Benefits The recently developed technology that helps livestock producers manageall this waste moreefficiently is More Than Manure (MTM) Nutrient Manager, from SFP, a company that specializes in products that improvefertilizer efficiency. When added to inground manure pits and lagoons, MTMcan help break up “solids,” making the manure easier to pump, transport and apply. It can also significantly reduce ammonia levels both in livestock confinement areas and on the fields where manureis applied. For example, take Dean Strauss, who milks roughly 1,900 cows at two Wisconsin locations. He recently tried the product, applying it in and around manure pits and throughthe direct system that pumps into the pits. “It cut the odor dramatically,” Strauss said. “Anything we can do to Livestock generates millions of tons of waste that must be managed in an environmentally sound way. address odor issues is good for our workers and our cows, and it helps us be better neighbors to the people who live close to our farming operation.” In a short time following application, Strauss witnessed a break- ing up of crusts and solids in the pits. “The uniformity of the manure for spreading was greatly improved,” he added. “I know we are now getting a better distribution of nutrients across thesoil.” Better Crop Yields This technology can also help improve nutrient efficiency and plant uptake of P and N from manure used as fertilizer, which leads to better overall crop health and yield increases. Reducing the amount of P that gets locked up in the soil and N losses due to leaching, volatilization and denitrification makes more of both elements available for crop use. Consider Jack Wyttenbach, a hog producer who has about 1,500 sows and finishes about 25,000 hogs a year. He has experienced a yield increase of 8 bushels per acre on fields of corn fertilized with manure that was treated with MTM. “This yield increase is due to improved nutrient efficiency and uptake,”he said. Wyttenbach also tries to be environmentally proactive about livestock odors that can wear thin on neighbors. “We’ve seen a dramatic reduction in the amount of ammonia gas coming off the manure after using MTM,” he observed. Learn More For more information, see a fertilizer dealer, call 1-888-446GROWorvisit sfp.com. SFP, More Than Manure and MTM are registered trademarks of Specialty Fertilizer Products (SFP), LLC. 2013 SFP. All rights reserved.
