Maximize crops with manure - UNL's innovative farming workshop

By Scout Nelson

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Manure Team is organizing a workshop titled “Saving by Using Manure on Crops.” This event is dedicated to crop farmers who are interested in leveraging manure nutrients to cut down their commercial fertilizer expenses. The workshop is open to all crop farmers, regardless of whether they own livestock, and is tailored to operations ranging from 80 to 5,000 acres.

The primary focus of this workshop is to guide farmers in choosing manure over commercial fertilizers, which can be a more economical choice. Participants will engage in interactive sessions to learn the fundamentals of manure and soil sampling, understand lab results, and identify the nutrients in manure that can replace commercial fertilizers.

Practical exercises will involve calculating the required amount of manure for crops based on nutrient availability.

Recognizing that not all farmers have easy access to manure, the workshop will also address how to financially evaluate the use of manure. This includes determining the cost-effectiveness of having manure applied to fields and calculating potential savings from using manure in place of commercial fertilizers.

The workshop will feature demonstrations on ensuring correct manure application rates and determining the need for any additional commercial fertilizer. These demonstrations are aimed at guaranteeing the optimal use of manure nutrients for crop growth.

The event is scheduled for November 30, from 9 a.m. to approximately 12:45 p.m., at the Nielsen Center in West Point, Nebraska. It is conveniently timed to conclude before the afternoon's Confronting Cropping Challenges workshop at the same venue.

The registration fee is $20 per person, which includes a catered lunch. Interested attendees need to register by November 22 to ensure adequate catering arrangements.

The UNL Manure Team is excited to host a workshop sponsored by Nutrient Advisors at the Nielsen Center, aimed at providing practical experience for participants to apply learned concepts to their farming operations.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-eugenesergeev