Canada - Greenhouse Gas Research Compares Fall and Spring Manure Application

Research being conducted in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, under the federal greenhouse gas initiative, will allow farmers to compare the results of spring verses fall application of swine manure. In association with the Canadian Pork Council, Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork, the Prairie Agricultural Machinery has established a series of demonstration sites to examine the timing of manure application. The work is part of a series of projects to show farmers beneficial management practices they can use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Canadian Pork Council Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Coordinator Cedric MacLeod says this particular project is designed to promote efficient use of manure. "Basically we're coming in with a coulter unit on the back of a truck and applying that manure directly into winter wheat and into standing alfalfa. As both crops grow fairly rapidly in the spring and are able to use quite a large number of manure nutrients over the growing season, they're great choices for applying manure. The idea is to promote the actual in crop application of the manure as opposed to pre-seeding applications which is difficult and trying to move away from fall applications into that spring application window to avoid the production of nitrous oxide gas during the wet spring season. I think this is a great opportunity to demonstrate how manure can be used effectively on the farm. Nitrogen fertilizer prices continue to rise and manure nutrients are going to become more and more valuable. This is just a great way to avoid environmental issues with fall application of manure and to maximize the value of the nutrients in that livestock production by-product". McLeod says the demonstration sites are now being groomed for field days which will begin in late July or early August. He says a final report on the research is expected to be available next April.