The benefit of injecting hog manure into alfalfa fields appears to depend on the nutrient profile of the soil.
The question is whether the nutrients in the manure will make up for the root damage caused by the coulter injector.
Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Agriculture Development Fund provided money for the three-year research and demonstration project at two sites west of Melfort.
Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute, the soil science department of the University of Saskatchewan and KaptAl Services Ltd. looked into the effects of low disturbance injection of swine manure into alfalfa produced for pelleting.
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
Results from the project were mixed.
The Star City site showed an excellent forage yield response to the low disturbance injection of swine manure.
Nutrients from the manure more than compensated for damage to the plant roots caused by the coulter injection system.
In contrast, the Valparaiso site had lower forage yields than the untreated check plot.
These results show that if the alfalfa stand is deficient in certain nutrients, especially sulfur and phosphorus, then low disturbance injection of hog manure is beneficial and can increase forage yield in the long term.
If there are no nutrient deficiencies, then it is not beneficial and may cause lower yields.
Producers should do a soil test to determine the nutrient content before applying manure.
The project used various rates of application in various sequences to determine the best rate and timing. Manure application in the fall appeared to cause less damage, which may be due to the dormant state of the alfalfa at that time of the year.
The deeper the injection depth, the better the uptake of the manure, which decreases surface pooling, odour and nutrient loss.
For more information, call PAMI at 800-567-7264, and ask to receive Research Update #751, Is Swine Manure Injection into Alfalfa Stands a Good Idea? There is a small charge for shipping and handling.
The PAMI website is at www.pami.ca.
