The document summarizes research on the benefits of applying manure and compost to soils. Key findings include: 1) Manure and compost increase soil organic matter content, improve soil structure, increase water holding capacity and infiltration rates. Sandy soils tend to benefit more than clayey soils. 2) Long-term manure applications of over 10 years increased soil organic matter content by 0.5-0.9% depending on application rates. 3) Applying manure and compost to saline soils may help offset saline conditions, as evidenced by improved spring wheat establishment compared to unamended soils.

1. Soil Benefits from Manure/Compost
Applications
Chris Augustin
NDSU Extension Soil Health Specialist
701-857-7682
Chris.Augustin@ndsu.edu

2. What is Soil?
Organic
Matter
5%
Water
25%
Minerals
45%
Air
25%

3. Manure Enhances Soil Properties
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Increases Soil Organic Matter
Decrease Bulk Density
Increase Water Holding Capacity
Increases Water Infiltration
Increases Soil Aggregation
Fertility
Cation Exchange Capacity

4. • Sandy Soils Tend to Show Greater Changes
With Manure Applications Than Clayey Soils
(Khaleel et al., 1981)

5. Increasing SOM with Compost
•
•
•
•
6 inches of topsoil weigh ~ 2,000,000lbs
1% weighs 20,000lbs
Manure/Compost has ~ 10% O.M.
To add 1% O.M. add 100 t/ac
– Compost applications range 10-20 t/ac
– Manure applications range 25-30t/ac

6. 4 tons/acre

7. 16 tons/acre

8. 42 tons/acre

9. Solid Manure Type
Beef (142 Samples)
Beef Range
Composted Beef (10
Samples)
-------------lbs/ton------------Total N P2O5 K2O NH4 NO3
16.0 7.1 14.5 0.8 0.6
6.7 10.9 64.8 21.6 63.2
16.6
13.0
14.3
59Composted Beef Range
8- 36
20.2 19.8
Data Collected Courtesy of NDSU Soil Testing Lab

10. Properties of Clopyralid and Picloram
• Herbicides pass through cow digestive system
• Not deactivated in composting process
• Test compost from manure where road ditch hay was
fed or grass clippings from sprayed lawns

11. Increases Organic Matter
∆ Soluble Organic
∆ Microbial
Carbon
Biomass Carbon
Treatment
ppm
Control
Fertilizer
4.2
-88.4
Stockpiled
91.78
499.7
Rotted
124.6
563.5
Study was conducted on a loam soil.
Adopted from Rochette, P., and E.G. Gregorich. 1998

12. Increases Organic Matter
Manure
Application
(Tons/Ac)
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
0-0-0-0
0.8a
1.0a
1.0a
1.1a
1.1a
80-0-0-0
0.9a
1.9bc
1.8b
1.6ab
20-20-20-20
0.8a
1.3a
1.8b
40-40-40-40
0.9a
1.4ab
160-0-0-0
0.9a
80-160-0-0
80-80-80-0
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1.2a
1.0a
0.9a
1.0a
1.0a
2.0b
1.9b
1.4b
1.3b
1.3b
1.3b
1.9bc
2.0b
2.2bc
1.6bc
1.4b
1.4bc
1.5b
1.7b
2.3cd
2.2bc
2.6cd
1.8cd
1.5b
1.4bc
1.5b
2.2c
2.3c
2.0cd
2.1b
2.0b
1.8cd
1.6b
1.5bc
1.4b
0.9a
2.0c
3.0d
3.0e
2.5c
2.8d
2.1de
2.0c
1.6c
1.7c
0.9a
1.8bc
2.5c
2.8de
2.9d
2.7cd
2.2e
2.1c
1.9d
1.8c
Organic Matter %
•
• Study was conducted on a clayey over a loam soil.
Adopted from Meek, B., L. Graham, and T. Donovan, 1981

13. 0-0-0-0 Manure Treatment
1.4
% Soil Organic Matter
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
Soil Organic Matter Increased 0.2%
0.4
0.2
0
Year of Testing
•
• Study was conducted on a clayey over a loam soil.
Adopted from Meek, B., L. Graham, and T. Donovan, 1981

14. 80-0-0-0 Manure Treatment
2.5
% Soil Organic Matter
2
1.5
1
Soil Organic Matter Increased 0.4%
0.5
0
Year of Testing
•
• Study was conducted on a clayey over a loam soil.
Adopted from Meek, B., L. Graham, and T. Donovan, 1981

15. 20-20-20-20 Manure Treatment
2.5
% Soil Organic Matter
2
1.5
1
Soil Organic Matter Increased 0.7%
0.5
0
Year of Testing
•
• Study was conducted on a clayey over a loam soil.
Adopted from Meek, B., L. Graham, and T. Donovan, 1981

16. 40-40-40-40 Manure Treatment
3
% Soil Organic Matter
2.5
2
1.5
1
Soil Organic Matter Increased 0.6%
0.5
0
Year of Testing
•
• Study was conducted on a clayey over a loam soil.
Adopted from Meek, B., L. Graham, and T. Donovan, 1981

17. 160-0-0-0 Manure Treatment
2.5
% Soil Organic Matter
2
1.5
1
Soil Organic Matter Increased 0.5%
0.5
0
Year of Testing
•
• Study was conducted on a clayey over a loam soil.
Adopted from Meek, B., L. Graham, and T. Donovan, 1981

18. 80-160-0-0 Manure Treatment
3.5
% Soil Organic Matter
3
2.5
2
1.5
Soil Organic Matter Increased 0.8%
1
0.5
0
Year of Testing
•
• Study was conducted on a clayey over a loam soil.
Adopted from Meek, B., L. Graham, and T. Donovan, 1981

19. 80-80-80-0 Manure Treatment
3.5
% Soil Organic Matter
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
Soil Organic Matter Increased 0.9%
0.5
0
Year of Testing
•
• Study was conducted on a clayey over a loam soil.
Adopted from Meek, B., L. Graham, and T. Donovan, 1981

20. Select Soil Properties From
Manure Applications
Feedlot Manure Application Rate (t/ac)
Soil Property
0
10
30
60
119
Bulk Density (g/cm3)
1.37a
1.33a 1.28ab 1.20bc 1.12c
Organic Matter (%)
1.41c
2.14b
2.59a
2.79a
2.58a
Water Stable Aggregates (%)
0.25 mm
30.5ab 32.0ab 32.4a
29.5b
26.0c
1.0 mm
11.8fgh 12.5fgh 11.0gh 11.8fgh 14.1ef
2.0 mm
10.8gh 10.8gh
9.9h 11.3fgh 13.5efg
4.0 mm
13.5efg 12.1fgh 12.7fgh 15.7e
20.9d
Conductance (dS/cm)
0.61d
1.21c
2.03b 2.06b
3.14a
†F-test indicated significant differences at 10% level of confidence.
Study was conducted on a clay loam.
Unger and Stewart, 1974

21. Select Soil Properties From Manure
Applications
Feedlot Manure Application Rate (t/ac)
Soil Property
Bulk Density (g/cm3)
≤0.5
0.7
0
10
1.37a
1.33a
30
60
119
1.28ab
1.20bc
1.12c
Study was and Stewart, 1974 loam.
Unger conducted on a clay
Unger and Stewart, 1974
- Soil Bulk Density (g/cm3)1.3
1.5
1.7
0.9
1.1
1.9
2.1
-Uncultivated
----Peat Soils-----------------Cultivated Soils-------------Soils--Cultivated Clay and Silt Loams-- ----------Hardpans----------Cultivated Sandy Loams and Sands--------Root Growth Restricted-------Silt
Sand
--Clays
Sands-Loams Loams
2.3
2.5≥
-Concrete-
Adapted from Brady and Weil, 2002

22. Manure Effects of Water Infiltration
Manure Rate
t/ac
Ponded Infiltration Rate
---in/hr---
0
4.1a
13.4
4.7a
27.7
40.1
4.0a
13.6b
Study was conducted on a clay loam.
Miller et al., 2002
Cornell Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
Research Series R03-01

23. Spring Wheat Response of Fall vs.
Spring Applied Manure
• 2008 and 2009
• Conventional Till
• Applied 150lbs of N from manure
(50% mineralization) and urea
• Spring and Fall manure application

26. Wheat Yield Over 2 Years
60
48 a
50
40 b
Bushels
40
30
45 ab
30 c
20
10
0
p=0.05

27. Cost Analysis of Various Fertilizers
0.6
Cost of Fertilizer per pound ($)
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Fertilizer Source

28. Net Return from Fertilizer Application
100
90
$-24.45
Net from Fertilizer ($)
80
$-41.75
70
60
50
$-92.25
40
30
20
10
0
Fall Manure
$8.35/bu wheat
Urea
Spring Manure
Fertilizer Source
Check

29. Cropping Systems Trial
• The study was initiated in 1987 at the
Carrington Research Extension Center
(CREC)
• Consists of three, 4 year rotations
conducted during 1987-90, 1991-94, etc…
• Within each crop, subplots include:
- 4 N fertility treatments
- 3 tillage systems-NT, MT, and CT

30. N Fertility treatments*
1.
2.
3.
4.
no N applied
40 lb/A actual N
80 lb/A actual N
Composted manure = 160 lb/A applied
at start of each 4-year cycle (annual
average of about 30-40 lb N/acre)
*N fertilizer - surface applied, preplant ammonium nitrate (34-0-0)
- not applied to fallow or legumes

31. CST Results
• No significant differences in yields of
crops regardless of tillage
• Slight yield differences between nutrient
sources
– Compost out-yielded comparable
commercial N fertilization in most cases

32. CREC Manure/Compost Salinity
Demo

33. Measure Salinity

34. EC Range: 3-6 dS/cm

35. Treatment
Compost
Manure
Application Rate
(tons/acre)
13-Light
24-Medium
45-Heavy
11-Light
23-Medium
45-Heavy
• Fall applied treatments to allow
maximum mineralization.
• Incorporated with tandem disk.

36. Fertility
Application
Nutrient Source
Plant Available Nutrient
P2O5
K2O
14
47
65
24-Medium
30
102
141
45-Heavy
57
192
265
11-Light
65
74
109
23-Medium
140
154
228
45-Heavy
Manure
N
11-Light
Compost
tons/acre
266
302
446
45 Bushel wheat on this field requires:
52.5lbs N/ac
8lbs P2O5/ac
0lbs K2O/ac

37. Hyothesis:

38. Hypothesis:
The addition of organic matter from
composted feedlot manure and raw feedlot
manure will improve soil water physical
conditions allowing establishment of spring
wheat.

40. Spring Wheat Plants per Acre on Manure Treated Saline Soil
700,000
Wheat Plants per Acre
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
13 Compost
11 Manure
23 Manure
24 Compost
45 Compost
45 Manure
Application (tons/acre)
Check did not germinate.
Wheat planting accounted for 95% germination for 1,981,900
seeds/acre.

41. Summary
• Compost and manure are good fertilizers for soil and crops
• Manure/compost applications tend to have a bigger effect
on coarser textured soils-look out for nutrient loading
• Compost and manure enhances many soil physical and
chemical properties
• Manure is a good and cost effective fertilizer
• Manure seems to do better on warm season crops vs. cool
season crops
• Although saline trials were not replicated, it indicates that
applications of manure and compost may offset saline soil
conditions, allowing spring wheat establishment.

42. Works Cited
•
•
•
•
•
•
Brady N.C., and R.R. Weil. 2002. The nature and properties of soils 13th ed.
pg. 139. Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Khaleel, R., K.R. Reddy, and M.R. Overcash. 1981. Changes in soil physical
properties due to organic waste additions: A review. J. Environ. Qual.
10:133-141.
Meek, B., L. Graham, and T. Donovan. 1981. Long-term effects of manure
on soil nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, organic matter, and
water infiltration rate. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 46:1014-1019.
Miller, J.J., N.J. Sweetland, and C. Chang. 2002. Hydrological properties of a
clay loam soil after long-term cattle manure application. J. Environ. Qual.
31:989-996.
Rochette, P., and E.G. Gregorich. 1998. Dynamics of soil microbial biomass
C, soluble organic C and CO2 evolution after three years of manure
application. Can. J. Soil Sci. 78:283-290.
Unger, P.W., and B.A. Stewart. 1974. Feedlot waste effects on soil
conditions and water evaporation. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc., 38: 954-957.

43. Questions?