Liquid manure has to be considered as a valuable nutrient source for the plants even if it is more diluted than mineral fertilizer and consequently for manure, the transport and application costs are higher. The attention given to manure application should be the same than for commercial fertilizers regarding application rate, timing, application technique and expected crop response. Current research is being done in fields and laboratory in Saskatchewan to improve the benefits that swine manure can give to soil fertility and agriculture.

Fertilization is mainly presented as satisfying the N requirements of the plants and little consideration is given to other elements such as P that could build up as the manure fertilization to meet N requirements exceed the P plant’s requirements. Past experience in countries and provinces were manure has been applied to meet N requirements repeatedly during many years has shown problems.