The main concern, especially with large quantities of fresh solid or liquid manure, is where and when to competently dispose of it. Manure storage, handling and application don’t come without costs, can be a nuisance and can cause environmental problems. If you expect to use the manure as a crop nutrient as well you can run into even more problems. As nutrient loss in manure begins even before it is moved to the field it is hard to know how much nutrient value it actually contains. Depending on the condition of the manure, it may not contain a lot of nutrients, and tilling it into the soil may have little effect. Organic matter is the key to soil quality. Growers who use livestock manure on their fields will likely maintain and improve their soils quality beyond those who continually deplete organic matter through tilling and exporting. There are alternatives to field spreading and incorporating raw manure into the soil. Injection of liquid manure with low disturbance works and composting solid manure or feeding cattle in the field reduces handling. Direct seeding is intended to handle increased crop residue and surface organic matter, as you don’t have to till manure into the soil to reap its benefits. Another alternative is to change spreading habits to allow for less tillage.
Alberta’s new Agricultural Operation Practices Act contains specific requirements for manure management. This means that producers need a good understanding of manure composition and nutrient content and that soil testing, record keeping and application rate restrictions now apply in some cases.