Research on manure handling and land application has been recognized as a top priority by a number of national and provincial organizations across Canada as a mean to increase the environmental sustainability and to improve the social acceptance of intensive livestock production. Handling and land application systems for solid and semi-solid manure (i.e. manure containing more than 10% of solids by weight) have experienced much less technical research and development efforts than comparable systems for liquid manure and slurry over the last thirty years or so. However, these types of manure management systems have been identified as potential alternatives to liquid manure systems in terms of reducing environmental and societal problems that may be associated to liquid manure management. Solid and semi-solid manure as well as organic fertilizers resulting from the combination of solid (separated or composted) manure and other materials (e.g. wood chips, paper mill residues, industrial or municipal sludges, etc.) have highly variable physical and flow properties. Adapted handling and land application systems are therefore required if one wants to optimize their value as a source of nutrients for field crops while minimizing environmental and nuisance risks. The most important technical characteristics of handling and land application systems in terms of optimizing the agronomic value of manure are those related to the control of the application rate of the product and to its uniform application and distribution to the cropped land.