L
Ohio’s Country Journal
July 2009
27
ivestock
From page 1 manure to urea as a spring nitrogen
Once the feed has been ground,
source for wheat. We purchased a used
Kenny handles the delivery and logistics
Peecon tool bar, rebuilt it in our shop so
of getting it to the various Niese hog
it would better incorporate manure, and
facilities. The 50-pound hogs are finished
have allowed university researchers to
in three to five months in an “all in all
use it in our wheat fields and other
out” system that typically produces three
wheat plots around the county.”
turns a year per facility.
In addition, the Nieses have worked
The remainder of their crop ground is
with Extension on sidedressing corn with
a mix of soybeans, wheat and some alfal-
manure using a modified AerWay for
fa. To benefit the environment and their
incorporation. The research compares the
land, they have a number of waterways
treatment with 28% UAN.
and grass buffer strips on their flat fields.
“The manure has tied or beaten the
The soybeans and wheat are no-tilled,
purchased fertilizer in every plot we
and the cornfields are chiseled in the fall
have tried thus far,” Jerry said.
with a quick pass in the spring. The
The manure is tested every
Nieses also do a fair amount of deep rip-
three years to maximize the value of
ping to break up compaction problems
the manure.
from the intensive vegetable production.
“Our most recent manure test
In addition, the fields are carefully man-
revealed 40 pounds per thousand gallons
aged for nutrients with regular soil sam-
of available nitrogen, 25 pounds per
pling in 2.5-acre grids.
thousand gallons of P205 and 38 pounds
“With the vegetables, we were grid
per thousand gallons of K2O,” they said.
soil sampling before there was grid soil
“At current fertilizer prices the value of These 16-inch field cultivator sweeps used in surface incorporation lift up the soil and inject the manure below it
sampling,” Dennis said. “We would
1,000 gallons of swine finishing manure
before setting it back down.
come in with our soil samples and they
is about $72, or just over 7 cents per gal-
would look at all of them and ask, ‘How
lon. In 2008, we estimate we saved over
the early spring wheat topdress. 22-foot swaths. Surface incorporation
many farms?’ We’d say, ‘One.’”
$24,000 in purchased fertilizer for each
In all occasions, manure application is accounts for the vast majority of the
They have done some limited work
1,000-head finisher building.”
done according to the Ohio Department application where the ground is worked
with cover crops and extensive work with
The Nieses take the same care to
of Agriculture’s weather recommenda- and the manure is broadcast on the top.
manure management and innovation.
maximize manure’s value when apply-
tion for manure application, which is The manure injection uses 16-inch field
“In the past four years we have
ing it on other farms through the cus-
less than a 50% chance of a half-inch of cultivator sweeps to lift up the soil and
worked closely with our local OSU
tom manure applicator business. The
rain in the next 24 hours according to inject the manure below it before setting
Extension office and our Soil and Water
manure from hog and dairy operations
the National Weather Service Seven- it back down.
Conservation District office to conduct
is applied by dragline up to 3.25 miles
Day Forecast. “This method is really good for the
manure research plots. We were one of
away from the source at a rate of 1,200
For new clients, Jerry will start plan- hog guys because it minimizes the
the first farms to try a wheat top-dress
to 1,600 gallons a minute.
ning a month ahead of time leading up smell,” Jerry said. “We typically put
with swine finishing manure research
The equipment includes a calibrated
to a manure application job to find all the down 10,000 to 12,000 gallons per acre
plot and the first to try a wheat top-dress
flow meter that is accurate to within
necessary setbacks around streams, wells for dairy manure and 3,000 to 8,000 gal-
with swine finishing manure using a soft
one-tenth of a gallon per minute and a
and other land features. The logistics of lons per acre for hogs. The best thing that
hose dragline research plot,” the Niese
pump that can be remotely sped up,
accommodating the dragline also must ever happened to manure is that the fer-
brothers said in the award application.
slowed down or stopped completely as
be considered, including getting the nec- tilizer prices went up. Guys aren’t just
“These plots are replicated four times
needed. For accuracy, a light bar is
essary permission to cross roads or the dumping it anymore. Yield monitors in
across the fields and we have compared
used to avoid overlapping.
construction of tiles to go under roads. combines have also really helped,
both surface and incorporated swine
The weather and field conditions are
“I provide the manure tests every because you can see the difference.”
carefully considered, especially during
three years and they have to get the soil The Nieses take care to work around
tests done and tell me when, where and holidays and weekends to keep neigh-
how much they want according to their bors happy and encourage all of their
manure management plan,” Jerry said. clients to do the same.
“When applying manure, we set out “We highly recommend that farmers
orange cones at 120% of the recommend- talk to neighbors ahead of time. If they
ed minimum setback distance from do that, the manure doesn’t seem to stink
ditches, residences and field edges to as bad,” Jerry said. “We also work the
avoid problems. When applying manure edges of the field so you can’t see it.
with our soft hose system, it is easy to People smell better with their eyes than
misjudge distances from the tractor cab, their noses.”
so the cones are a big help. The Nieses also go out of their way to
“Tile plugs are used, when needed, to be good neighbors by donating pigs to
assure manure does not find its way various charities and holding annual par-
through field tiles and into ditches and ties for community members.
waterways. When clients’ new fields are “As farmers and citizens we think it
acquired for manure application, ditches is important to be proactive and
and waterways are carefully scouted to involved in community activities. We
locate field tile, including old clay ones, want to build positive relationships
to prevent manure escapes. We have an with other elected officials and neigh-
emergency action plan ready for power bors,” they said.
outages, manure spills and other So, sorry Jerry, but when a farm con-
potential problems.” tinually strives to do the right things to
The manure is either surface applied earn the 2009 Ohio Pork Environmental
to topdress wheat or hay in 45-foot pass- Stewardship Award, that is front-
This facility the Nieses added to their barn reduces stress when loading hogs.
es, injected, or surface incorporated in page news.
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