As winter approaches, the challenges associated with cattle manure application become more pronounced. Adopting best practices that maximize nutrient utilization and safeguard water resources is crucial. What follows are critical considerations for cattle manure application in the winter.

Manure is a gift and a curse for dairy farmers. It becomes the dark cloud for dairy operations, being the source of time constraints, nutrient runoff and financial strains. Finding methods and approaches that bring consistency and flexibility to applications is often hard to find. That was, until conservation agriculture.

Explore three trends in manure management and their potential to impact operational efficiency.

As manure applicators, we should know how many gallons or tons we are applying to an acre and should have corresponding documentation. The question is: “How do we determine the rate?”

How much does a footbath solution affect mineral concentrations in the soil once manure is applied? That is the question regional dairy educator Aerica Bjurstrom and her colleagues at the University of Wisconsin have tried answering.  

The buzz around sustainability continues to grow. And while there is an end goal of creating a more viable dairy sector for years to come, reaching that point looks different for every producer.