Tools for managing manure nutrients

Abstract

Manures are a valuable source of nutrients (and organic matter), and can be seen as a method of transferring nutrients around the farm (for homeproduced manures) or as a method of importing fertility (imported manures or composts). Good manure management offers a ‘win-win’ opportunity: benefits to soil fertility and benefits to the environment (less pollution). This paper describes two tools for manure nutrient planning: the use of look-up tables to assess nutrient content, and the development of a Decision Support Tool for describing nutrient transformations during manure management