Non-Peer ReviewedPrevious research on land applications of manures has focused on soil fertility and the relationship to final crop yield, but there is little research that quantifies the effects of changes in soil physical and chemical properties on early crop development that may ultimately be a factor in determining final yield. Surface crusting, sealing and soil strength may have significant impacts on crop emergence and early root growth that may explain final grain yield differences in some years. Research was carried out at Dixon, Saskatchewan in 2003 to examine the effect of manure addition on soil physical and chemical parameters important to crop emergence and early root development. The effects were then related to field observations made on emergence and root development of barley. This paper covers the results of this study
