The area of waste management and water quality is becoming a greater concern for many. In the past waste produced by confined livestock was generally considered something that needed to be disposed of. However, today this “waste” is being viewed more and more as a valuable resource.
When animal waste is land-applied it can reduce cost of commercial fertilizers. Manure contains the three major plant nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N, P and K), as well as many essential micronutrients such as calcium, sulfur, zinc, boron, copper, magnesium and manganese. In addition to supplying plant nutrients, manure generally improves soil tilth, aeration, and water-holding capacity of the soil and promotes growth of beneficial soil organisms. Manure applied in the proper amounts at the appropriate time can supply some, if not all, of the nutrient requirements of many crops grown.
In addition, properly managed waste results in the protection of water resources and air quality. Ground and surface water are valuable and essential resources. Virtually all drinking water and recreational use of water resources come from groundwater or surface water. Many other uses, such as food processing and irrigation, dependent on abundant supplies of high-quality water.
Applying too much manure, at the wrong time, or improperly handling it in other ways releases nutrients into the air or into ground or surface waters. Thus, instead of nourishing crops, nutrients become pollutants. Excess nitrogen can leach through soil into groundwater. Manure contamination can increase nitrate levels in ground water and cause bacterial contamination and fish kills in surface waters. Excess phosphorus can be contained in erosion or runoff from fields and accumulate in surface water impoundments such as ponds and lakes. This phosphorus can stimulate unwanted plant growth, such as algae, which causes turbidity and other undesirable conditions in the water. A common misuse of manure is to spread it on a field and then, in addition, apply commercial fertilizer to supply a crop's nutrient needs with no consideration for the manure's nutrient value. An efficient manure management and application system meets, but does not exceed, nutrient needs of the crop. This minimizes pollution.
A story will illustrate this point for us. Huang Li Jin was a farmer China. He was 39 years old. He and his wife farmed their small plot of land. They had a son 12 years old who was in school but helped at times on the farm. Huang Li Jin had been concerned about the slight decrease in his crop yield each year for the past several years. He wondered if in time he would be able to make money with such a slight continued loss each year. He wondered what to do. He had heard of fertilizers but knew he could not afford these. How could he make his yearly crop yield greater?
One day while listening to the radio he heard of a meeting, which explained how for farmers to increase their crop yield. There was a meeting near his house so he and his wife went to the meeting. At the meeting he was told that there was a simple way to increase crop yield with minimal cost. The answer was using animal waste. He asked the farmers who had animals. Huang Li Jin and his wife did and raised their hands with about half of the people there.
The speaker went onto explain how adequate amounts of animal waste can help provide good minerals to the soil to help the soil and thus the plants. Huang Li Jin decided to try the plan. He was excited and worked hard at collecting the animal waste and applying it. He was anxious about applying the manure and sure hoped it worked. He knew the next year or two if he could not turn around his decreasing crop yield he might have to go out of business and move. The work though not hard did take some time away from his family and other things on the farm he needed to do. But this was the most important thing he could do and he could afford it. There was no other treatment he could afford to increase his crop yield, the rest were too expensive.
As the months moved on after planting his crops and applying the animal waste he wondered what would happen. He and some friends were talking one day about this. One of his friends, who was an expert in soil management, told him of a guaranteed way to have your crops grow and succeed. Huang Li Jin thought this was impossible. How could this be? It must be a joke. There was nothing certain in the world. His friend told him though told him of a place in the Bible which stated this. It stated, ‘Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish (Psalms 1.1-6).’
Huang Li Jin thought this was very interesting. What caught his interest is that whatever he does prospers. How could that be? Huang Li Jin thought all of life was determined by fate. His friend asked him who or what determined fate? Huang Li Jin was not quite sure. His friend said that the world is determined by God’s purposes and not fate. This passage just read supported that. Huang Li Jin’s friend told him that the key was knowing God and his laws and obeying them. Then a person will be like a tree planted by a stream and yielding its fruit in its season. Only after obeying God and his laws will a person bear fruit and then be prosperous in all he does. His friend told him it was like the soil, which is used correctly, it would bear the fruit of a farmer’s labors.
Huang Li Jin admitted he did not know God or know much about him. How could he know him and his laws? Where were his laws to be found? His friend told him in the Bible. In fact the whole of the Bible is God’s Word to mankind so mankind could come to know God. The problem though was that man was separated from God with no way to get to God. Huang Li Jin wanted to know how this problem could be corrected? His friend it was first important to understand the problem of why man was separated from God in order to be able to understand the solution. The same way it is important to know the problem with soil in order to understand how animal waste can help the soil.
Huang Li Jin’s friend turned to a place in the Bible, which explained the problem. His friend read, ‘as for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest we were by nature objects of wrath (Ephesians 2.1-3).’ Huang Li Jin’s friend explained that all of us were dead because in our own selfish way we pursued our own desires and not God’s. Because of this selfishness we were and are separated from God both then, now and forever. His friend explained that sin is just going our direction and not God’s.
His friend used this example. Suppose you just go your own way and do not take care of the soil or the your plants like they are supposed to be taken care of? What happens to your crops? Huang Li Jin admitted they would not do well and would die. His friend said the same thing has happened to us. When we go our own way we die towards our relationship to God. His friend told Huang Li Jin that not paying attention to God and his law or his Word was like ignoring the nutrient of the manure. If we do that we miss all God has for us. Huang Li Jin’s friend went onto explain about the mineral content of the manure.
The nutrient content of manure varies widely with animal species, age, ration and feed consumption, as well as with different methods of storage, treatment and land application. Extensive data is available on manure nutrients "as produced" by animals and poultry. However, this data is of limited use because of variations introduced by the different manure management methods.
Generally, the nutrient content of manure as contained in storage immediately before land application is the point of greatest interest in accomplishing the goals of the manure management plan.
Manure should be applied to land to meet the nutrient requirements of the crop being grown. These requirements should be based on realistic yield goals. Yield goals may be estimated using previous yield data over a five- to 10-year period, provided management remains similar.
Obtain soil tests to determine nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels in the soil so that you can apply manure at the proper rates to meet the needs of the crop.
A potential environmental problem associated with animal manure use is the application of manure nitrogen at rates far greater than crop requirements. This can result in excessive levels of soil nitrogen and nitrate pollution of ground or surface waters. Hence, manure application rates should be based on nitrogen content. Application rates based on nitrogen content will often result in application of phosphorus and potassium and other micronutrients above crop needs. In these cases, efforts should be made to minimize this effect by applying to fields with lower soil tests for phosphorus and potassium. While phosphorus and potassium are not generally implicated as groundwater contaminants from a health standpoint, the loss of phosphorus in surface runoff can stimulate algae growth and thus have a negative affect on water quality of streams or lakes.
Under ideal conditions, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as other micronutrients, move through cycles on a farm. These nutrients go from a field crop, to the animals, to the soil, and back again to another crop. When nutrients do not remain in this cycle and are lost there is the potential for environmental pollution.
Actual values are highly dependent on dilution, bedding, litter material and other factors. Variations of 50 percent from average values are not uncommon. It is strongly recommended that a laboratory analysis of the manure be obtained to determine its nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content. Growers should adopt a program of routine manure analysis that includes total Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Only then can accurate decisions be made in proper manure application to provide crop nutrients while protecting ground and surface water resources.
After finishing this discussion, Huang Li Jin’s friend went back to the prior discussion and said the problem with being separated from God because of our sin is that the results are like no nutrients on crops, which is death. His friend showed him a place in the Bible which said, ‘the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6.23).’ This showed that the result of our sin is death now and forever from God. However, God gave us Jesus Christ who died on the Cross-for our sins, so we would not have to bear them and thus we can have eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Huang Li Jin asked his friend how he could come to know this Jesus Christ so he could have this life? His friend showed him another place in the Bible, which said, ‘if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved (Romans 10.9).’ His friend went onto explain that his meant if you believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord of the world and universe and Lord of your life because he died for you on the Cross and took your sins. Then if you believe that God raised him from the dead after he died to show his power over sin and death you will be saved.
Huang Li Jin’s friend asked him if he wanted to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior to save him from his sin and to provide new life so that he could have the ability to obey God’s laws. Huang Li Jin did and prayed this prayer after his friend, ‘Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and have sinned against you. I believe that you died on the Cross take my sins so I would not have to bear my sins. I believe that after you died on the Cross three days later you rose from the dead and are now alive. I ask you to come into my life and provide me salvation from my sins. Huang Li Jin that day received salvation from Jesus Christ so he could now obey God’s laws and then have a fruitful life now and for all eternity. You can too if you believe and pray the same prayer.