Crop Residue Cover and Manure Incorporation Part II: Fine-Tuning the System

2004 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Swine Report. Manure incorporation represents a compromise between best management practices for soil erosion control and manure management. Manure should be incorporated into the soil for odor control, increased availability of nutrients, and control of potential manure runoff. However, soil and crop residue disturbance should be minimized for soil erosion control. Values to estimate the amount of residue cover that will remain following the use of common manure application/incorporation components have been presented in the article titled Crop Residue Cover and Manure Incorporation Part I: Reduction of Cover. This article discusses some of the influence that injector/ applicator spacing, tire spacing, field speed and several other factors can have on residue cover reduction. Much of this information is based on (Continued on next page) field observations which may help swine producers in the selection and operation of manure incorporation components, especially when trying to maximize the residue cover that remains for erosion control.