Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Agronomy
is the science of land management. Once manure is collected, it can be hauled
away, spread immediately on a hay field or cropland at agronomic rates, or composted for
later distribution as humus. Agronomic rates of fertilizer application will vary according to
local conditions; your county Extension agent will be able to help you determine what is
optimum for the land, the environment, and your operation.
Many small horse operations produce more manure than their gardens and pastures re-
quire for fertilization. If you have four horses and a 1-acre pasture, your pasture does not
need and should not get all of the manure the four horses produce. Here are your three op-
tions.
Haul it away.
Some refuse-collection services are specially designed to handle manure
or are willing to haul it along with other trash. Putting manure in a specially designated
Dumpster that is emptied weekly works in some areas, or you could haul manure to the
landfill yourself and pay, for example, $5 per cubic yard to dump it. Manure that is hauled
off to a landfill soon becomes buried, and without access to oxygen it won't decompose.
Instead, it generates methane gas, which is not beneficial for the environment, so this is not
a good option.
Spread it fresh.
Spreading fresh manure daily is the least environmentally responsible
choice, due to the probability of agricultural runoff leading to high nitrates and water con-
tamination. It is far better to compost. However, if manure must be spread daily, it should
be distributed on land that will not be grazed by horses for at least a year. Even on crop-
land or hay fields, it should be spread thinly and/or harrowed to encourage rapid drying,
thus eliminating favorable conditions for fly larvae and decreasing odor. Be sure you have
determined an agronomic application rate for your land so that you know when your daily
spreads must stop. Try to apply manure and compost at times of greatest plant growth so
the plants can use the nutrients. Avoid spreading manure and compost on frozen soil be-
cause it could be blown or washed away.
