Question about spreading slurry/manure.

Gautama

I've a quick question about spreading slurry/manure.

When a farmer spreads slurry/manure on a field, I assume it is usually for the purpose of growing grass? Either for stock to eat fresh or to grow the grass for silage or hay (and then eaten).

Given that the slurry/manure smells, I also assume it's fresh?

The reason I ask is that gardeners also use manure (though not slurry) on roses, vegetables and so on. However, gardeners never use it fresh, it's always "well rotted farmyard manure". Some gardeners get really anal about it, insisting that it must be well rotted, at least 12 months old, preferably 24 months, etc, even adding that you need to be absolutely sure of its origins, preferably from an organic farm. Bore-ganic!

So, maybe not such a quick question, afterall. I'm wondering why farmers use fresh manure but the gardeners use well-rotted manure. Is it that fresh manure is high in nitrogen and will boost grass growth, whereas gardeners are often more interested in fruit and flowers, therefore they don't want it too nitrogen rich?

epfff

Gautama wrote: »

I've a quick question about spreading slurry/manure.

When a farmer spreads slurry/manure on a field, I assume it is usually for the purpose of growing grass? Either for stock to eat fresh or to grow the grass for silage or hay (and then eaten).

Given that the slurry/manure smells, I also assume it's fresh?

The reason I ask is that gardeners also use manure (though not slurry) on roses, vegetables and so on. However, gardeners never use it fresh, it's always "well rotted farmyard manure". Some gardeners get really anal about it, insisting that it must be well rotted, at least 12 months old, preferably 24 months, etc, even adding that you need to be absolutely sure of its origins, preferably from an organic farm. Bore-ganic!

So, maybe not such a quick question, afterall. I'm wondering why farmers use fresh manure but the gardeners use well-rotted manure. Is it that fresh manure is high in nitrogen and will boost grass growth, whereas gardeners are often more interested in fruit and flowers, therefore they don't want it too nitrogen rich?

Farm yard manure/slurry /chemical fertiliser are all different products is the simplest answer I can give you
Basically you are comparing 3 totally different products and wondering why they act differently

Brown Podzol

Gautama wrote: »

I've a quick question about spreading slurry/manure.

When a farmer spreads slurry/manure on a field, I assume it is usually for the purpose of growing grass? Either for stock to eat fresh or to grow the grass for silage or hay (and then eaten).

Given that the slurry/manure smells, I also assume it's fresh?

The reason I ask is that gardeners also use manure (though not slurry) on roses, vegetables and so on. However, gardeners never use it fresh, it's always "well rotted farmyard manure". Some gardeners get really anal about it, insisting that it must be well rotted, at least 12 months old, preferably 24 months, etc, even adding that you need to be absolutely sure of its origins, preferably from an organic farm. Bore-ganic!

So, maybe not such a quick question, afterall. I'm wondering why farmers use fresh manure but the gardeners use well-rotted manure. Is it that fresh manure is high in nitrogen and will boost grass growth, whereas gardeners are often more interested in fruit and flowers, therefore they don't want it too nitrogen rich?

Slurry is faeces and urine mixed and is spread "fresh" whereas FYM is bedding mixed with above and is therefore rotted to break down the bedding element. Artificial fert is used straight out of the pack it is delivered in.

_Brian

What gardeners spread as "manure" farmers would call "farmyard manure", its cow dung mixed with straw, typically from cleaning out sheds bedded with straw. The high fiberous element takes some time to break down and be readily accepted into the soil structure. Also the process of rotting consumes nitrogen, if you spread lots of fresh Manure (farmyard manure) on fields/garden plants then you are locking up the available nitrogen and the grass/plants will be starved of nitrogen and so won't grow to its full potential.
This is why well rotted manure is preferable, I also think its PH will be more siutable.

Slurry is a different beast altogether as it contains no fiberous material to break down. At spreading time it is a mixture of old and fresh dung/uring all whisked up.

Macy0161

Gautama wrote: »

Some gardeners get really anal about it, insisting that it must be well rotted, at least 12 months old, preferably 24 months, etc, even adding that you need to be absolutely sure of its origins, preferably from an organic farm. Bore-ganic!

There was an issue in the UK with aminopyralid based herbicides still being present years after in manure (and effecting plants planted in it, even if it is well rotted). I don't think these herbicides were licenced here, but these type of issues are where some gardeners are coming from.

Mad4simmental

It won't really matter if it's organic or not to be honist it's the same manure at the end of the day. Also called dung. The process of rotting in a heap for a year heats in the middle of a pile and killes and stray seeds that may lie dormant in the straw. Ideally it should be turned over once or twice to ensure an even rot true out the hole pile.

Nekarsulm

Its a lot easier to store and handle (well, distribute about the allotment/garden) FYM than slurry. Also a good forkful of FYM at a plant base will have an element of slow release, whereas slurry is an instant hit.

Miname

A gardener was trying to explain this same thing to me one day. it has to do with the organic matter, the uptake of the type of nutrients and the worms it brings, fresh manure aparently brings a different type. I kinda lost interest in what he was on about so didnt pay too much attention.

Gautama

A belated thanks for the replies.
Yes, I thought that slurry and manure were the same thing; thanks for the clarification on this.

So, what make a farmer decide to use slurry rather than manure on a field? Is slurry just used when a kick-start is needed, whereas manure is used for season-long growth? Or is slurry used when the tank is filling up, just to stop it overflowing, but manure is preferable?

Zr105

Gautama wrote: »

A belated thanks for the replies.
Yes, I thought that slurry and manure were the same thing; thanks for the clarification on this.

So, what make a farmer decide to use slurry rather than manure on a field? Is slurry just used when a kick-start is needed, whereas manure is used for season-long growth? Or is slurry used when the tank is filling up, just to stop it overflowing, but manure is preferable?

how longs a piece of string?

the simplest answer is its not so much a case of why they choose each, its more a case of what system the farmer has.
some may only have slatted tanks so only slurry available, whilst others may have all straw bedded and therefore only have solid manure, and then theres many more that have a bit of each.

you get the most value from slurry early in spring. most will use it to help fertilize for their silage crops as it will soak into the ground and leave the crop free from any possible contamination, with manure on the other hand it may not all break down and there may be a possibility of small lumps still in the field at silage time contaminating the crop.

also manure from straw beds can be quite hard to spread direct from a shed as it tends to be in thick layers and comes out in big lumps. this is why many will draw the manure out and heap it up in the field as it breaks it up and helps it to rot down making it easier to spread

yellow50HX

Gautama wrote: »

A belated thanks for the replies.
Yes, I thought that slurry and manure were the same thing; thanks for the clarification on this.

So, what make a farmer decide to use slurry rather than manure on a field? Is slurry just used when a kick-start is needed, whereas manure is used for season-long growth? Or is slurry used when the tank is filling up, just to stop it overflowing, but manure is preferable?

Well it's all just BS....ha ha ha

It actually depends on how you house your animals. Most cattle in Ireland are housed on concrete either cubicles for cows and slats. In these the waste is either scraped down or falls into a tank over the winter. Whe mixed with water and urine and stirred it turns into a liquid (slurry) which is easily removed and spread with a vacuum tanker. In this state the slurrys nutrients are taken up faster. What you call manure most farmers will call dung. This is usually a mixture or waste and straw. The straw is used to bed the cattle and absorbs the urine and poo but needs to be refreshed to keep the bedding dry. In order to spread the dung it ideally needs to be broken down so it's used picked out and dumped ina field to allow it to break down. Because it is much dryer then slurry it can be piled put in a heap.