Several articles recently published on Nebraska Extension's Water.unl.edu website explored how animal manure can be used to improve soil fertility and productivity for crop production. If you would like to receive future articles on Nebraska Extension water quality and quantity issues, sign up and designate your specific topics of interest at https://water.unl.edu/newsletter.

How Can Animal Manure Help My Soils Be Healthier and More Productive

This article explains how manure application can help improve soil health and productivity. It is easier to understand soils when we split their characteristics into chemical, physical, and biological properties. However, these property classes are part of a whole system, all of which is important to soil productivity.

Broiler Chicken Manure: A Fertility Resource for Nebraska

In 2019, a Costco chicken plant and its associated growers will begin operations near Fremont. With this addition and a wealth of research-based knowledge from other poultry-producing regions, eastern Nebraska has the opportunity to benefit from adding broiler house manure to its fertility resources.

Composted cattle manure is NOT detrimental to sugar beet production

In sugar beet production, most farmers do not have an option of using manure as an alternative nitrogen (N) source since N availability from manure can occur too late in the season and affect sugar quality. Composted cattle — manure as different as it is from fresh manure — might be a viable alternative N source for sugar beet production.