Manure Testing for Nutrient Content

Animal manure has long been recognized as a source of nutrients for crop growth. When substituting manure for chemical fertilizers, farmers need to know the amounts of nutrients supplied to crops in the manure to properly adjust commercial fertilizer rates to meet crop needs while minimizing contamination of water supplies through leaching or runoff. Typical values for the nutrient content of different animal manures are available in other extension publications, but actual nutrient values can differ significantly from farm to farm due to variations in manure storage and handling conditions, livestock type and age, and ration formulation. Weather conditions and variations in management practices also are factors.A list of Nebraska laboratories providing manure testing services and a link to a generic manure sample submission form are included.