
Precise Manure Application Better for EnvironmentBy
Dawn Johnson June
17, 1998A satellite orbiting the Earth may help farmers do a better job of spreading
livestock manure and hitting the intended target, U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists
report. Agricultural Research Servicescientists are studying new ways to boost yields by getting nutrients in the
right place while keeping them out of groundwater. Using Global Positioning
Systems (GPS), scientists at the ARS
Soil and Water
Conservation Research Unit at Lincoln, Neb., have been studying
site-specific livestock manure applications. Putting manure to work fertilizing
cropland could reduce farmers' reliance on commercial fertilizers--good news for
the environment. GPS uses computers onboard farm equipment and satellite information to
create a grid or map of a particular field. Farmers can plug in data such as
crop yields to evaluate soil fertility and determine where to target manure
applications. Commercial fertilizers are uniformly mixed and applied. Livestock
manure contains the same nutrients as commercial fertilizers, but may have
varying rates of nitrogen. A complete story on GPS-linked manure application is found in the June 1998
issue of Agricultural Research magazine. A more detailed story is
available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun98/gps0698.htm. Scientific contact: Jim Schepers,
Soil and Water
Conservation Research Unit, Lincoln, NE, phone (402)-472-1513, fax (402)
441-5254, [email protected]. U.S. Department of Agriculture | |