It is the policy of the University of Maryland, Agricultural Experiment Station and Maryland Cooperative Extension, that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, gender, religion, national origin,

sexual orientation, age, marital or parental status, or disability.

Jim Lewis, Ag AgentUniversity of Maryland Cooperative Extension

Manure is a good fertilizer source...

BUT you can’t simply spread it haphazardly!

Streaks of thick/thin manure

Green streaks of crop or weeds

If different amounts in catch pans/trays/cloth, then adjust swath widths or gate openings and speed.

PTO Drive 1/2 speed = 2 X rate 1/3 speed = 3 X rate

*can calibrate and extrapolate

Gate Opening 1/2 gate opening = 1/2 X rate

1/3 gate opening = 1/3 X rate

*need to calibrate every gate opening or rate

0

0

0

0

0

0

0 1. When manure source changes

2. Different poultry farm

3. Crust vs. clean out

4. Building vs. outside

5. Piles subjected to different weather

6. Different years

7. All of the above

Measure the load and area covered and calculate rate/acre

Adjust gate or speed Repeat

Load and weigh on scale Find volume of spreader

From dealerMeasure cubic feet of spreader

Have cubic feetFive gallon bucket, 2/3 cubic foot

Fill bucket with manure and weigh, repeat, repeat

Average bucket weight – empty weight = 5 gallon manure weight

Manure X 3 2 = weight/cubic foot

.

.

Example:Empty bucket weight 2 lbs.1st time...24 – 2 = 22 lbs.2nd time...20 – 2 = 18 lbs.3rd time...22 – 2 = 20 lbs.

60 lbs. /3 = 20 lbs.

20 X 3 = 60 2 = 30 lbs. per cubic foot

.

.

manure in 5 gallon bucket

320

2 2 224 20 2222 18 20 20

2030

320

30

9600

4.8

204000

4.8

80,0001.84

4.8

1.84

2.6 tons/acre

Put something on ground and spread over it to collect and weigh manure

>pans>cloth

Put pans or cloth different distances from both sides of spreader

10 – 12” X 24” serving trays = 20 sq ft.or

3 – 5’ X 6’ bed sheet = 90 sq ft

Weigh manure collected and calculate tons/acre

10 aluminum pans of manure weighs 2.5 lbs.

2.5 lbs. / 20 sq ft = .125 lbs. /sq ft

.125 lbs. / sq ft X 43,560 sq ft/acre =5,445 lbs. /acre = 2.72 ton/acre

12 24 22 10 20

3

5.52.520

0.125

2.72

Dry Manure

Liquid Manure

10 – 12” X 24” serving trays = 20 sq ftor

3 – 5’ X 6’ bed sheet = 90 sq ft

Weigh manure collected and calculate tons/acre

3 bed sheets of manure weigh 10 lbs.

10 lbs. /90 sq ft = .111 lbs. /sq ft

.111 lbs. /sq ft X 43,560 sq ft/acre =

4,835 lbs. /acre = 2.4 ton/acre

5 6 30

5

151090

0.111

2.4

Dry Manure

Liquid Manure

3 90

Wheel – 1 revolution = 15 ft.8 row/30” planter

Collected 10 fl. oz.or

Collected 3 lbs. dry fertilizer

1520 8 X 30”

300

0.0069

10

0.0780.0069

11.3

3

0.0069

434.78