Liquid Manure Applicator Calibration

Sioux County, Iowa, has by far the highest concentration of livestock in northwest Iowa. According to the 1997 Census of Agriculture, there were 174,053 cattle and calves, and 762,294 hogs and pigs. Land application of manure can create environmental risks to surface and ground water. The main objective of the Sioux County Manure Project is to (a) identify problems with manure application, and (b) develop information that livestock producers can use to improve management of manure as a fertilizer source, match manure nutrient application to crop needs, and reduce negative environmental impacts. This segment of the project was developed to evaluate the actual rate of manure applied to a field and to compare that rate with the rate a producer thought was being applied