Fall 1997 Manure can be a valuable resource or a liability depending on your point of view. The first step to make it a resource is knowing the nutrient content. While book values can offer a good place to start, only a manure test will allow confidence in applying the proper amount. No one would order fertilizer from the local dealer without knowing the nutrient content first. Manure should be no different.
Manure is a mixture of solids and liquid.
Liquid manure sampling involves collecting manure, making sure that the proper amount of solids and liquids are sampled. Agitating the pit and collecting a sample, or collecting a sample with a pan in the field are good sampling techniquies. However due to lab processing time requirements, about one week typically is needed before the results are available, making these sampling techniques less desirable for immediate decisions. Commercial probes are available that take a vertical profile sample - similar to a soil core in soil testing. Approximately 193 pits were sampled across Iowa.