The growing demand for manure has led to an increasing professionalism in the application industry. In Minnesota, over 100 commercial poultry manure applicators are operating. The Minnesota Solid Applicators Association will soon be formally incorporated. New regulations requiring that all for-hire applicators be certified through the Department of Agriculture and participate in trainings will go into effect March 1, 2000. Many of these applicators say they can spread all of the manure they can get, and farmer demand is growing.
Prices depend on location and demand.
Some turkey growers claim that there is insufficient land available to spread the manure even in a low-density population state like Minnesota. Relative to Crop Growth Requirements , tends to support the applicators. It is important to note that the report includes all types of manure generated in the counties, not only poultry manure. The calculations are illustrated in a series of six maps portraying nitrogen and phosphorous uptake potential under three different cropping systems. In the other five scenarios, all of Minnesota's manure can be applied to nearby land.