Farmscape for May 7, 2007  (Episode 2476)

Scientists with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute hope to improve the ability of farmers to accurately apply solid and semi solid livestock manure fertilizer to their fields.

A three year agronomic study, getting underway this spring, will evaluate a new field scale prototype solid manure injection system developed by the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute and the University of Saskatchewan.

The prototype uses a series of discharge screw conveyers to auger solid manure to flexible injectors which deliver the material to coulters that open trenches in the ground into which the manure is deposited.

PAMI project leader Dr. Hubert Landry says the intent is to bring the technology for applying solid and semisolid manure fertilizer to a level that's comparable to liquid application systems.

Clip-Dr. Hubert Landry-Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute 

Our testing program is based on feedlot manure but really that machine is intended for, in the long run, to handle what ever is not pumpable so basically any type of semi-solid or solid manure that you would have to land apply, we wish we could handle it.

Your typical feedlot we have solid manure but really any type of livestock operation that wants to manage their manure in a solid form could benefit from that technology as well as all the by-products that would come from municipalities or biodigestion and all of those new technologies that we're seeing, they have by-products that could be land applied for nutrients and these could benefit from that as well.

Dr. Landry says manure will be applied in the spring of each year and crop yield measurements will be taken in the spring and the fall over three seasons.

He expects initial results to be available this coming fall.

He says, if the implement can be shown to have an advantage over traditional spreaders, it'll hopefully help generate enough interest to bring the technology to the market.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council