2022 North American Manure Expo Review

The 2022 North American Manure Expo (NAME) was held on July 13-14 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania…in the middle of a field. For two days (or one week if you include set up and take down), the NAME board and planning committee took over a freshly harvested, 80-acre wheat field and welcomed approximately 1,400 attendees (AKA manure enthusiasts). NAME was launched in 2001 in Wisconsin at the request of custom manure applicators looking for side-by-side comparisons of agitation and solid and liquid manure spreading equipment. Today, the show includes three parts: (1) An industry trade show, (2) Demonstrations of manure technologies and (3) Educational sessions. There were 20 speakers at this year’s NAME and 1,287 continuing education unit (CEU) credits were administered. The CEUs are offered for certified crop advisors, professional engineers and certified manure applicators.

Speaking of manure application, North Dakota custom livestock manure haulers have been busy applying manure all summer. In North Dakota, manure is applied on crop fields, hayland, pastureland and prevent plant acres. Manure (and compost) makes an excellent fertilizer and is a great tool to add to your box when considering plant nutrient needs. The manure you plan to apply should be analyzed for nutrient content. This is the best way to know what the rate of application will be. You, or your custom applicator, can then calibrate the manure application equipment to make sure it is delivering the appropriate amount of nutrients to the soil for the next crop. You can consult NDSU SF882, “North Dakota Fertilizer Recommendation Tables and Equations” for information about specific crop nutrient needs, including previous crop N credits. No matter what kind of fertilizer you plan to spread (manure or commercial) it is always a best practice to sample soil for nutrient status and create a nutrient management plan.

If you have questions about manure application this fall, please contact your local NDSU Extension agent or call 701-652-2951 or email Mary.Keena@ndsu.edu.

NAME will be held in Wisconsin in 2023, New York in 2024 and Nebraska in 2025. Watch the website for details!

Mary Keena
Mary.Keena@ndsu.edu
Extension Specialist, Livestock Environmental Management