a) Analyze your manure and follow manure rate recommendations so that you avoid applying excess manure N.
b) Apply manure as close to the time of crop need as practical, e.g., spring versus previous fall for an annual crop.
c) Minimize ammonia volatilization losses by injecting or incorporating manure as soon as possible after application. Losses of 30% to more than 50% of the ammonium-N fraction of manure N are typical, most occurring in the first several hours after application. For solid manure, tillage is the only method available. But for liquid manure, injection and other direct incorporation methods provide immediate incorporation or other protection from ammonia emission.

For more information on managing manure to reduce ammonia emissions, see the following publication on
Ammonia Emissions Management.

Additional information about the availability of manure nutrients is available at the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center.

Author: Bill Jokela, USDA Agricultural Research Service Soil Scientist