Released October 23, 2008
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- What’s manure worth? Answering that question can be complicated since many variables will greatly influence manure value in different situations. However, with increasing commercial fertilizer costs, the need and interest in valuing manure as a fertilizer replacement is high. Crop and livestock producers, and their consultants, are seeking appropriate values for manure sales situations and livestock cash-flow analysis.
A spreadsheet tool, MANURWKST.XLS, written to determine manure value, has recently been redesigned to be more user friendly for novice users. Bill Lazarus, U of M Extension Agricultural economist, Will Meland, Applied Economics Department, University of Minnesota, and Bob Koehler, former educator with University of Minnesota Extension, have added features that will simplify input and allow for economic comparisons of manure application options.
Many questions regarding manure value that are influenced by commercial fertilizer prices, field selection and crop need, application rate, application method, application cost, manure nutrient content and other management decisions can be answered specific to individual situations by the spreadsheet.
In addition to the manure value calculations a FAQ section can help to answer common manure value questions and assists the user in using the spreadsheet to deal with their questions.
MANURWKST.XLS, a downloadable spreadsheet (1.05 MB) is available at http://www.apec.umn.edu/faculty/wlazarus/interests_manureworth.html. The software was revised Oct. 8, 2008.
The new version was sponsored by and will be distributed to producers and agricultural professionals as part of a Manure Economics Extension program from UM Extension and the Water Resources Center beginning this winter. Contact Les Everett at evere003@umn.edu or 612-625-6751 for more information on this series of workshops.
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http://www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews/2008/manure-spreadsheet.html
