No. Manure is more variable than purchased fertilizer, but can be managed for efficient crop production. The nutrients in manure will vary by animal type, age, diet, season, storage method, and by farm. Manure tests estimate the amount of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) that can be credited against the total fertilizer recommendations. Agitating manure in storage before hauling it to the field improves nutrient uniformity. You should take several manure samples while emptying a storage system to see how the nutrients vary between the first and last loads. You may find it is not as variable as you think. It is also important to spread as uniformly as possible. If an applicator spreads over a consistent distance at a consistent speed and avoids random skips and overlaps, manure nutrients will be consistent. Calibrating manure application equipment will also help ensure that the actual application rate is close to the calculated one.

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