Manure science review set for August 14

WOOSTER, Ohio — Manure has two shades of green, so to speak. The green of greater farm crop yields. And the green of a cleaner environment. Organizers of the Aug. 14 Manure Science Review say farmers can see both at the same time and that the event will show how to do it.

Rupp Vue Farm

OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The college is one of the event’s collaborators. The program takes place at Rupp Vue Farm in Wayne County in northeast Ohio.

It features talks and demonstrations on manure handling, storage and application. Speakers will be from the college, the farming community, and state and federal agencies. Hours are 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 14636 Seville Road in Sterling. The program will emphasize keeping lakes, rivers and streams clean, said David White, executive director of the Ohio Livestock Coalition, a sponsor of the event.

Nutrient runoff

Experts say farm nutrient runoff, especially phosphorus, is a cause of the algal blooms plaguing Lake Erie, Grand Lake St. Marys and other Ohio water bodies.

Sessions will look at the Rupp farm’s practices, manure’s economic value, nutrient variations in liquid manure, the benefits of using manure to side-dress corn, a new device for subsurface application of poultry litter and the effectiveness of setbacks in preventing winter nutrient runoff. A farmer panel will discuss plans and solutions for manure storage.

Field demonstrations will feature the new poultry litter applicator, a mobile solar unit, cover crops’ benefits to soils, calibration of solid manure spreaders, effects of manure application rates on yields, and applicators for injecting liquid manure, side-dressing liquid manure and dragline systems on corn.

Cost

Registration costs $25 by Aug. 6 and $30 after that date. Continental breakfast and lunch are included. “ The event flier has a mailable registration form and the complete list of topics and speakers. It can be downloaded at go.osu.edu/jug. For more information, call 330-202-3533.