Manure Management in Agricultural Soils
Summary
Manure management in agricultural soils encompasses the collection, treatment, storage and application of livestock excreta and bedding materials to optimise nutrient recycling, enhance soil structure and support sustainable crop production. Well‐managed manure applications supply nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter that improve cation exchange capacity, water‐holding capacity and aggregate stability, while fostering a diverse soil biota. Strategies include the use of solid, liquid and composted manures, each varying in nutrient concentration, mineralisation rate and risk profile for greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient losses. Timing, rate and method of application—such as incorporation versus surface spreading—are critical to align nutrient release with crop demand and to minimise leaching or volatilisation. Composting and anaerobic digestion can stabilise organic matter, reduce pathogens and tailor N:P ratios, but require additional infrastructure and energy. Advances in precision agriculture now enable variable‐rate manure spreading based on soil tests, remote sensing and decision‐support tools. Globally, regional regulations, circular‐economy targets and environmental safeguards shape manure management practices, balancing agronomic benefits with concerns over heavy metals, antibiotics and microbial contaminants. Integrating manure with inorganic fertilisers, cover crops and conservation tillage further enhances nutrient use efficiency, soil health and the resilience of agroecosystems to climate variability.
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Manure Management in Agricultural Soils publication trend
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Technical terms
Mineralisation: Microbial conversion of organic nitrogen in manure into inorganic forms available to plants.
Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE): Ratio of nitrogen taken up by the crop to the total nitrogen applied.
Soil microbial biomass: The living component of soil organic matter, excluding plant roots, representing active microbes.
Cation exchange capacity (CEC): Measure of soil’s ability to retain and supply positively charged nutrient ions to plants.
References
- Livestock Manure and the Impacts on Soil Health: A Review. Soil Systems (2020).
- Effects of the Integrated Use of Dairy Cow Manure on Soil Properties and Biological Fertility. Sustainability (2023).
- A global meta-analysis of animal manure application and soil microbial ecology based on random control treatments. PLOS ONE (2022).
- Agronomic approach to evaluate the nitrogen use efficiency of liquid, solid, and composted swine manures in corn–soybean rotation. Frontiers in Environmental Science (2023).
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