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2026 Projects: Value of Manure and Power of Manure

What are the Nitrogen Value and Yield Benefits of Manure?

Background: Known Benefits of Manure Use
Manure is a tremendously valuable nutrient source. It can help build soil organic matter, enhance nutrient cycling, and improve both soil health and climate resilience. Manure use can offset the need for synthetic fertilizer, reducing the environmental footprint associated with crop production while benefiting farm economics, agronomic production, and contributing to climate change mitigation. Additionally, it supports improved yield stability and reduces year-to-year yield variability despite weather extremes.

What We're Investigating
Very few studies have quantified the benefits of manure in terms of nitrogen fertilizer replacement, yield and forage quality benefits, and crop production economics. Quantification of nitrogen credits and yield benefits is needed to advance manure management in future years.

In 2022, we initiated a 3-year Value of Manure study based on two questions: (1) how much nitrogen can be credited to various manure sources; and (2) what are the corn grain and silage yield benefits of fall or spring applied manure?

In spring 2025, the Power of Manure project was added to answer three questions: (1) how much nitrogen can my soil provide?; (2) how do past manure and management impact soil nitrogen supply?; and (3) can microbial biomass predict soil nitrogen supply?

For more information about this project, contact Quirine Ketterings (qmk2@cornell.edu or 607-255-3061). You can also write to: Quirine Ketterings, Nutrient Management Spear Program, Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, 323 Morrison Hall, Ithaca NY 14853.

Goals

    Output Summary
    NMSP is working to (1) evaluate the value of various manure sources; (2) consider fall and spring application impacts; (3) assess instances of both incorporation and injection; (4) assess corn silage and/or grain; (5) evaluate the ability of soils to supply nitrogen as impacted by manrue history and field management.

Funding Sources

These projects are co-sponsored by grants from the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) , New York Farm Viability Institute, and USDA-NIFA (federal formula funds).

Additional Resources

Farmer Impact Stories

Fact Sheets

Extension Articles

Journal Articles

  • Ketterings, Q.M., G. Godwin, P. Barney, J.R. Lawrence, B. Aldrich, T. Kilcer, K.J. Czymmek, and B. Gloy (2013a). Shallow mixing of surface soil and liquid dairy manure conserves nitrogen while retaining surface residue. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 33: 507-517.
  • Ketterings, Q.M, G.S. Godwin, S.N. Swink, and K.J. Czymmek (2013b). Can manure replace the need for starter nitrogen fertilizer? Agronomy Journal 105: 1597-1605.
  • Sadeghpour, A., Q.M. Ketterings, G. Godwin, and K.J. Czymmek (2017). Shifting from N-based to P-based manure management maintains soil test phosphorus dynamics in a long-term corn and alfalfa rotation. Agronomy for Sustainable Development. doi: 10.1007/s13593-017-0416-z.