He Sidedresses Manure Onto Soybeans

He Sidedresses Manure Onto Soybeans MANURE HANDLING Miscellaneous 22-3-27 Sidedressing manure onto soybeans is a good way to get rid of liquid manure during the growing season and the extra nutrients boost yields, Minnesota farmer Doug Pohlman recently told Soybean Digest. Pohlman started the unusual process several years ago when he ran out of corn ground on which to apply the liquid manure from his hog barns. If he doesn't spread some of the manure during the growing season, his pits overflow before the crops come off in the fall. He ridge-tills on 30-in. rows. He extended the axles on his 3,000 gal. manure tank so the wheels would run between rows. When beans reach about 1 ft. tall, he starts injecting manure between rows. So far he hasn't seen any major detrimental effects, although the caustic liquid will burn off leaves if it splashes onto the crop. But new leaves quickly grow back out. Pohlman says that although corn makes better use of the nitrogen in the manure, he feels the beans do benefit from the potash and phosphate even if they don't need all the nitrogen. He applies about 3,000 gal. of manure per acre which represents 125 to 175 lbs. of nitrogen, 75 to 100 lbs. of phosphate, and 70 to 80 lbs. of potash, depending on which building the manure comes from. He regularly conducts soil tests and has a yield monitor on his combine so he can monitor the effects of the manure on the beans. (Mick Lane in Soybean Digest)

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