A dry fall and early harvest takes some of the pressure off emptying manure storage structures before winter. It’s tempting to go, go, go.
But, wait. It pays to postpone land application until soil temperatures drop below 50 degrees. Cooler soils maximize nitrogen availability and minimize its loss--whether applying anhydrous ammonia or ammonia-laden manure. That saves money.
If you are interested in the science behind 50 degrees and falling, check out pp. 3 and 4 of the October 2019 Iowa Manure Management Action Group’s (IMMAG) newsletter. Find real-time soil temperatures on Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s data map. At a 4-inch depth, soil temperatures are running in the low to mid 60s in northern Iowa and high 60s to low 70s in the south this week.