[Research project]

Survey of potential of manure for meeting crop nutrient needs with integrated nutrient management in Madhya Pradesh, India

Project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

This collaborative project, conducted by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Indian Institute of Soil Science, was examining why feedlot manure is not being fully utilised in Madhya Pradesh, India and on the Darling Downs, Australia, despite a decline in soil fertility experienced in both areas.

The results from the project have highlighted that many feedlot operators experience difficulties in determining and applying sustainable manure application rates.

Project background

Queensland produces annually 382, 000 tonnes (dry weight basis) of feedlot manure while Madhya Pradesh in India produces 12.9 million tonnes of cattle dung annually.

In Madhya Pradesh, only 50% of farmyard manure is used to improve soil fertility, while the remainder is used as fuel or not collected and hence wasted.

On the Darling Downs, the full potential benefits of farmyard manure are not being realised.

Project objectives

In India

• Assess district level nutrient balances and trends for farmyard manure use for the dominant cropping systems in Madhya Pradesh using district level secondary data.
• Survey trends in alternative uses of cattle dung, including for farmyard manure, and use quantitative and qualitative methodologies to reveal other factors, including socio-economics, likely to affect their use in two key districts.

In Australia

• Survey the current status of manures from feedlots and intensive animal industries and use quantitative and qualitative methodologies to reveal factors likely to affect their use on the Darling Downs.

In Australia/India

• Train the Indian Institute of Soil Science scientists in survey techniques and socio-economics of farmyard manure use.

Summary of methodology

Data was collected from feedlots on the Darling Downs and farmers using feedlot manure. Two feedlots and surrounding farmers in each of three shires were surveyed.

Data was sought on:

• cost of manure;
• knowledge of quality of manure;
• transportation costs;
• availability of land area for disposal;
• suitable agronomic soils for disposal;
• knowledge of the rapid assessment of the nutrient value of manure;
• environmental problems from manure use;
• social acceptance of manure use;
• perception of product quality from manured paddocks; and
• any other factors identified in the survey.

The economics of manure use in cropping was also assessed from estimates of gross margins and benefit:cost analyses.

As part of the project, representative feedlot operators throughout the Darling Downs were interviewed and soil sampling was conducted to gain a better picture of manure use on the Downs.

Manure application on the Darling Downs.

Project results

The project showed that while whole-farm estimates of manure application rates may match crop requirements, actual manure application rates on the paddock scale are very high, sometimes resulting in excessive soil profile nutrient levels. In several cases, even where these high application rates were employed, additional nitrogen fertiliser had been applied. In contrast, in some other cases where supplementary fertiliser nutrients would have been justifiable, these were not applied.

Why difficulties were experienced

The results may indicate a lack of knowledge of the nutrient value of manure, highlighting a need to convey a better understanding of manure nutrient reuse to producers, but may also indicate experience with the uncertainty of availability of manure nutrients to crops.

Interviews with producers also found that over-application may be due to a lack of viable techniques to apply manure at lower rates, resulting from the physical nature of the manure itself.

There appears to be a need to provide techniques that can meet nutrient requirements on the paddock scale, while maintaining appropriate whole-farm mass balances.

The inaccuracy of the mass balance estimates at a local scale is an important finding for the management of nutrients in the landscape by government agencies, since local variations in application may lead to greater leaching than would be indicated by regional mass balance estimates (i.e. regional nutrient mass balances may not show excess application of nutrients at the paddock level since manure applications are usually restricted to small areas).

Soil analytical observations

Soil analytical observations for the project are shown in Figures 1 and 2. Increases in mean concentrations of plant available phosphorus (Colwell P) and mineral nitrogen were observed at the surfaces of most profiles. Significant movement of mineral nitrogen or Colwell P was found in several of the profiles studied. Most of the profiles probably had considerable additional capacity to retain applied manure phosphorus. Mineral nitrogen additions in this manner, however, are more likely to be wasted, possibly resulting in adverse off-site environmental impacts.

Figure 1. Soil profile plant available nitrogen, for conventional agriculture and with manure application.

Figure 2. Soil profile plant available phosphorus, for conventional agriculture and with manure application.

Principal project officer

Dr Matthew Redding
Senior Environmental Scientist
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries
Email: ilsu.enquiries@dpi.qld.gov.au

Further information

DPI&F's intensive livestock environmental research projects

Last updated 4 February 2004