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Livestock Waste Testing Lab
The Livestock Waste Testing Service (LWTS) has been developed
to aid livestock producers in the Middle Suwannee River Basin in their animal
waste management operations. This service is being provided through your
local county extension offices in the Suwannee River Valley Region. The
LWTS services include:
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Training on manure sampling procedures.
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Nutrient analysis of your manure for N, P and K.
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Recommended manure application rates for selected crops
based on nitrogen in your sample and application practices.
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One to one consultation on your manure management system.
The information provided by the Livestock
Waste Testing Service is intended to enable the producer to maximize beneficial
use of animal wastes and minimize potential discharge of pollutants into surface
and ground waters. These services are currently provided free of charge.
Who should use the service?
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Livestock producers who would like to use livestock waste
as a fertilizer, soil amendment or animal feed.
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Crop producers who plan to use livestock waste for
application to cropland.
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Homeowners who plan to use livestock waste as a
fertilizer or soil amendment.
How do I use the service? Simply contact your local
county extension office. They will make an appointment to discuss your
manure management system and provide advice in the collection of waste samples
to be analyzed. The laboratory results and specific manure management
recommendations will be provided within two to three weeks via your extension
agent.
What will the laboratory provide? The LWTS
laboratory, located at the North Florida Research and Education Center -
Suwannee Valley (NFREC-SV), Live Oak will provide nutrient, solids, and pH
analyses of livestock waste samples. The following specific analyses will
be provided:
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Total Solids - Is the dried weight of the submitted sample
divided by its original weight or volume. Useful in determining the
residual effects of land application.
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Ash - Is the weight of the dried solids after ignition at
555oC divided by its original weight. The difference
between the total solids and ash content is the organic matter in the sample
which is useful in determining soil amendment properties and mineralization
rates after application. Ash is very important for samples that will
be used as animal feeds.
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Total Kneldahl Nitrogen - Is determined by the Kjeldahl
procedure which measures the organic and ammonia nitrogen in the submitted
sample. This includes all nitrogen except nitrate and nitrite which
are essentially nonexistent in manure samples. therefore, Kjeldahl N
can be regarded as total nitrogen.
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Ammonia Nitrogen - Is the common inorganic form in which
nitrogen exists in waste and waste water samples. Ammonia is highly
volatile and is useful in estimating losses of nitrogen before it becomes
available for plant use.
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Total Phosphorus (P) - Is the total phosphorus in the
submitted sample as determined by the persulfate digestion, stannous
chloride method. NOTE: Results are given as elemental P and therefore must
be multiplied by 2.3 to be converted to P2O5.
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Total Potassium (K) - Is the total potassium in the
submitted sample as determined by the ion specific electrode method.
NOTE: Results are given as elemental K and therefore must be multiplied by
1.2 to be converted to K2O.
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pH - Is a measure of the acidity / alkalinity of the
submitted sample. A pH of 7 is neutral, a pH less than 7 is acidic,
and a pH greater than 7 is alkaline. Acidity can affect the
volatilization of ammonia as well as crop and soil parameters.
Application Recommendations
The laboratory report will also include a recommended
application rate based on the analyzed nitrogen in your sample(s) and the
cropping, management, and application information provided by you on your sample
submission form. The rates of P2O5
and K2O which will result
from the recommended manure application rate will also be provided. The
recommendation is meant to be only advisory, so your final waste management
program should be designed in consultation with your local county extension
agent.
Consultation Services
Consultation services are provided by your local
county extension service office. A team of specialists in The
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has been assembled to support this
service. Specific questions can be directed to this support group by your county
agent.
Acknowledgement
The Livestock Waste Testing Service was begun by a
Hydrologic Unit Project Grant to the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
(IFAS), University of Florida from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D.C. Operations are currently funded by IFAS, Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, USDA - Natural Resources
Conservation Service, and Suwannee River Water Management District.
Manure
Sample Submission Form - Livestock Waste Testing Lab |
