By Blake Jackson
Corn is a staple crop in the Midwest, but it often requires heavy use of chemical fertilizers, which can harm the environment. The University of Missouri, along with its research partners, is exploring an alternative: using pig manure as a fertilizer for corn. Early results from this research are showing positive outcomes.
“We're trying to look at how do we better utilize or recycle the swine manure, and then tying it to the important factors of the crop yield and the soil health,” said MU Extension agriculture engineer Teng Lim. During the growing season, five acres of corn at the MU Bradford Research Farm in Columbia were treated with either pig manure, chemical fertilizer, or a combination of both.
The results were surprising, with all three treatments producing similar amounts of corn. The plots fertilized with pig manure yielded 170 bushels per acre, slightly higher than the 150 bushels per acre from those treated with chemical fertilizer. Lim noted that there was no significant difference in the overall yield, which suggests that pig manure could be as effective as traditional fertilizers.
If pig manure proves to be a viable substitute for chemical fertilizers, it could reduce farmers’ reliance on costly and environmentally harmful chemical inputs. This study is part of a five-year project involving several pork-producing states in the Midwest, including South Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, and others. The project is funded by the National Pork Board.
In addition to crop yield, the research team will also evaluate the impact of pig manure on soil health, focusing on soil nutrients, water retention, and other key factors. The goal is to provide farmers with guidelines on how to apply pig manure effectively, potentially benefiting both the environment and farm productivity.
This research could be particularly valuable for farmers who raise pigs and grow corn, as it offers a way to recycle manure into a useful fertilizer, reducing waste while improving sustainability. “How do we better improve our environmental protection while balancing the farm productivity?” said Lim.
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Categories: Missouri, Education