According to Teagasc, pig slurry is a valuable source of crop nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and other trace elements.
One thousand gallons of good quality pig slurry is the equivalent of a 50kg bag of 19-7-20. On the basis of February fertiliser prices this is equivalent to a financial value of €33.
Given this backdrop, tillage farmers looking to reduce costs this spring should give serious consideration to including pig slurry in the fertiliser programmes for their crops.
Excluding the costs associated with transport and spreading, and given its nutrient content, pig slurry has the potential to reduce fertiliser spreading costs by up to 70% on spring barley crops when applied at 36m3/ha (3,200gal/ac), or 35% when applied at 18m3/ha (1,600gal/ac)
Along with providing financial savings, other benefits to using pig slurry in a tillage rotation include adding valuable organic matter to the soil, allowing for an improvement in soil structure, along with reducing the farm’s vulnerability to fluctuations in the cost of imported fertilisers.
There are a couple of important points to note however, when using pig slurry.
Growers should aim to plough-in within three to six hours after application to maximise N recovery. In addition, to make the most effective use of nutrients on your farm, whether planning to incorporate pig slurry or not, completing a nutrient management plan is a must.
From a regulatory point of view, it ensures that you are not exceeding P allowances, while from a crop production perspective it ensures that nutrients are balanced effectively.
A further recommended step from a tillage farmer’s perspective is to test the quality of slurry being imported onto their farms, ensuring that the crop is provided with the most appropriate nutrition programme.
Although laboratory testing is the gold standard, a slurry hydrometer can be used to measure the dry matter percentage and give a good indicator of nutrient content.
Pig, rather than cattle slurry, is particularly attractive for tillage farmers because of its fertiliser nutrient balance.
This is a reflection of the high cereal content used in pig rations.
Cattle slurry, on the other hand, is more suited to grassland applications. And again this is a reflection of the winter feeding practices followed on dairy and other ruminant livestock farms.
The greater use of animal slurries on tillage farms will help to reduce the threat of nutrient seepage into watercourses.
