Manure happens. If you’re a livestock producer, you’re likely continually exploring ways to manage all that …, well, manure. Fortunately, AGPROfessionals is in the business of helping clients manage their … manure!

In this article, we take a look at draglines as an efficient method for application in your crop fields.

Draglines

Manure from dairies and feedlots is a valuable source of fertilizer, providing nitrogen and phosphorus to crops while increasing soil organic matter content. Manure can be applied to a field via broadcast methods, where manure is simply spread on top of the soil surface, or it can be “injected” below the soil surface. Regardless of whether manure is broadcast or injected, draglines have been shown to be the most efficient method of applying large volumes of manure.

Draglines are systems that pump manure from their storage location through a series of hoses that feed into an applicator on a tractor that then broadcasts or injects manure into a field. Draglines are commonly used by dairies to apply slurry since the liquid nature of the slurry allows it to be pumped through hoses. This method is more cost-efficient for larger dairies with crop ground near manure storage locations, as draglines allow the rapid transport of millions of gallons of manure slurry to a field but are typically limited to a 3-mile range. While the efficiency of the dragline system is difficult to beat, farmers must take care not to overapply manure to their fields and develop proper manure nutrient management plans.