Development of a site-specific application system for liquid animal manures

Research has indicated that managing manure as a fertilizer resource for cr op production can increase the return to the producer; minimize the polluti on potential of animal waste, and enhance the overall production efficiency of a livesrock/crop operation. The principal objective of this project was to develop and demonstrate a GPS-equipped liquid manure application system that could become a component of a precision manure management system. A m anure spreading device was modified utilizing computer hardware and softwar e (GPS/GIS) to control (on/off) the placement of manure according to predef ined environmentally,sensitive areas (e.g., wells, streams, setback areas, etc.), and to record and document location (latitude/longitude), date/time, and quantity (volume per unit area) of liquid manure that has been applied to any given area.