Slurry bad for soil

[Blue.]

Found the umbilical to be bad for smearing the surface as its dragged over the whole field.

We've used a dribble bar on the umbilical for 5 years now,never been a problem with smearing.

 

[Yale]

After spreading dirty water pumped from under the slurry pit this spring,(so as not to mix with the solids) the next day I noticed the field was littered with dead worms where it had been spread.

 

[DrDunc]

Look on the bright side; all this slurry induced worm death will mean you won't have many moles to worry about

I spread straw court dung and hen pen here. The moles (and worms, and clover) love it.

 

[Niels]

I know of fields here that have had slurry for 30-40 years. Especially back in the old days it would be 50m³. Since the majority is water this has wrecked soil structure and soil life. It's sand though so very forgiving. Also on clay soils that have received a lot of slurry the ground get's really sticky and difficult to work with.

 

[Baling Hay]

Ok, so we have established that slurry is bad for the soil. Now the question remains now whether it is simply because there is so much manure applied at once or is it the actual cow sh1t and p1ss that is damaging tot he worms? This would indicate that grazing may have the same effect albeit to a lesser degree?

People say that we must be spreading to much slurry, but we only spread slurry after it has been cut for silage on ground that is never grazed. The fields are simply getting the amount of muck that they actually produced.

 

[Tim May]

The way I understand it is that if you use ivermectins then your not helping the worms much. I think ruminant noticed a big difference when he didn't use it last year in the speed the muck broke down. I don't thinl you can say it animals are good or bad as alot will depend on the system.

 

[grumpy]

Ok, so we have established that slurry is bad for the soil. Now the question remains now whether it is simply because there is so much manure applied at once or is it the actual cow sh1t and p1ss that is damaging tot he worms? This would indicate that grazing may have the same effect albeit to a lesser degree?

People say that we must be spreading to much slurry, but we only spread slurry after it has been cut for silage on ground that is never grazed. The fields are simply getting the amount of muck that they actually produced.

who established this?

 

[grumpy]

The way I understand it is that if you use ivermectins then your not helping the worms much. I think ruminant noticed a big difference when he didn't use it last year in the speed the muck broke down. I don't thinl you can say it animals are good or bad as alot will depend on the system.

the bloke from the bff who thinks that grazing 2 foot high swards and tramping in to ground is superior to well kept grass leys?

 

[DrDunc]

I think aerobic and anerobic decomposition (composting) has something to do with it, plus the particulate size of the semi solid.



With I had two feet of grass the cows could look at, never mind trample this year.

 

[border reiver]

The best thing with a injector,dribble bar or shoe is the gaps give the worms somewhere to go.

Or still get oxygen

 

[grumpy]

I think aerobic and anerobic decomposition (composting) has something to do with it, plus the particulate size of the semi soli


With I had two feet of grass the cows could look at, never mind trample this year.

aye same here pal

 

[Dragon]

Ok, so we have established that slurry is bad for the soil. Now the question remains now whether it is simply because there is so much manure applied at once or is it the actual cow sh1t and p1ss that is damaging tot he worms? This would indicate that grazing may have the same effect albeit to a lesser degree?

People say that we must be spreading to much slurry, but we only spread slurry after it has been cut for silage on ground that is never grazed. The fields are simply getting the amount of muck that they actually produced.

I think it has more to do with whether your using a splash plate or a trailing shoe or similar. the latter lets the soil breath and the worms live.

 

[Baling Hay]

who established this?

The study that was posted on an earlier post plus anecdotal evidence which all points to it having either a negative or neutral effect on earthworms. I haven't heard anyone say that it is good for them.

 

[grumpy]

The study that was posted on an earlier post plus anecdotal evidence which all points to it having either a negative or neutral effect on earthworms. I haven't heard anyone say that it is good for them.

I really should read posts other than my own,

 

[Buddy123]

You can put upto 5000 gallons of slurry per acre in one dressing without killing worms or causing harm.

 

[cowboysupper]

You can put upto 5000 gallons of slurry per acre in one dressing without killing worms or causing harm.

That's a serious amount of slurry, surely would do more damage than good. Only allowed 4500g/acre in NI because of NVZ. Surely much more efficient to apply half that amount with trailing shoe or dribble bar?

 

[Buddy123]

That's a serious amount of slurry, surely would do more damage than good. Only allowed 4500g/acre in NI because of NVZ. Surely much more efficient to apply half that amount with trailing shoe or dribble bar?

im not saying thats the right amount but thats the amount you could put on without damaging any worms. We only ever put on 3000g a acre in one dressing.

 

[Buddy123]

That's a serious amount of slurry, surely would do more damage than good. Only allowed 4500g/acre in NI because of NVZ. Surely much more efficient to apply half that amount with trailing shoe or dribble bar?

Plus not everybody has the facility or equipment to do it that way.

 

[itmustshine]

wow, must be doin it all wrong. A good dose @ 2000gal/acre of slurry in april with 50kg/acre urea and aerating land has destroyed the soil structure that much?
Cows milking as well as they have for a long long time. hmmmmm, must get more N from yara , growhow etc and get keenan out and sell the stirrer/ tanker/ aerator!! what u reckon??

 

[brynseiri]

This is what I was told by an agri adviser-when rain falls it causes vibrations which makes the earthworms to come to the surface.spreading slurry causes the same vibrations but the slurry seals the ground and earthworms can't come through leading them to drown.

Correct, used to spread umbilical slurry on a big scale, and at reeling in time we would notice hundreds of thousands of worms dead on the surface of the slurry if spread thick n wet. Makes sense to me, as the vibrations from umbilical last all day, like a heave shower, a tanker would be more intermittent.