By Jordan Barnes

A new process for manure application has been created at MSU with significant benefits. The process—manure slurry-enriched seeding—combines aeration tillage, manure application and the seeding of forage or cover crops in one operation. At this year’s Ag Expo, associate professor of biosystems and agricultural engineering Tim Harrigan and professor of crop and soil sciences Rich Leep will provide an in-depth look at this new process.

“Slurry seeding involves mixing seed in the slurry tank and passing the seed-laden slurry through a rotating chopper/distributor and then through drop tubes to the fractured and loosened soil behind each set of rolling tines,” Harrigan says.

Slurry seeding of forage turnips, forage rape, oats and other forages in wheat stubble is an effective alternative to extend the grazing season. In their research, they also found that the combination of no-till and slurry seeding was more effective than frost seeding of red clover and orchard grass in bromegrass sod.

“Graze a pasture down tight and slurry seed in mid-August,” Harrigan recommends. “Do not graze the pasture in the fall after the seed/slurry application. Also, if possible, harvest the first cutting during the following spring as hay or manage the pasture carefully to prevent preferential grazing of new growth.”

This article is from the May 2009 issue of The Scoop. To read the full issue click here.