The smell of money, isn’t that what people say when they smell manure from hogs and cattle.

The main component of the smell is ammonia, a nitrogen source. While your neighbors may call it a nuisance, it’s really the smell of crop nutrients evaporating. This is called volatilization loss. With the cost of fertilizer high and the price for corn low, everyone is looking to reduce the cost of applied N.

Ammonia losses following land application of manure could reach up to 95% of the total manure nitrogen-ammonium (N-NH4) content. The amount of N-NH4 lost depends on the manure characteristics and the environmental conditions.

Research has demonstrated that SuperCal SO4 can effectively reduce ammonia losses through a binding effect. SuperCal SO4 combines with ammonia to create a complex salt that prevents ammonia loss, while increasing plant N uptake. Our customer’s claim they are saving over 50% of the ammonia normally lost to volatilization.

In addition to saving expensive nitrogen, SuperCal SO4 also adds sulfur to the manure making it a better fertilizer when applied to your fields. Our customers also report less foot problems in feedlot cattle and less disease in dairy dry stalls.

Do your bottom line a favor, repair relations with neighbors by adding SuperCal SO4 to your barns and lots. For rates and applications check out our past article Treating Manure with SuperCal SO4.