project - Research and innovation
MANNER – a practical tool to estimate crop available nitrogen, phosphate and potash supply from applications of organic manure
MANNER – a practical tool to estimate crop available nitrogen, phosphate and potash supply from applications of organic manure
Objectives
Good nutrient management is essential to helping farmers grow the food that people want to buy. Nutrient management decisions can have a big effect on farm profits: on the one hand too little fertiliser can mean low crop yields and profits while using too much fertiliser wastes money. But good nutrient management practice will also minimise nutrient pollution and environmental damage such as ecological damage to surface waters, poor drinking water quality, algal blooms, nitrous oxide (a powerful greenhouse gas) in air, ammonia in air and water.
For this reason ADAS (farming association) developed the practical software tool MANNER-NPK which provides farmers and advisers with a quick estimate of crop available nitrogen, phosphate and potash supply from applications of organic manure. MANNER-NPK is applicable in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Objectives
NA
Additional information
The MANNER-NPK tool estimates the fate of organic manure N following land application and N losses via ammonia volatilisation, denitrification and nitrate leaching. The total N applied and an estimate of crop available N in the current cropping year and in the year following manure application is given.
It also calculates the amount of total and available P2O5 and K2O applied, and the amount of total SO3 and MgO applied. The potential financial value of the manure application(s) in £/ha is calculated based on current fertiliser prices (which can be edited). MANNER-NPK generates a 1 page report summarising all input and output information, which can be saved or printed.
The MANNER-NPK tool includes NVZ (nitrate vulnerable zone) warning messages which highlight potential breaches of the NVZ rules specific to England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. A library of relevant guidance documents is also included.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Other public (national, regional) research funds
- Project acronym
- MANNER
