With the calendar flipped to November, it seems another growing season has flown by, and in many parts of Western Canada this one came with plenty of challenges. As the climate curveballs continue to be thrown at you, what technologies do you counteract them with to manage your cropping enterprise efficiently, so that it’s a profitable sector of your dairy business?

Manure management is a constant responsibility, for as they say, “no s%!t, no milk!”. Costs of storage, agitating, and spreading are significant for what some consider little more than a waste product.
Putting this abundant and natural resource to work for you is a smart move and is made easier with the Bactzyme product we began distributing this spring.
Challenges with manure storage include having space to store it all during the months when you can’t spread, buildup in the bottom of the pit that decreases your available storage space, clogged transfer pumps and more. Operations that use separators and flush barns encounter other issues with residue that accumulates on separator screens, thereby decreasing their efficiency; and the same residue often builds up on flush alleys in the barn, making an unsafe, slippery surface for bovine and human employees.

Uncovered pits and lagoons develop a thick, nearly impenetrable crust that can take hours to break up and mix into solution. At spreading time, significant expense can be incurred while burning diesel to agitate the manure until it’s of a spreadable consistency. While agitating, especially in slatted floor barns; and spreading, the odours of the ammonia and nitrous oxide that are released are offensive to many that don’t appreciate the “smell of money”. Those with a limited land base that spread too heavily also run the risk of burning crops. So how do you overcome these challenges while maximizing manure’s contribution to your cropping enterprise by putting it to work as the beneficial fertilizer it is, that can significantly decrease your reliance on costly synthetic alternatives? Treating your manure with the Bactzyme product is a simple way to lessen each of the issues mentioned above.
The convenient Bactzyme pucks need only be tossed into the pit once a week, and in 3-6 months you’ll notice incredible differences. Andrew Flokstra of Stargro Products likens the change in Bactzyme treated manure consistency from that of oatmeal (without Bactzyme) to that of cream of wheat porridge. He also explains that the product helps bind the nitrogen into an organic form that prevents it from being lost in the gaseous form; thereby limiting the odours during agitation and spreading. The bound nitrogen also doesn’t burn crops, and is more available for crops to use, with a study in California noting a 30% increase in crop production that was fertilized with Bactzyme treated manure.
Fall is a great time to start treating your manure with Bactzyme, as your storage pits are near empty, the initial shock treatment (4x the weekly dose) goes to work on the manure build-up in the bottom of the pit or lagoon. Then as manure is added it encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria that work to break down the solids and keep it in solution, rather than separating into a crust and liquid segment. Even in cold climates where manure freezes in the winter, adding Bactzyme to the fresh warm manure each week ensures that when the temperatures warm up in the spring, the bacteria and enzymes are present throughout the pit and ready to grow. The manure you spread in the spring will also have a higher available nutrient value that will improve your crop yields next year.