As a member of the Nutrient Management Spear Program, I am assigned to a specific project with my field supervisor, but I, along with all interns, get involved in other projects happening within the Program. Cornell’s NMSP as well as various colleges and universities work collaboratively for the project “Dairy CAP” under the leadership of University of Wisconsin’s Dr. Matt Ruark. The NMSP’s part in Dairy CAP entails the greenhouse gas emissions project.

The objective of the NMSP’s greenhouse gas emission project is to quantify emissions from manure and compost, rate and timing for corn, and method of manure application (injected vs broadcast). Emissions were measured at Musgrave Farm in Aurora, NY on Field Z corn (5 replications, 50 plots total), alfalfa (6 replications, 24 plots total) and grass (6 replications, 24 plots total). In Field Z corn, there were organic and inorganic applications. For organic, phosphorus-based (P-based) and nitrogen-based (N-based) manure and compost was used. For inorganic, 0 lbs, 50 lbs, 100lbs, 150 lbs, and 200lbs per acre was used. N-based refers to the nitrogen needs as P-based refers to phosphorus needs

The three greenhouse gases (GHGs) measured in the project are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). CO2 is the least potent of the GHGs following CH4 (about 24 times more potent than CO2) and N2O (300 times more potent than CO2),  the most potent GHG.

We use only one method for obtaining GHGs from the fields. This is what the typical setup looks like at Field Z:

Emissions equipment in Field Z

A frame is hammered into the ground with a hammer and a piece of plywood. This serves as a platform to place the chamber and create an enclosed environment to capture GHGs. Clips are used to further seal the frame and chamber together to prevent GHGs from escaping.

A syringe is used to collect the GHGs from the setup when the needle is placed through a nob at the top of the chamber. Before insertion, the syringe must be “closed” to avoid other gases from entering the syringe and contaminating the sample. Once the needle is in the chamber, the syringe must be “opened” before GHGs can be drawn out, but the syringe must be closed before the needle is taken out of the chamber to prevent losing any GHGs collected inside the chamber and contaminants from entering the syringe. The sample is injected into a vial and later analyzed in the lab.

Fellow intern, Andrew, drawing GHGs out of the chamber via syringe.

The collection of these samples takes place over an hour period. There are four “rounds” (T0, T1, T2, and T3) where 6 samples are collected from each replication in Field Z corn and 8 samples are collected from Field Z alfalfa and grass with the NMSP. Once the sampling begins in Field Z corn, there is a 2 minute interval between collecting each sample in each round, but in Field Z alfalfa and grass, each interval is 1.5 minutes since the chambers are closer together than chambers in Field Z corn.

We continuously sample from Field Z to determine when the greatest period of emissions occurs. Based from our findings, emissions appear the greatest after significant rainfall.

As a part of my internship, I encountered many opportunities to attend agriculturally-related events as well as visit beef cattle farms in the Finger Lakes Region.

The first event I attended while working under the NMSP was the Cornell Seed Growers Field Day, where the topic of discussion focused on small grains and forages. Many speakers talked about the varieties of small grains and forages, all providing pros and cons for each option. Identification and prevention of disease and pests were other components of the seminars given at this field day.

The second event, the North American Manure Expo, was located in Chambersburg, PA. The morning was filled with seminars on manure application (specifically injection) and the benefits of injection. Tractors and manure application equipment lined the Expo grounds as well as exhibits with businesses, services and research projects for public display. Demonstrations for dry- and liquid-based manure ended the Expo, leaving the audience impressed with the liquid injection of manure.

Manure injection was the primary project I worked on this summer, so the event was an eye opening experience since it showed me how my research with NMSP was part of a bigger picture in the scheme of agriculture.

Manure Expo Demonstrations

The Aurora Field Day at the Musgrave Research Farm encompassed most of the research I have conducted with the NMSP and encountered from other Cornell University research programs this summer. Many interns from other programs at Cornell participated in the trials happening at the research farm. Besides learning about all of the research happening at Musgrave, it was satisfying hearing my supervisors explain our greenhouse gas emissions, manure injection and green seeker projects I am a working on and, again, hearing the big picture concepts to our research.

Matt Ryan explains his research with cover crops

Fellow intern, Isaac, demonstrates how Greenseeker equipment functions in Field Z

I made three additional trips (with Quirine’s permission) based off my interests in beef cattle. Nancy Glazier, a Cornell Cooperative Extension small farms specialist, guided me through each event. The first beef-related trip I took part in was a monthly meeting where a group of experienced and inexperienced beef cattle farmers shared their financial struggles in starting up and maintaining beef cattle. I learned a great ordeal from the trip and met a great group of people, which set the stage for my next trip.

These black angus seem to dislike me

The following week Nancy took me on tours to multiple farms raising beef cattle, namely High Point Farm, Adventureland Devons, Just Serependity Farm, and Hidden Canyon Farm. Each location managed their herd with different methodologies and bases of knowledge, making each farm unique. With each visit I gained a lot of advice and support in raising beef cattle.

I traveled to Seneca Falls to check out the Empire Farm Days a week after my visits. Similarly to the Manure Expo, there was plenty of farm equipment and exhibits for display as well as seminars on cover crops and soil health. Here I watched Dr. Mike Baker demonstrate cattle handling and received my Beef Quality Assurance Certification (BQA). The required seminar for BQA was long and a test was administered. Following the test, we had to give a cow a subcutaneous injection. I never gave a subcutaneous injection before, so it was quite the experience and no harm was done to the animal.

Dr. Mike Baker shows his audience how the handling system functions

The use of manure as an organic fertilizer is a critical component of dairy cropping systems. It essentially allows the farmer to find a cheap, productive use of manure while supplying crops in the field with necessary nutrients.

There are many different methods for applying manure. Broadcasting is the most commonly used method of manure application since it is typically fast and cheap. However, you get what you pay for. When the ammonia (NH3) lays on the surface of the soil, you will experience losses in nitrogen due to volatilization, leaving much less nitrogen behind than the initial amount available. Another issue with broadcasting is uniformity. Since the actual distribution of the manure varies with broadcasting, uniformity of application leaves some areas of the field with more/less manure than other. Furthermore, if you live relatively close to “city folk” and plan to broadcast manure, you will receive many complaints about the foul odor from your fields.

The only way to reduce losses and limit odor would be to make another pass through the field and incorporate (disk the manure into the field), and attempting to increase uniformity with broadcast would only create more variability in abundance of ammonia. However, more passes through the field mean more soil compaction, more fuel and more soil disturbance.

Manure Broadcasting

Manure injection is another method in applying manure to fields. With injection, multiple hoses feed from the tank. Disks are used to create slits in the soil large enough to allow manure, which feeds through a series of hoses and exits out of the end from the boot, to enter the first few inches of the soil. Immediately after manure is injected into the soil, another set of disks recovers the manure with the disturbed soil surrounding the slits.

Frontal view of manure injector with boot and disks to recover manure (from the NA Manure Expo)

Disk used to create a slit in the soil to allow manure injection (from the NA Manure Expo)

On the other hand with manure injection, the ammonia is buried beneath the soil, eliminating major losses due to volatilization. With more ammonia preserved in the soil over the course of the growing season, the need for side dressing later in the season can be eliminated, saving farmers thousands of dollars. In addition, the manure is covered underneath the soil, drastically reducing odor in the field. Another benefit of injection includes uniformity of application. With uniform application, nutrients are dispersed evenly, and with this, the likelihood of excess or deficient amount of nutrients will be much less prevalent throughout the field. However, injection requires experience, so the process of applying manure will become faster and more efficient over time.

Injected Manure

Here at NMSP, I am partaking in a project to determine the impact of manure injection on grass and alfalfa yield and quality, stand health, environmental indicators (soil nitrate, phosphorus and potassium) and greenhouse gas emissions.

For our manure injection research, we used four different fields (Fields 33 and 47 near the Cornell University Ruminant Center and Field Z Grass and Alfalfa at the Musgrave Research Farm). The fields at CURC each contained six replications (rep), and each rep contained four plots. The alfalfa field at Musgrave contained 12 reps and the grass field contained six reps. Four treatments were used in our study: broadcasting, injection with manure, injection with no manure, and no injection and no manure (control). Each plot in every replication represented one of four the treatments. We used, in collaboration with Scott Potter, a Veenhuis manure injector model for our trial.

Veenhuis Manure Injector with wings folded up

Veenhuis Manure Injector

No manure was applied to the fields before the first cut of grass and alfalfa. When the time was right to harvest the alfalfa, we cut samples from the fields with clippers that resemble hand sheers used in sheering sheep. We determined the yield per acre from the three quadrats (frames with a 3’ x 1’ dimension) of samples from each plot once they were dried in the Caldwell ovens for least four days at 60 degrees Celsius. Once weighed, the samples were grounded so they could be sent to and analyzed in the lab. Once the first cut was harvested, we readied for manure application.

Quadrat with clippers, gloves and paper bags used to collect plant samples

As for our second cut, we repeated the same procedure for hand harvesting with no further manure application for the rest of this year’s trial, and we are hoping to get our third cut in soon. We are still looking over and collecting data, so there are no inconclusive results from our study yet.

Hey all, I’m Dennis Atiyeh, an Agricultural and Animal Science major. I’d like to briefly talk about the first few weeks of my internship with Quirine Ketterings’ Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP).

To be honest, I never worked anywhere other than the family farm before this summer. All of my previous summers were spent at home working on the family farm with familiar faces and locations, so when I arrived for my first day of work at Morrison Hall, oh boy was I in for a surprise. Upon arrival, I saw no familiar faces. I had a butterfly effect of feelings. I only thought of how little experience I had in research and field work and how bad I would feel if for some reason I was to single-handedly destroy the NMSP.

But that has not happened. Yet.

From grinding soil to sampling alfalfa plants, there always seems to be something that needs to be done. There’s never a dull moment here at the NMSP. I manage to survive the work day and learn a tremendous amount from projects I partake in with NMSP.  Perhaps most importantly, I thoroughly enjoy being a part of the program because of the people around me.

I work with a bunch of great people whom we share many common interests, goals and humor. After a few weeks of work, I realized with some conversation and good laughs that I formed close bonds with everyone. Instead of hating myself for getting out of bed early each morning, I look forward to waking up to see everyone at the Nutrient Management Spear Program and making memories everyday.

Hanging out at the North American Manure Expo in Chambersburg, Pa with Isaac Cornell (left) and Andrew Lefever (right). Behind us are dry manure spreaders performing demonstrations for the large crowd of people (Spoiler alert for my next post…)