Techniques of Sampling Organic Manure for Nutrient Analysis in Crop Production

Manure is a rich nutrient source in crop production. It contains essential nutrients needed by crop for growth and development. One of the challenges of manure nutrient contents determination is obtaining representative samples of manure for nutrient analysis. This is attributed to the differences in the manure handling method, type of storage structures, application method, and physical state of the manure and livestock management system. A representative manure sample is needed to provide an accurate reflection of the nutrient content. This paper examined the physical classifications of organic manure, highlighting the solid, liquid, and semi solid state of manure, when to sample organic manure for nutrient analysis in crop production especially during land application and also elucidate on sample preparations for nutrient analysis.