FARGO - North Dakota's long, cold winter has led to larger than normal accumulations of manure and bedding, and may delay producers' fertilizer application. Producers typically apply manure as a ...

Farmers always prefer to work on land whose soil is fertile enough and able to supply sufficient nutrients in the right proportions to support good plant growth in order to generate high yields. The ...

For centuries, nutrient-rich animal manure has been used to enrich the soil and boost crop production. Traditionally, cow and horse manure were the most readily available options. However, with the ...

With spring arriving, gardeners are preparing soils for this year’s planting, and many love to apply compost, which can supply nutrients, feed microbial activity, help retain soil moisture and improve ...

It takes time to make compost. Organic matter requires about two to three months to break down in hot compost piles, and up to a year or more in cold composting systems. But if you add a compost ...

The turbulent regulatory aftermath of the recent outbreaks of E. coli in spinach and lettuce risks making manure a dirty word and use of manure suspect. In September, E. coli in spinach caused the ...

Researchers tested whether the addition of compost, with or without the application of shallow tillage or aeration, improves soil properties and plant growth compared with an unamended control in ...

Q: If I make my own compost, can I use it instead of commercial fertilizers for grass, plants, trees and shrubs? A: Yes, you can. But please be aware that homemade compost is not consistent in ...

Yolo County grower Frank Muller began using compost many years ago in his organic fields as a way to supply enough nitrogen to the tomatoes and other vegetable crops. He said he quickly saw the many ...

One of the challenges that new residents (and seasoned ones) trying to garden in Florida come across is how to grow things in our dry sandy soils. There is more to it than applying lots of water and ...