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Abstract
Using manure as a substitute for commercial fertilizer could potentially reduce fertilizer costs
and also reduce non-point source pollution. Livestock farmers in Missouri and Iowa were
surveyed regarding their manure management practices. Eighty-one percent of turkey
farmers versus 5% of beef farmers transferred manure to other farmers. Fifty-one percent of
farmers who transferred manure indicated it had been tested. Factors decreasing adoption
included higher off-farm incomes, solid versus liquid manure, and more animal units per
acre. Factors increasing adoption included distance transferred, a contract for the manure,
payment, and thinking that manure testing was profitable.