Translations:Manfred Klett: Von der Agrartechnologie zur Landbaukunst/1099/en

Farmyard manure is a blessing for all crops: as fresh manure for the nightshade family — potatoes and tomatoes — in a partially composted state for root crops and cereals, and as fully earthed-out manure for perennial forage crops, grassland, market gardens, and orchards. Because of its sustainably high fertilising force, not every crop needs annual manuring; within a well-composed crop rotation in arable farming, application every three years to the root crops is sufficient. For good yield formation, the requirements of root crops are met at approximately 300 dt/ha. With regard to the total manure output of the farm, an annual manure quantity of one livestock unit (LSU) per hectare is ideal — one LSU corresponding to 500 kg live weight. With an average dairy herd including young stock, one LSU per animal can be reckoned with. One bovine LSU produces, depending on the amount of bedding used, 80 to 100 dt of solid manure. Including the manure of the other domestic animals, a stocking density of one LSU per hectare is reached — and frequently exceeded — on smaller and medium-sized farms; in the case of large-scale operations engaged primarily in arable farming, the number of LSUs per hectare sinks to a borderline 0.4 to 0.3. Cattle manure forms the main bulk, to which the manure types from the rest of the domestic animal stock — arising in smaller quantities — are mixed as far as possible. Surplus manure quantities are applied within the crop rotation to the depleting spring-sown crop ahead of the main fodder crop, at approximately 100 dt.