Washington County, Iowa, pork producer Matt Gent honestly doesn’t know how much rain his farm has received in the past month. He stopped keeping track – it’s been that much.
“We’ve had well over 10 to 15 inches on our farm in the last month,” Gent says. “It’s absolutely insane.”
With another 3 to 5 inches of rain in the forecast, it’s discouraging for farmers across southeast Iowa.
“The tank is already full,” Gent says. “A lot of what we’re getting now is going straight to the creeks and rivers. The soil is so saturated already; it’s not going to soak up anymore. You can’t turn mud into more mud, right?”
He’s optimistic that a forecasted 7- to 10-day stretch of dry weather will materialize, though he adds it will take all of that to dry fields out enough for equipment to roll.
Behind Schedule Before the Season Starts
What does a shrinking fall manure application window mean for pig farmers? The concern level is increasing, but Gent doesn’t think they are in trouble yet.
Luke Jaeger, a Washington County pig farmer and owner of Jaeger Custom Hauling, is hoping for a clear October and November.
“The problem is, if you start getting rain in November, it just doesn’t dry as fast,” Jaeger says. “And that window could close in a hurry.”
Saturated ground makes pulling heavy manure tanks virtually impossible.
“You can get a combine out in the field a lot sooner than you can a manure tank, so we’re going to need several days of drying just to get started,” Jaeger explains. “As of today, I’m about a week behind where I usually am. We’re typically a week into the manure hauling season by now.”
While pig farmers wait for the rain to stop and the fields to dry out, Jaeger says many farmers who have full pits are transferring manure from one pit to others that are less full on their farms where possible.
“Some are even working with a neighbor to haul manure from one barn to another,” Gent adds. “It’s what we do as producers. We work together.”
He says excessive moisture will not change how farmers follow their nutrient management plans; no one wants to cause long-term soil compaction or environmental damage. Plus, that manure is worth a lot to farmers today, especially with current fertilizer prices.
“The manure in that pit is so valuable that we never waste it,” Gent says. “What producers will likely do is apply a partial rate that the ground can handle, and then at a later date – whether later this year or early next spring when conditions are favorable – go out and put on the rest according to the manure plan.”
Pay Attention to Your Pit
From Jaeger’s experience as a custom applicator, the most important advice he has for producers now is to closely monitor water usage and pit levels daily.
Rapidly filling pits also bring seasonal safety risks. Gent cautions that this is the time of year when pit foaming often increases.
“I’d love to know why these pits foam because there’s no rhyme or reason to it,” Gent says. “Some do, some don’t. But you have to watch closely for the safety of the humans and pigs in the barn, as foaming can cause flash fires.”
Don’t Panic, But Be Opportunistic
Iowa State University manure specialist Dan Andersen believes producers should be concerned, but emphasizes it’s not time to panic.
“We are only entering the fall application window that farmers and commercial manure service providers have historically used, and best agronomic practice has been to try to wait until the soil was 50 degrees Fahrenheit and falling before starting manure application,” Andersen says. “El Niño is expected to cause a wetter and warmer fall in Iowa and across the Midwest. Wetter conditions may make finding suitable field conditions challenging, which means when conditions are right, we need to capitalize.”
For producers facing high pit levels today, Andersen advises exploring off-site relief and alternative acres.
“If we have a full pit, we should look at alternative storage options. Is there a nearby farm to which we can move manure with acceptable biosecurity risk? It costs money to move manure, but given current fertilizer prices, that expense can be recovered in nutrient savings,” Andersen says.
Another option is targeting alternative cropping systems—such as land in small grains, pasture or alfalfa, he adds.
“We are seeing interest in cattle programs and more small grains in some areas,” Andersen says. “Farms should assess opportunities to coordinate with landowners choosing these crops to get manure out earlier.”
Protect Nutrient Value
Every season requires patience, but when weather compresses the application window, agronomic tools become vital to protect nitrogen value.
“We need to manage manure to take advantage of all the fertilizer value—N, P and K—while keeping storage from overflowing,” Andersen says.
He recommends split-applying nitrogen across fall manure acres by pairing a base manure application with spring starter or sidedressed commercial nitrogen. For liquid manure, nitrification inhibitors provide an extra layer of insurance.
“Inhibitors keep nitrogen in the ammonium form longer, protecting it from moving with soil water and reducing denitrification losses under saturated conditions,” Andersen notes. “They effectively buy us about 5 degrees of soil temperature cushion, or 7 to 10 days of waiting time.”
Long-Term Strategies to Reduce Weather Risk
While weather-shortened fall windows are challenging, Andersen points out that long-term strategies can help pork producers build resilience into their systems.
Integrating cover crops is one proven method.
“Living roots in the soil take up nitrogen from the manure and keep it in our field,” Andersen says. “Because early manure applications with cover crops can lead to temporary nitrogen tie-up, applying starter nitrogen next spring to get the crop up and growing can be very beneficial.”
Andersen also urges producers to consider shifting a portion of their manure application to spring or in-season sidedress rather than placing all their bets on fall weather.
“Not having all your manure application timing eggs in one basket diversifies weather risk and creates flexibility,” he explains. “Tanks and dragline equipment can successfully sidedress liquid manure into growing corn through the V4 stage. In addition, innovative irrigation systems like 360 Rain, Agrometer and Nutridrip offer opportunities to apply throughout the growing season, keeping storages lower heading into fall.”
By managing storage safely, selecting fit fields and protecting nutrient integrity, Andersen says pork producers can navigate the saturated fall ahead without compromising crop yields or soil health.
