Manure rate calculator app launched

Dr. Ted Funk, Agricultural Engineering Consultant for the Illinois Pork Producers Association has been charged with developing an Illinois Manure Calculator to help producers efficiently calculate their manure usage.

"The Illinois Manure Calculator is built for the Illinois-specific manure plan rules, enabling a livestock producer to quickly balance manure applications with field crop nutrient needs," explains Funk. "The user enters manure storages with the respective manure sample data, information for fields that will receive manure, and the general type of manure application equipment being used."

The mobile app is available for iPhone and Android users. To download the free app visit the app store and search for "Illinois Manure Calculator."

This simple app automates the nutrient management planning worksheet that Illinois livestock producers are already required to understand in their Certified Livestock Manager Training workshops coordinated by U of I Extension.

"Calculating the right manure application rate has always been a time-consuming exercise for producers, because they have to gather data from several places before they can compute the answer," explains Dr. Richard Gates, U of I Extension. "This mobile app puts everything right at their fingertips. I can see how it could become one of the most-used apps on the smartphone during the manure hauling season."