As you head out to spread manure, do you know what you’re spreading onto your soil? Are you over- or under-applying certain nutrients?

There is no way to be sure of what you’re spreading unless you sample your manure and send it in for analysis.

“Manure is one of the most misunderstood things,” says Jamie Bultemeier, corporate sales director and agronomist at A&L Great Lakes Labs. He also is a farmer in Allen County, Ind.

With manure gaining popularity once again after the advent of commercial fertilizer, Bultemeier shares that it is key to know the nutrient content of your manure. He regularly works with samples, and he explains the correct procedure for capturing a sample.

Grab a container. Match the correct container to the type of manure you are sampling. If it is a dry manure, then use a gallon freezer bag to collect the sample. If it is a liquid manure, use a plastic bottle. The bottle must withstand pressure change from the gas released by the manure.

An example of a good bottle is a used Gatorade bottle, Bultemeier says. However, ensure that it has been thoroughly cleaned before sampling. Do not use a bottle that is smaller than 16 ounces, but only fill that bottle about 75% full. Additionally, do not use a glass bottle. With gas buildup, those can act as a bomb waiting to explode.

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Collect the sample. “One of the greatest challenges is getting a representative sample,” Bultemeier says. For sampling dry manure, ensure you get multiple “grabs.” Bultemeier recommends stockpiling your dry manure and taking grabs from that pile before you spread. Another option is to get a grab of each load until you have a complete sample.

For liquid manure, the collection depends on its storage. With liquid manure, nutrient content is inconsistent with depth, especially with outside lagoons. Pulling grabs as you apply would be one collection method. Bultemeier shares that you also can pull samples from different depths, where agitation is not an option, like in pits.

Prepare the sample. Once the sample is collected, ensure that the container is fully sealed. For liquid samples, wrap tape around the bottle cap to avoid leaks by preventing the cap from loosening during shipping.

BETTER UNDERSTANDING: Sampling your manure for analysis will help you understand the nutrient content and make better decisions. Although Jamie Bultemeier, corporate sales director and agronomist at A&L Great Lakes Labs, works with samples regularly in the lab, he also implements sampling in his own operation in Allen County, Ind.

Label the sample. Use a Sharpie or ballpoint pen, not a gel pen. Write directly on the container, putting down what the sample is. If you are sending in multiple samples, simply number them. Include your name and manure type.

If sending a liquid sample, put it into a sealable bag for secondary containment, Bultemeier says. And if you will not be shipping it immediately, refrigerate or freeze it. Although not ideal, it is sometimes necessary.

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Send the sample. Lastly, package the sample into a box with a completed lab submission form. A&L Great Lakes Labs provides a kit for $2.50 that includes a bottle for liquid samples, a box for shipment and a shipping label for the box.

If you do not have that kit, find a box that fits the sample and send it to the lab of your choosing. Bultemeier says to get samples to the lab within two to three days of sampling. He recommends sending them via UPS.

“Quite frankly, take it to UPS and send it through UPS Ground if you must ship it,” Bultemeier says. “It’s going to cost you a few dollars more, but it’s almost guaranteed we’ll have it the next day.”

You can drop off samples directly at the lab. If you are using A&L Great Lakes Labs, it is located at 3505 Conestoga Drive, Fort Wayne, Ind. However, do not leave samples in the drop box on a Friday night, where they will sit the whole weekend.

For more information on how to sample and where to send samples, head to algreatlakes.com.