Better nutrient management on pig farms: a guide for interpreting soil and by-product analyses

The Australian pork industry needs to operate in a sustainable manner that minimises negative impacts and maximises benefits to surrounding land, especially through the use of by-products like effluent, spent bedding, and solids. It is important to understand nutrient and soil analyses to manage nutrient requirements and set rates for extra fertiliser inputs.

Value for producers:

• Reduce nutrient losses
• Reduce environmental impact

Recommendations:

• When testing effluent, dry matter levels, volatile solids (VS), and pH should all be considered, as should salinity, and nutrients like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).
• When assessing spent litter and sludge, moisture levels, organic matter, pH, and salinity should be considered, as should nutrients like N and P, and trace metals.
• When testing soils, there are a number of tests that available. These include but are not limited to cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH, organic matter, salinity, and macro and micro nutrients.