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Tall fescue clover pasture and crop fields in Halifax County where Adam Davis applied poultry litter.
Adam Davis says poultry litter from the Shenandoah Valley has been a game changer on his farm in Halifax County.
For the last two to three years, he’s applied it on his fields in the old tobacco belt, where long-tended agricultural lands have been exhausted of nutrients, especially phosphorus.
“We use the litter in several different ways,” said Davis, who raises beef cattle and grows wheat and soybeans. “A lot of our soils are phosphorus deficient, and it has made a huge difference in our crops. Now, we’re significantly improving the N-P-K and micros annually while using the litter. If we were running just a normal, blended fertilizer, that wouldn’t be the case as quickly.”
Davis participates in the Virginia Poultry Litter Transport Incentive Program. The program provides financial incentives for farmers who move litter out of the main poultry-producing counties and use it as a crop nutrient source either outside the Chesapeake Bay watershed or in specified areas.
The program is managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation with support from the Virginia Poultry Federation.
Poultry litter is an excellent, low-cost fertilizer if used properly. Unlike commercial fertilizer, which simply feeds plants it is applied to, poultry litter feeds the soil by adding a significant amount of organic matter and slow-release nutrients. These additions are essential to increasing soil’s water-holding capacity and promoting positive plant growth over a longer period.
To receive incentives through the transport program, litter must originate in Rockingham, Page or Accomack counties. Fields receiving the litter must be under a nutrient management plan.
End-users of the litter can receive $7.50, $15 or $20 per ton of litter moved, depending on the location of the litter source and the location of receiving fields.
See a map of eligible counties. (PDF)
“Even if the cost-share incentive wasn’t there, I would still do this,” said Davis, who over a few years has moved a significant amount of litter out of the Shenandoah Valley. “The litter has really pushed our yields to the next level.”
The application of poultry litter, combined with cover crop practices, has built up the organic matter in Davis’ soil. And he’s looking to do more poultry litter transport.
“It really is a game-changer if you have abused soils or trying to improve, or push, high yields.”
Poultry litter that is not applied to land immediately must be stored properly to prevent contact with surface and ground waters.
Nearly 25,000 tons of litter were approved for transport under the program in fiscal year 2020. In just the first three months of fiscal year 2021, nearly 14,000 tons have already been approved. Farmers have up to a year to receive the litter once they sign up.
Applications may be downloaded at www.dcr.virginia.gov/litter-transport.
A map of localities eligible to receive litter — along with corresponding payment rates — is available at the link.
Applications for payment must be approved by DCR prior to transport.
For assistance locating some of the brokers or haulers and spreading equipment rentals in your area, go to the Virginia Poultry Federation website, vapoultry.com.
Note: In order to effectively use poultry litter and take advantage of the nutrients as a fertilizer source, it must be applied at the proper time and in the appropriate amount. Obtaining a soil test and a manure nutrient analysis is essential for good manure management and use.
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Soil and Water Conservation
