Winter Application of Manure Rules
As farmers start to finish up the harvest season, livestock farmers are looking to get manure applied before freezing soil and snow complications manure application. Winter manure application in Ohio is strongly discouraged due to high runoff and water quality risks, and specific rules apply depending on your region and farm size.
In the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB), surface application of manure is prohibited on frozen ground, and allowed on snow-covered ground only with immediate injection or incorporation within 24 hours. In the Grand Lake St. Mary’s Watershed, a strict ban is in effect from December 15 to March 1st. After March 1st, injection or 24-hour incorporation is required if applied on frozen or snow-covered ground.
Special rules apply to permitted and large livestock farms. Generally prohibited from winter manure application except in rare, documented extreme emergencies. Farms producing or receiving over 350 tons or 100,000+ gallons a year must operate under a formal Nutrient Management Plan, which bans application between December 15 and March 1st. For smaller unpermitted livestock farms, inter application is legal under specific emergency or tight riskmanagement criteria, though discouraged.
In Ohio's winter manure application guidelines, frozen ground is generally defined as soil that you cannot inject manure into or cannot conduct tillage within 24 hours to incorporate the manure into the soil. Ohio’s official rules do not provide a rigid statutory measurement for frozen ground, relying instead on a practical field-workability standard. Soil is not considered frozen if fertilizer or manure can still be injected or immediately tilled/incorporated into the soil.
If the soil is too hard or frozen to allow immediate injection or tillage within 24 hours, application is restricted or prohibited depending on the specific farm type, location, and seasonal bans (such as in the Grand Lake St. Mary’s watershed).
If winter application is legally necessary and permitted in your area, all of the following criteria must be met. First, Application rates for liquid manure is limited to maximum of 5,000 gallons/acre. For solid manure (>50% moisture) the maximum limit is of 10 wet tons/acre and for solid manure (<50% moisture) the maximum limit is 5 wet tons/acre.
Spreading manure on steep, highly erodible, or vulnerable land is discouraged and special rules apply. Liquid manure rates cannot exceed the lesser of 5,000 gallons per acre or the phosphorus (P) removal rate for the next crop (solid manure is typically capped around 10 wet tons/acre).
Select fields with at least 90% crop residue or a living cover crop. Avoid sloped fields, areas subject to flooding, or land close to surface water, tile drains, gullies, or sinkholes. Do not apply manure if the top 2 inches of soil are saturated or if the 24-hour weather forecast calls for a >50% chance of rain exceeding 0.5 inches. Limit application to 20 contiguous acres or less.
Regarding surface cover, fields must have at least 90% surface residue cover (such as a living cover crop, established hay/pasture, or full corn/wheat residue left after harvest). Do not apply to more than 20 contiguous acres. Contiguous application blocks must be separated by a break of at least 200 feet. Setback Distances also apply. Minimum 200 feet from grassed waterways, surface drainage ditches, streams, surface inlets, and water bodies. Minimum 300 feet from wells, springs, and public surface drinking water intakes. Increase setbacks further if applied to highly sloping soil or local issues require it (nearby houses, schools, development, etc. In general, for field selection, choose low-sloping areas furthest from water transport routes, and avoid any land subject to flooding or ponding.
In summary, Ohio regulations limit the winter application of manure to protect water quality, focusing heavily on the Western Lake Erie Basin and the Grand Lake St Mary’s watershed. Between December 15 and March 1, or anytime the ground is frozen or snow-covered, surface application of manure is generally prohibited unless specific emergency criteria are met. Contact Ohio Department of Agriculture or your local Soil & Water Conservation Service for emergency criteria.
Farmers must verify that fields are not frozen or snow-covered, and the weather forecast must not predict a 50% or greater chance of local precipitation exceeding a half-inch within 24 hours.
If emergency application becomes necessary due to storage limitations, the manure must be injected directly into the ground or incorporated into the soil within 24 hours. Additionally, applications must maintain strict setbacks from waterways and utilize fields with active cover crops or substantial crop residue to minimize agricultural runoff, preventing harmful algal blooms in local watersheds.
More details and planning resources can be found through the Ohio Department of Agriculture Manure Application Guidelines and the OSU Extension Farm Office Blog.