For the first time since 2019, the Midwest is mostly clear of drought advisories, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In fact, May was one of the wettest months on record for Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota and regions of Michigan, with above-normal precipitation continuing throughout the growing season. Such weather has dairy producers in a pinch to manage manure appropriately.

Slurry contains valuable quantities of nitrogen in the form of a liquid: ammonium usually found in livestock urine. Ammonium is readily available for absorption by plant root systems, but from the moment it hits the barn floor until it is incorporated into the field, large quantities are lost in the atmosphere in the form of ammonia gas.