On WPDES-permitted farms, a Pre-tillage check box is shown above the Manure/Biosolids applications table.

 

This check box is only needed for liquid manure applications when a field is in an area with less than 20 foot depth over Silurian bedrock.

NR151.07 requires that liquid manure applications be injected or incorporated with a pre-tillage operation before the application.  Surface applications in areas less than 20 ft over Silurian bedrock are only allowed if the field is in long-term no-till or the manure is applied to growing crop.

 

Checking Pre-tillage will add an additional tillage operation in the SnapPlus RUSLE2 erosion calculations. The type of tillage operation depends on the form of manure application.

Injected liquid manure:

 

For injected liquid manures, checking pre-tillage adds an injection operation following the first tillage operation in the season of application. Thus the first tillage operation is considered to be “pre-tillage” for the injection.

Incorporated liquid manure:

For incorporated liquid manures, checking pre-tillage makes the manure application be after the first tillage operation in the season and adds a disking operation to incorporate the manure. Thus the first tillage operation is considered to be “pre-tillage” for the incorporation.

Pre-tillage will not work if there is no tillage in the season of application.

If the Season selected for injecting or incorporating manure is one with no tillage operations (example: a fall injection into a field that will be spring chisel plowed), the program gives the  message below.

This field is likely to have Silurian dolomite within 20 ft of the surface and liquid manure applications should be injected or incorporated with pre-tillage. The tillage or season selected for this application is not consistent with the pre-tillage requirement. Please modify the application or the tillage selection.