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Composting manure is gaining acceptance as an environmentally sound manure management practice, while producing a value-added product that enhances soil fertility and physical properties. During the composting process nitrogen and phosphorus are converted through microbial activity into predominantly stable organic compounds, lessening the risk of loss of these nutrients into the environment. Compost is generally marketed as an amendment for use in urban soils. The potential exists for marketing compost for agricultural use. However, the effect of compost on soil fertility is not well understood. The amount of nitrogen that becomes plant available from manufactured fertilizers is highly predictable, but the rate at which nitrogen from compost becomes plant available is not well understood. This rate depends on interacting factors: soil type, organic matter content, climate, soil microbial activity, and cultural practices. Site specific data is needed to develop a data base from which compost application rates can be established.