Low‐producing alfalfa and tall fescue stands can benefit from the addition of manure.
Injection of manure (slicing of soil) did not reduce yields of alfalfa or tall fescue.
Impact of manure injection on N2O emissions is weather and species dependent.
When injection of manure does not increase yield, surface application is more economical.
Injecting manure can preserve N, but may mechanically damage the root systems of hay crops such as tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Such damage could result in reduced yield. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of disk‐injected versus surface applied liquid dairy manure on (i) alfalfa and tall fescue dry matter (DM) yield and (ii) nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Two manure application methods (injection versus surface application) and two no‐manure controls (injection versus no soil disturbance) were replicated six times in 2014 and 2015 on established hay stands. Manure application increased alfalfa yield from 2.9 to 3.7 and from 4.2 to 5.1 Mg DM ha‐1 in 2014 and 2015, respectively, regardless of application method, suggesting no yield penalty or benefit from injection. Nitrous oxide emissions increased two‐ and six‐fold with manure addition, consistent with higher yields under manure application. Compared with the control treatments, manure addition to tall fescue increased yield by 0.8 and 3.3 Mg ha‐1 in 2014 and 2015, respectively, also with no yield benefit or penalty from injection. Injection of manure did not influence N2O emissions in 2014, but increased emissions by 35% compared with surface application in 2015, and this is consistent with differences in soil moisture that year. Our results indicate injection of liquid manure can be implemented without negatively influencing yield in hay crops, while the impact on N2O emissions can be crop and weather dependent. When injection does not increase yield, the surface application of manure to hay crops is more economical.