Growth and nodulation of soybean plants fertilized with poultry litter

Abstract

Nowadays much of the chemical fertilizers used in Brazil come from imports, what creates the necessity to seek for alternative fertilizers. One possibility is organic fertilizers, including poultry litter, which presents increasing availability in various regions of the country, due to the expansion of the poultry industry. Despite its availability, there are no enough studies that show the benefits of using poultry litter on soybeans in substitution of mineral fertilizer. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of different doses of poultry litter on leaf chlorophyll content, nodulation, and development of soybean plants. It was used a completely randomized design with five doses of poultry litter (0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 t ha-1) and a control with mineral fertilizer with four repetitions. On stages R1 and R5, chlorophyll readings were done using a portable meter and also the measurement of plant height. Plants were cut near the surface, roots were washed and the nodules were detached and counted. After that, it was determined the dry weight of plant roots, nodules, and shoots. Soybean fertilization with poultry litter increases the chlorophyll content of leaves, plant height, shoot dry matter, root dry matter, and nodulation. The use of poultry litter on soybean favors its growth with decreasing increments, except for root dry matter, and with an optimum dose for each variable. The supply of poultry litter can replace mineral fertilizers in terms of soybean growth.

Residual Effects of the Organic Amendments Poultry Litter, Farmyard Manure and Biochar on Soybean Crop

“…These results are consistent with other studies that, by poultry litter use on soybean, also reported increases on grain yield [12] [25]. This fact demonstrates the high potential of the combined use of mineral fertilizers with organic amendments, as a synergistic way to increase the soybean grain productivity [9] [26].…”

“…In addition, the dynamics of nutrients in a soybeans/sorghum intercropping system observed that the application of 75% mineral NPK combined with chicken manure/farmyard manure/phosphocompost compound is an option of plant nutrition management [11]. In Brazil, poultry litter can be a viable and alternative input to enhance the soybean production and to reduce the production costs [12].…”

Performance of Soybean Culture In Function of Organic Fertilization With Poultry Bed Compared To Chemical Fertilization

“…In the same way, despite the treatment CA 3.5 t ha -1 and chemical fertilization showed the lowest results, both did not differ among themselves. Studies performed by Ragagnin et al (2013), using poultry bed at doses of 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 t ha-1 compared to a mineral fertilization control, reinforces the results obtained, since they were similar in relation to the increase of mass of nodules found.…”

Pig slurry in carpet grass pasture: Yield and plant-available nitrogen

“…When significance was found, means were compared by Tukey test (p < 0.05) and the effect of PS doses was evaluated through regression analysis. The regression results of the DMY as a function of PS doses and AN were illustrated according to Ragagnin et al (2013).…”