Accumulation and redistribution of residual chloride, nitrate, and soil test phosphorus in soil profiles amended with fresh and composted cattle manure containing straw or wood-chip bedding

Abstract

Miller, J. J., Beasley, B. W., Drury, C. F. and Zebarth, B. J. 2011. Accumulation and redistribution of residual chloride, nitrate, and soil test phosphorus in soil profiles amended with fresh and composted cattle manure containing straw or wood-chip bedding. Can. J. Soil Sci. 91: 969–984. Limited research has compared the effect of fresh versus composted beef (Bos taurus) cattle feedlot manure containing straw or wood chips on accumulation and redistribution of residual chloride (Cl), NO3-N, and soil test P (STP) in soil profiles of the Great Plains region of North America. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was grown (1999–2007) on an irrigated clay loam soil in southern Alberta where organic amendments and fertilizer were annually applied for 9 yr from 1998 to 2006. The field experiment was a factorial arrangement of two manure types (fresh versus composted feedlot manure), two bedding materials (straw versus wood-chips), and three application rates (13, 39, 77 Mg ha−1dry wt). There was also one inorganic (IN) fertilizer treatment and an unamended control. The soil profile (0–1.5 m) was sampled in the fall of 1999 to 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2007 and analyzed for residual soil NO3-N, Cl, and STP. Manure type had a significant (P≤0.05) effect on the accumulation of these chemicals, but there was an interaction with application rate (NO3-N), or with bedding and year (STP). The maximum accumulation of Cl after 9 yr was at the 0.6 to 0.9 m depth, but mean values at this depth were similar for the four organic amendments. The maximum accumulation of NO3-N after 9 yr (2007) was at the 0.3 to 0.6 m depth, and mean values at this depth were significantly greater by four- to sixfold for FM and CM with straw than wood-chips, which suggested greater N immobilization in soils with wood. Redistribution of Cl and NO3-N downward into the soil profile suggested a potential for leaching of these chemicals below the root zone. In contrast, soil test P did not accumulate below the 0.3 m depth, suggesting little potential for leaching. However, accumulation of soil test P at this depth was generally greater for the amendment treatments compared with inorganic fertilizer and was likely related to greater P applied in the amendments.

Phosphorus accumulation in Canadian agricultural soils over 30 yr

“…1 For calculating the linear relationships between P balance in kg ha −1 yr −1 and change in STP concentration in mg P kg −1 yr −1 , one value from Stumborg and Schoenau (2008) with a high P balance of 164 kg P ha −1 yr −1 was excluded from the analysis. Similarly, for the modified Kelowna soil test, P balances greater than 300 kg P ha −1 yr −1 were also excluded [see, for example, Miller et al (2011) and Olson et al (2010)]. These data were excluded because they were much higher than the P balances observed for the SLCs in those regions and were affecting the fit of the linear relationship for the range of interest.…”

Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience

“…Nutrient build-up can be prevented by applying manure to meet the P, rather than N, requirements of the crop or haying manure-amended grasslands rather than grazing (Olson et al 2010;Wilson et al 2011). Including a high-C substrate, such as wood chips, in manure can also reduce N loading to the system (Miller et al 2011). Incorporating manure into soil reduces volatilization of N (Schoenau and Davis 2006) and nutrient losses to surface water (Jokela et al 2012).…”

“…Manure application at high rates and/or frequency can result in nutrient accumulation in soils, contamination of surface and ground water, and increased GHG emissions (Stumborg and Schoenau 2008;Ashjaei et al 2010;Miller et al 2010Miller et al , 2011Miller et al , 2012. Appropriate management practices such as those described by Shoenau and Davis (2007) and others can effectively mitigate the potential for nutrient loss and environmental contamination.…”

Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake from solid and liquid pig manure in perennial and annual cropping systems

“…Historically, manure application rates in North America and Europe have been based on crop N requirements to meet yield potentials (Miller et al 2011). The imbalance between N and phosphorus (P) requirements of the crop and the supply of these nutrients in manure has led to two different manure application strategies, namely N-based and P-based (Olson et al 2010a(Olson et al , 2010b.…”

“…As a result of greater N:P uptake ratio of crops than the N:P ratio in manure, N-based manure management results in the accumulation of P (Eghball 2002). Intermittently applying manure by supplying several years of crop P demand is more cost effective in labour and equipment compared with annual P-based manure application (Miller et al 2011). Eghball and Power (1999) reported that P-based manure or compost application resulted in similar corn grain yield to those of N-based treatments but had significantly less soil available P level after 4 yr of application.…”