Chemical Attributes of a Dystrophic Red Latosol of Brazilian Cerrado After Poultry Litter Application Associated to a Urea Inhibitor

Abstract

Poultry waste recycling is now a globally practice consolidated in agriculture. However, the proper disposal of poultry waste should enable to reduce N losses and to decrease pollution potential from the high concentrations of poultry litter applied to soil. In this context, the aim of the present study was to evaluate poultry litter doses and the effect of an urease inhibitor on the chemical attributes of a dystrophic Red Latosol. Two experiments were carried out, one in a greenhouse and another in a eucalyptus forest area, both applying completely randomized design with a 2 × 6 + 1 factorial arrangement, applying two types and six doses of poultry litter (5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 t ha-1) plus the controls, with four replicates, total of 52 pots. The application of poultry litter doses altered soil chemical attributes, except for potential acidity. Soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), sum of bases (SB) and electric conductivity (EC) values and Ca, Mg, K, P, S, organic matter (OM), Mn, Zn and Cu levels increased with increasing poultry litter doses, while Fe and B contents decreased. The 40, 80 and 160 t ha-1 poultry litter doses led to contamination potential of the soil due to salinity and alkalinity, and also raised the EC of the percolate at levels limiting to plants. The NBPT (N-butyl thiophosphoric triamide) urease inhibitor exhibited no influence on soil chemical attributes.