Nitrogen value of poultry litter applications to root crops and following cereal crops

Abstract

SU MMARYThe efficiency of poultry litter nitrogen (N) utilization was studied in seven field experiments in eastern England during harvest years 1991 to 1994. Poultry litter was applied at different application rates in winter or spring, prior to sugar beet or potatoes. The mean manure N efficiency based on crop yields was 33 % (range 25-43 %) for sugar beet and 36 % (range 13-66 %) for potatoes. For potatoes, the manure N efficiency was greater from spring (mean 43 %) than from winter application timings (mean 30 %). The manure readily available N applied (i.e. ammonium-N+uric acid-N) and fertilizer N replacement values were well related (P<0 . 05) for both sugar beet and potatoes. Similarly, there was a good relationship (P<0 . 001) between the amounts of readily available N applied in the poultry litter dressings and measured elevations in spring soil mineral N supply. Where the poultry litter dressings supplied >600 kg/ha total N to sugar beet, root sugar concentrations were depressed (P<0 . 05) and amino-N concentrations increased (P<0 . 01). The soil mineral N supply following harvest of the sugar beet and potato crops was also increased where application rates supplied >600 kg/ha total N. Yield increases were also recorded in cereal crops grown the following season, but only where high rates of manure N (>600 kg/ha) had been applied. The current work has shown that the fertilizer N replacement value of poultry litter can be predicted based on the amounts of total and readily available N applied, providing guidance to farmers on appropriate reductions in inorganic fertilizer N applications to make allowance for poultry litter N supply.

On‐Farm Evaluation of Poultry Manure as a Nitrogen Source for Corn

“…The projected change in soil NO^'-N concentration with fertilizer application was different from that obtained with the manure total N application (Fig. This is consistent with other research with poultry manure that suggested a rapid nitrification of the NH^"*'-N fraction (Sims, 1987), and an increase in soil NOj'-N due to manure NH4+-N (Nicholson et al, 2003), and predominantly higher with poultry manure compared with other manure types (Munoz et al, 2008). However, the manure NH4''"-N application rateconsistently corresponded with thesoilNOj'-N concentration measured with the fertilizer N application.…”

Residual Poultry Manure Nitrogen Supply to Corn the Second and Third Years after Application

“…In general, the plant-available N supply from manure sources is significantly lower than from fertilizers due to the slow release of organic N and potential losses by N volatilization (Preusch et al, 2002;Nicholson et al, 2003). This lower or inconsistent crop N availability from manure can result in producers applying higher than needed application rates, resulting in increased nutrient loading of the soil.…”

Nutrient and aluminum availability of alum-amended poultry litter: a long-term weathering study

“…Due to ammonia volatilization and denitrification, a major fraction of N in land-applied poultry litter is not plantavailable. Even with soil incorporation, merely 33-43% of the total N in applied poultry litter could be absorbed by crops (Nicholson et al 2003). The present study revealed that 24.4% of the total N in surface-applied, alum-amended poultry litter was plant-utilizable during the first growing season.…”