(165) Use of Chicken Manure as Source of Nutrients for Sweet Corn Production

Abstract

An on-farm animal manure, such as chicken manure, can be a source of nutrients for the growth and production of agricultural crops. However, use of manures at rates that are considered adequate for crop production may cause excessive accumulation of phosphorus (P) and also result in leaching of nitrogen (N), thus leading to potential pollution of ground and surface water. Composting of manures with a carbon (C) source can reduce P and N to manageable levels to support production of crops. In order to determine the potential of composted manure for crop production, we studied growth and production of sweet corn by using poultry manure composted with a carbon source of crimson clover hay or wheat straw. These experiments, conducted during 2002 and 2003, compared six treatments: 1) uncomposted chicken manure alone; 2) composted with wheat straw turned weekly; 3) composted with wheat straw turned bi-weekly; 4) composted with crimson clover hay turned weekly; 5) composted with crimson clover hay turned bi-weekly; and 6) a control with a commercial recommendation rate of N fertilizer. These treatments resulted in 9244; 13,866; 15,688; 16,734; and 11,977 marketable ears/acre, respectively, indicating significant superiority of treatments 4 and 5 over all others. Similar results were obtained for ear length, ear fresh weight, and plant height. Results indicated that composting of poultry litter with wheat straw or crimson clover hay is a viable way to utilize poultry manure for production of sweet corn and other agricultural crops. This study implies that composting of on-farm animal manure with organic material, such as hay and straw, could play an important role in development of an environmentally friendly, economically feasible, and sustainable organic production of agricultural crops.