Crop Response and Quality of Soil Leachate as Affected by Land Application of Beef Cattle Waste

Abstract

AbstractA single application of beet cattle manure at rates of 0, 49, 158, and 316 dry metric tons/ha to field lysimeters containing three different soil types was made. Corn (Zea mays L.) yields for the frst and second years reached the maximum at the 158‐metric tons/ha manure rate, while in fourth year the highest yield was obtained at the 316‐metric tons/ha rate. With the exception of first cropping years, at the 49‐metric ton rate yields of dry matter produced were ≤ the control which received fertilizer annually. Corn yields for all years and from all manure treatments were significantly higher for the Wooster (Typic Fragiudalf) soil compared with Celina (Aquic Hapludalf) and Hoytville (Mollic Ochraqualf) soils. Nitrate‐N concentration in the leachate increased with increasing load of applied manure and decreased with time after application. More NO3‐N was leached from the manure‐amended Wooster soil than from the other two soils over a 4‐year period. The decomposition of manure was higher in the Celina and Wooster soils than in the Hoytville soil. The application of beef cattle manure to soils did not influence the incidence of soil‐borne plant pathogens. The results of this study indicate that annual application of beef cattle manure to soils at <50 dry metric tons/ha is far more desirable than single application of high loading rates for 2‐ to 3‐year periods from the standpoint of maximizing plant nutrient use and water quality.