Effects of Injected Liquid Cattle Manure on Growth and Yield of Winter Wheat and Soil Characteristics

Abstract

Liquid cattle (Bos taurus) manure should be applied to soils in such a manner that would improve soil fertility and crop production without causing salinity problems or increasing NO−3 levels. This study investigated the influence of liquid cattle manure on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Yecora) germination, growth, and nutrient utilization. Four treatments were applied in the same plots in a 4-yr field experiment with winter wheat: (i) application of 40 Mg ha−1 yr−1 liquid dairy cattle manure (wet weight basis) before sowing; (ii) single application of 120 and 26 kg ha−1 yr−1 N and P, respectively, as inorganic fertilizers before sowing; (iii) as in ii, but with split application of N, half the amount before sowing and the rest at tillering; and (iv) no fertilization. The biological evaluators used to compare the effect of the treatments were (i) number of seedlings per square meter at tillering for the first year only and (ii) dry biomass at heading and harvest; plant concentration and uptake of N, P, and K; and grain yield for every year of experimentation. The results showed that application of manure did not affect seed germination but resulted in a significant increase in dry biomass at the two growth stages and in grain yield and nutrient uptake, similar to the inorganic N and P fertilization. The amounts of soil available NO3−N and P were significantly increased while at the end of the field experiment, soil salinity, organic C, and total N levels remained unchanged.