Abstract
Improving site quality with fertilization is a common forestry practice. Where poultry production occurs, a common issue is the disposal of the poultry litter, which can cause nutrient overload on some soils. Forest plantations offer an alternative litter disposal site, while providing for possible tree growth increases similar to those found with chemical fertilizers. To test that hypothesis, 3 sites in east Texas, USA supporting loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations were treated at poultry or chemical fertilizers at mid-rotation, and the growth responses recorded over a four-year period. Only one of the three sites showed any growth response in quadratic mean diameter growth attributed to poultry litter, and that was only after four years. No other response was found significant, suggesting that longer-term responses may occur than what this study captured. Poultry litter, if economically feasible, does appear to be an alternative to petro-chemical fertilizers on these sites.
Highlights
Poultry or Broiler litter is a combination of poultry manure, bedding material, feathers and spilled food
The lack of significant treatment separation at the Wells site is similar to other results [16,17], while the Quadratic Mean Diameter growth (QMD) results at the Broaddus site were similar to other studies [18,19]
Nitrogen fertilization is typically a short-term amelioration [16] often tied to the pre-fertilization status of the supporting soil, which explains the shortterm response found at the Lufkin site, especially when utilizing biosolids [17]
Summary
Poultry or Broiler litter is a combination of poultry manure, bedding material, feathers and spilled food. In the United States, poultry litter production exceeds 10 million metric tons annually, and exceeds the levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) which can be applied to lands in close proximity to poultry farms. The 11.7 million hectares of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations found in the southern United States are a potential market for poultry litter as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. To be an alternative to chemical fertilizers, poultry litter must be economically feasible, both in its application in plantations and in the resulting growth rates of loblolly pine. Many studies have investigated the composition of poultry litter [4,5,6,7,8], as well as application and vegetation response to various quantities and combinations [2,3,9,10,11,12,13], and some management protocols on various soils have been established
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