Abstract
Poultry manure provides a rich organic nutrient source to fertilize crops and help neutralize soil acidity. However, the usual practice of broadcasting litter on the surface of pastures and other no-till systems can degrade water quality by allowing nutrients to be transported from fields in surface runoff, while much of the ammonium-N volatilizes and escapes into the atmosphere. In a previous study, we used a subsurface banding technique to move litter from the soil surface into the root zone with minimal disturbance of the grass, thatch, and soil structure; and found that nutrient losses decreased substantially. Because subsurface banding increased retention of nutrients and water in the soil, we conducted follow-up research to compare crop yield and quality from this litter application method to those from the conventional surface broadcasting method. The objectives were to determine effects of subsurface application on perennial forage yield, quality, and temporal yield distribution during the growing season. Field plots were located on silt loam soil (8-10% slopes) with well-established bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L. Pers.). Poultry litter was applied (6.7 Mg ha-1, dry weight) by one of two methods: surface broadcast manually or subsurface banded using a tractor-drawn prototype implement. Each treatment was replicated three times. There were also three control plots that received no litter. Results showed that subsurface application generally increased forage quality and yield, especially in the latter part of the growing season when forage production from surface-applied litter began to decline. Under the growing conditions in this study, subsurface application increased mean forage yield by as much as 40%.
Highlights
Poultry litter is a rich organic source of crop nutrients that helps neutralize soil acidity by contributing significant quantities of calcium and magnesium (Mitchell and Donald, 1999)
Research on established perennial pasture showed that subsurface banding effectively prevented ammonia N losses (Moore et al, 2011; Fig. 1) and decreased litter nutrients lost in storm runoff by more than 90% compared to surface-broadcast litter applications (Pote et al, 2009; Fig. 2), while causing only minimal disturbance of the grass and soil structure
Results of this study clearly demonstrated the value of poultry litter for increasing forage yields; and showed that the amount of increase can be affected by litter application method, as subsurface-banded litter caused the greatest increase in forage yield
Summary
Poultry litter (manure mixed with bedding material) is a rich organic source of crop nutrients that helps neutralize soil acidity by contributing significant quantities of calcium and magnesium (Mitchell and Donald, 1999). Exposed to the atmosphere, allowing valuable nutrients to be carried by storm runoff into nearby streams and lakes (McLeod and Hegg, 1984; Edwards and Daniel, 1993; Shreve et al, 1995; Sharpley et al, 2001) and causing substantial nitrogen losses as the ammonia volatilizes (Brady, 1990; Chapman and Snyder, 1992; Nathan and Malzer, 1994; Sharpe et al, 2004) To help address these problems, a research team at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) has developed a mechanized technique for applying dry poultry litter in shallow parallel bands beneath the surface of no-till agricultural systems (Pote et al, 2011). The objectives were to determine effects of subsurface application on perennial forage yield, quality, and temporal yield distribution during the growing season
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call