UTILIZING POULTRY LITTER AS A FERTILIZER: SWEET CORN YIELD MINERAL NUTRITION, AND SOIL CHEMISTRY

Abstract

Composted poultry litter (PL) containing 2.98% N was hand-applied to plots in a split-plot design with 3 replications. Application frequency (total, split) was the major plot and rate (0, 10.9, 21.7, and 43.6 Mg·ha-1) was the sub-plot. Rate was based on total N content of the PL and N requirement for maximum sweet com production. Comparisons were made with a fertilizer blend (FB) containing 23.8N-4.3P-4.1K at a total rate of 564 kg·ha-1 in split applications. Leaf area and average ear weight of sweet com ('Merit') were not affected by frequency or rate. Increasing PL rate from 10.9 Mg·ha-1 to 21.2 Mg·ha-1 increased yield by 3128 kg·ha-1. An increase to 43.6 Mg·ha-1 decreased yield which was probably due to an observed reduction in plant stand. When comparing FB with 10.9 Mg·ha-1PL, the yields were equal. Plant P and K concentrations were increased linearly by PL rate. There were no differences in % N or mg·kg-1Ca and Mg. The highest soil N03-N concentrations in the 15- to 30-cm depth range were produced by 43.6 Mg·ha-1PL (15 mg·kg-1 and FB (35 mg·kg-1. Only the high litter rate increased soil NO3-N below 30 cm As PL rate increased, there was a corresponding increase in soil P. There was a linear increase in soil K from 60 to 200 mg·kg-1 as rate increased. A linear decrease in pH was noted when PL rate increased. Soil EC was almost 2 times higher in the 43.6 Mg·ha-1 PL plots than the next highest rate (275 vs. 150 umhos·cm-1).