Application Of Composted Manure Research Articles

Field tests of surface seals and soil treatments to reduce fumigant emissions from shank injection of Telone C35

A mixture of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin (CP) (Telone C35) is an increasingly used fumigant product for pre-plant soil fumigation in California, USA. Atmospheric emissions of volatile organic compounds, including these important pesticides, is more heavily regulated in an effort to improve air-quality. Research has identified various methods of reducing fumigant emissions but effective and economically feasible field methods are still needed. The objective of this field study was to determine the effectiveness of several surface seal and soil treatment methods on emissions of 1,3-D and CP from shank-injected Telone C35. Treatments included control (bare surface), pre-irrigation (irrigation prior to fumigation), post-fumigation water seals with or without potassium thiosulfate (KTS) amendment, and standard high density polyethylene (HDPE) tarp over soils amended with either KTS or composted manure. The two KTS treatments resulted in the lowest fumigant emissions; but the soil surface in the treatments developed a reddish-orange color and an unpleasant odor that lasted for a few months. The pre-irrigation reduced emissions more than post-application water seals. An application of composted manure at 12.4 Mg ha − 1 spread over the soil surface followed by HDPE tarp did not reduce 1,3-D emissions compared to the bare soils in this trial, indicating that a better understanding of processes is required in order to effectively use organic amendments for minimizing fumigant emissions. Chloropicrin emissions were generally lower than 1,3-D for all treatments.

The Influence of Animal Manure Compost Application based on Total Inorganic Phosphate on Rice Yield and Soil Phosphate (Preliminary Report) : First Year Estimation

The Influence of Animal Manure Compost Application based on Total Inorganic Phosphate on Rice Yield and Soil Phosphate (Preliminary Report) : First Year Estimation

One‐Time Tillage of No‐Till: Effects on Nutrients, Mycorrhizae, and Phosphorus Uptake

Stratification of nutrient availability, especially of P, that develops with continuous no‐till (NT) can affect runoff nutrient concentration and possibly nutrient uptake. The effects of composted manure application and one‐time tillage of NT on the distribution of soil chemical properties, root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM), and plant P uptake were determined. Research was conducted on Typic Argiudoll and Mollic Hapludalf soils under rainfed corn (Zea mays L.) or sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.] rotated with soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in eastern Nebraska. Tillage treatments included NT, disk, chisel, moldboard plow (MP), and mini‐moldboard plow (MMP). Subplots had either 0 or 87.4 kg P ha−1 applied in compost before tillage. Bray‐P1 was five to 21 times as high for the 0‐ to 5‐cm as compared with the 10‐ to 20‐cm soil depth. Greater redistribution of nutrients and incorporation of compost P resulted from MP tillage than from other tillage treatments. One‐time chisel or disk tillage did not effectively redistribute nutrients while MMP tillage had an intermediate effect. Compost application reduced AM colonization of roots at R6 for all crops. Tillage reduced AM colonization with reductions at R6 due to MP tillage of 58 to 87%. The tillage effect on colonization persisted through the second year with no indication of AM recovery. Root P concentration was increased by MP and was negatively correlated to colonization. Decreased colonization did not result in decreased plant P uptake. Infrequent MP tillage can reduce surface soil P and the potential for P loss in runoff, but may reduce AM colonization of the roots, possibly reducing P uptake with some low P soils. The results do not indicate any advantage to one‐time tillage of NT if runoff P loss is not a concern.

Phosphorus Runoff during Four Years following Composted Manure Application

Repeated manure application can lead to excessive soil test P (STP) levels and increased P concentration in runoff, but also to improved water infiltration and reduced runoff. Research was conducted to evaluate soil P tests in prediction of P concentration in runoff and to determine the residual effects of composted manure on runoff P loss and leaching of P. The research was conducted from 2001 to 2004 under natural runoff events with plots of 11-m length. Low-P and high-P compost had been applied during the previous 3 yr, resulting in total applications of 750 and 1150 kg P ha(-1). Bray-P1 in the surface 5 cm of soil was increased from 16 to 780 mg kg(-1) with application of high-P compost. Runoff and sediment losses were 69 and 120% greater with no compost than with residual compost treatments. Runoff P concentration increased as STP increased, but much P loss occurred with the no-compost treatment as well. Agronomic soil tests were predictive of mean runoff P concentration, but increases in STP resulted in relatively small increases in runoff P concentration. Downward movement of P was not detected below 0.3 m. In conclusion, agronomic soil tests are useful in predicting long-term runoff P concentration, and risk of P loss may be of concern even at moderate soil P levels. The residual effect of compost application in reducing sediment and runoff loss was evident more than 3 yr after application and should be considered in P indices.

Growth of Vetiveria zizanioides and Phragmities australis on Pb/Zn and Cu mine tailings amended with manure compost and sewage sludge: A greenhouse study

The Lechang lead/zinc (Pb/Zn) mine and Dabao Shan copper (Cu) mine are located at the north of Guangdong Province in southern China. The residual tailings were permanently stored in tailings ponds which required revegetation to reduce their impact on the environment. A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using Vetiveria zizanioides (vetiver) and Phragmities australis (common reed) for the reclamation of Pb/Zn and Cu mine tailings and to evaluate the effects of organic amendments using manure compost (11.00, 22.03, 44.05 and 88.10 t/ha) and sewages sludge (11.00, 22.03, 44.05 and 88.10 t/ha) on the revegetation of these tailings. The results revealed that the applications of manure compost or sewage sludge not only increased N, P and K concentrations, but also decreased DTPA-extractable Pb and Zn contents in Pb/Zn tailings and DTPA-extractable Cu contents in Cu tailings. For Pb/Zn mine tailings, application of sewage sludge increased the yields of both species (highest yield at 44.05 t/ha), but not manure compost. For Cu mine tailings, application of manure compost (highest yield for both species at 44.05 and 22.03 t/ha for vetiver and common reed accordingly) or sewage sludge (highest yield at 22.03 and 44.05 t/ha for vetiver and common reed accordingly) increased the yield of both species. In general, vetiver achieved a higher yield when compared with common reed, under the same treatment. Plant tissue analysis showed that application of manure compost and sewage sludge could significantly reduce Pb uptake and accumulation, but not Cu in both vetiver and common reed.

Response of Turf and Quality of Water Runoff to Manure and Fertilizer

Manure applications can benefit turfgrass production and unused nutrients in manure residues can be exported through sod harvests. Yet, nutrients near the soil surface could be transported in surface runoff. Our research objective was to evaluate responses of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. var. Guymon] turf and volumes and P and N concentrations of surface runoff after fertilizer or composted manure applications. Three replications of five treatments were established on a Boonville fine sandy loam (fine, smectitic, thermic Vertic Albaqualf) that was excavated to create an 8.5% slope. Manure rates of 50 and 100 kg P ha(-1) at the start of two monitoring periods were compared with P fertilizer rates of 25 and 50 kg ha(-1) and an unfertilized control. Compared with initial soil tests, nitrate concentrations decreased and P concentrations increased after two manure or fertilizer applications and eight rain events over the two monitoring periods. The fertilizer sources of P and N produced 19% more dry weight and 21% larger N concentrations in grass clippings than manure sources. Yet, runoff volumes were similar between manure and fertilizer sources of P. Dissolved P concentration (30 mg L(-1)) in runoff during a rain event 3 d after application of 50 kg P ha(-1) was five times greater for fertilizer than for manure P. Observations during both monitoring periods indicated that total P and N losses in runoff were no greater for composted manure than for fertilizer sources of P at relatively large P rates on a steep slope of turfgrass.

Natural 15N abundances of maize and soil amended with urea and composted pig manure

To investigate the effect of inorganic fertilizer and composted manure amendments on the N isotope composition (delta15N) of crop and soil, maize (Zea mays L.) was cultivated under greenhouse conditions for 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 days. Composted pig manure (delta15N= +13.9‰) and urea (-2.3‰) were applied at 0 and 0 kg N ha−1 (C0U0), 0 and 150 kg N ha−1 (C0U2), 150 and 0 kg N ha−1 (C2U0), and 75 and 75 kg N ha−1 (C1U1), respectively. The delta15N of total soil-N was not affected by both amendments, but delta15N of NH+4 and NO−3 provided some information on the N isotope fractionation in soil. During the early growth stage, significant differences (P < 0.05) in delta15N among maize subjected to different treatments were observed. After 30 days of growth, the delta15N values of maize were +6.6‰ for C0U0, +1.1‰ for C0U2, +7.7‰ for C2U0, and +4.5‰ for C1U1. However, effects of urea and composted manure application on maize delta15N progressively decreased with increasing growth period, probably due to isotope fractionation accompanying N losses and increased uptake of soil-derived N by maize. After 70 days of growth, delta15N of leaves and grains of maize amended with composted pig manure were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those with urea. The temporal variations in delta15N of maize amended with urea and composted manure indicate that plant delta15N is generally not a good tracer for N sources applied to field. Our data can be used in validation of delta15N fractionation models in relation to N source inputs.

Characteristics of phosphorus accumulation in soils under organic and conventional farming in plastic film houses in Korea

Organic farming (OF) is a fast growing alternative for sustainable agriculture in Korea. However, information on the effects of OF on the soil properties and environmental conservation is limited. In order to determine the effects of OF on the soil properties, 31 fields under OF (hereafter referred to as "OF fields") and 61 fields under conventional farming (CF) (hereafter referred to as "CF fields") in plastic film houses were selected throughout Korea and the soil chemical properties were investigated, including the P distribution characteristics. Average organic matter (OM) content was significantly higher (44 g kg-1) in the OF fields then in the CF fields (24 g kg-1). Bray-2 P values were 986 and 935 mg kg-1 in the OF and CF soils, respectively, markedly exceeding the optimum range. Average total P (T-P) values were 2,973 mg kg-1 in the OF fields and 1,830 mg kg-1 in the CF fields. The high T-P values were due to repeated application of manure compost with a low N/P ratio. Inorganic P was the dominant fraction with 62–65% of T-P. The amounts of residual and organic P were significantly lower. The level of OF organic P was significantly higher (453 mg kg-1) compared to the 106 mg kg-1 value for the CF fields. Fractionation of soil inorganic P showed that Ca-P predominated with 1,332 mg kg-1 in the OF fields, which was associated with soil pH values over 6.0. The main inorganic P fraction in the CF soils whose pH values were generally less than 6.0 consisted of Al-/Fe-P. The levels of water-soluble P was significantly higher (65 mg kg-1) in the OF fields than in the CF fields (24 mg kg-1). These results indicated that the OF system may lead to a serious degradation of the soil environment due to the accumulation of phosphorus and may be an important source of water pollution compared to the CF systems in Korea.

Crop-yield and economic comparisons of organic, low-input, and conventional farming systems in California's Sacramento Valley

AbstractWe compared the crop yields and economic performance of organic, lowinput, and conventional farming systems over an eight-year period based on research from the Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems (SAFS) Project in California's Sacramento Valley. The SAFS Project consisted of four farming-system treatments that differed in material input use and crop rotation sequence. The treatments included four-year rotations under conventional (conv-4), low-input, and organic management, and a conventionally-managed, two-year rotation (conv-2). The four-year rotations included processing tomato, safflower, corn, and bean and a winter grain and/or legume doublecropped with bean. The conv-2 treatment was a tomato and wheat rotation. In the lowinput and organic systems, inorganic fertilizer and synthetic pesticide inputs were reduced or eliminated largely through crop rotation, legume cover crops, composted manure applications, and mechanical cultivation.All crops, except safflower, demonstrated significant yield differences across farming systems in at least some years of the experiment. Yields of tomato and corn, the most nitrogen (N)-demanding crops in the rotations, responded most years to the farming-system years treatments, while bean and the winter grain/legume displayed treatment differences less often and instead tended to vary more with yearly growing conditions. Nitrogen availability and/or weed competition appeared to account for lower crop yields in the organic and low-input systems in some years. The economics of all farming systems depended mainly on the costs and profits associated with tomato production. The most profitable system was the conv-2 system due to the greater frequency of tomato in that system. Among the four-year rotations, the organic system was the most profitable. However, this system's dependence on price premiums leads to some concern over its long-term economic viability. Among the low-input cropping systems, corn demonstrated clear agronomic and economic advantages over conventional production methods. Based upon these findings, we suggest that future research on organic and low-input farming systems focus on developing cost-effective fertility and weed management options based upon improved understanding of N dynamics and weed ecology.

Carbon mineralization in soils of different textures as affected by water-soluble organic carbon extracted from composted dairy manure

The water-soluble organic C in composted manure contains a portion of labile C which can stimulate soil microbial activity. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of water-soluble organic C extracted from composted dairy manure on C mineralization in soil with different textures. Three soils with textures varying from 3 to 54% clay were amended with 0 to 80 mg water-soluble organic C kg−1 soil extracted from a composted dairy manure and incubated for 16 weeks at 23°C. The total amount of C mineralized was greater than the amount of C added in the three soils. Differences in mineralizable C with and without added water-soluble organic C were approximately 13–16 times, 4.8–8 times, and 7.5–8 times greater than the amount of C added to clay, loam, and sand soils, respectively. The results of this experiment suggest that immediately following composted manure applications, C mineralization rates increase, and that most of the C mineralized comes mainly from the indigenous soil organic C pool.

Yield and content in nitrates, minerals and ascorbic acid of leeks and turnips grown under mineral or organic nitrogen fertilizations.

The influence of mineral NPK fertilizers and organic fertilizers such as manure compost, woodchip compost and blood meal on the yields and the nutritive value of leeks and turnips were compared. Fertilizers were applied on the two crops grown successively in 200-1 containers. Mineral fertilizers, manure compost and blood meal provided equivalent vegetable yields. Contents in dry matter, ascorbic acid and minerals of leeks and turnips were not strongly affected by the different fertilization regimes. The nitrate content of both crops was significantly lower under the application of manure compost and woodchip compost, while mineral fertilizers and blood meal induced similar, higher nitrate levels. The present work thus provides new data showing the usefulness of composts in growing vegetables with low nitrate contents.

On the NaF-Soluble Soil Organic Matter (2) : Effect of Continued Application of Manure Compost on the Quality of Soil Humus (Part 2)

On the NaF-Soluble Soil Organic Matter (2) : Effect of Continued Application of Manure Compost on the Quality of Soil Humus (Part 2)