Cattle Manure Application Research Articles

Ten-year application of cattle manure contributes to the build-up of soil organic matter in eroded Mollisols

Amendment of animal manures into eroded soils is an important approach to improving nutrient status and increasing the concentration of soil organic carbon (SOC). However, the contribution of the manure carbon to SOC and its variation along soil profile has not been quantified. We simulated soil erosion in a mollisol by removing the top soils of 0-, 5-, 10-, 20-, and 30-cm depth and compared SOC in soil profiles 10 years after either chemical fertilization alone or combined with cattle manure application. Increasing erosion depth decreased SOC concentration and weakened soil aggregation. Compared to the chemical fertilization only, the addition of cattle manure significantly increased SOC accumulation and soil aggregation, which mainly occurred in 0–40-cm depths. The greatest effect of manure application was observed in the 10-cm erosion treatment. The application of cattle manure increased the 13C abundance in aggregates and bulk soil in the top 40 cm of soil profile. Using the natural 13C abundance method, we quantified the contribution of the cattle manure to SOC at 0–40-cm depths ranging from 1.1 to 8.4% across erosion treatments. The greatest contribution of the manure-C to SOC occurred in surface layer with 10 cm of soil removal. The application of animal manures was recommended for restoring severely eroded soils.

Nutrient use efficiency and crop yield response to the combined application of cattle manure and inorganic fertilizer in sub-Saharan Africa

The combined application of cattle manure and inorganic fertilizer has been widely recommended in the context of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the conditions under which this combination (hereafter ISFM) improves nutrient and water use efficiency and crop yields have not been systematically studied. Therefore, we undertook a meta-analysis of studies conducted in rain-fed maize production systems across SSA with the objective of (1) quantifying the magnitude of improvement in grain yield, rain use efficiency (RUE), agronomic efficiency of nitrogen (AEN) and phosphorus (AEP) due to ISFM; (2) determining conditions under which ISFM achieves greater yield response, RUE, AEN and AEP; and (3) compare yield responses to the substitutive and additive approaches of ISFM with sole application of cattle manure. Application of high rates of cattle manure in combination with high N fertilizer rates increased yield response only by 27.5%, but it achieved 47% lower AEN and 27% lower AEP relative to a combination of low manure and low N fertilizer rate. The substitutive approach of ISFM achieved 54% greater AEN and 16% greater AEP than the additive ISFM approach. Yield response and AEN also significantly varied with soil type. On most soil types, AEN was 2–195% lower under sole manure than under ISFM or sole fertilizer. We recommend application of moderate rates of cattle manure (5–10 t ha−1) combined with moderate doses of N fertilizer (< 50 kg N ha−1) on responsive soils to optimize AEN and maize yield response.

Socio-Economic Impacts of Smallholder Dairy Cattle Farming on Livelihood in Sunga Ward of Lushoto District, Tanzania

A smallholder dairy cattle farming has been practiced by farmers in Tanzania, particularly in rural areas as a means of livelihood through income generated and food security although information about its impacts might not be clear from different locations. This study examined socio-economic impacts of smallholder dairy cattle farming on the livelihood in Sunga ward of Lushoto District, Tanzania. A cross-sectional study design was adopted whereby quantitative approach was used. Simple random sampling was used to select 120 households from 384 total households practicing dairy cattle farming. The survey was used as the method of data collection. Structured questionnaire constructed from close and open ended questions was utilized as an instrument of data collection. Data analysis was done by using SPSS whereby the study revealed descriptive statistics and paired-samples t test. Results show that smallholder dairy cattle farming has a social impact on household food security due to increased crop yields (97.5%), milk consumption (74.8%) and selling of cattle (67.2%). Also, households improved access to education (79.2%), improved access to health services (84%) and increased assets (87.4%) such as buying of land, motorcycles and construction of houses. Moreover, dairy cattle farming has demonstrated economic impacts through direct income generated from selling milk (65.8%), using manure for agriculture (100%), income from selling cattle (71.7%) and perceived as a source of employment (92.5%). Income from selling milk contributes about 47% of annual income of the household. Through cattle manure application on cropping farms, average household annual income in Tanzania shillings (TZS) generated from crops was significantly increased to TZS 555300 from TZS 166600 in the period before household introduced cattle manure (t=10.188, p<0.001). This study recommends the government to allocate more extension officers in rural areas, particularly in Sunga ward in order to enhance knowledge and skills of farmers that can help to improve further their efficiency in dairy cattle rearing so as to increase their income and enhance food security for sustainable livelihood.

Beef Manure and Urea Applied to Corn Show Variable Effects on Nitrous Oxide, Methane, Carbon Dioxide, and Ammonia

Land application of beef cattle (Bos taurus) manure can improve soil health and increase corn (Zea mays L.) yield compared with commercial fertilizers. However, ammonia (NH₃), nitrous oxide (N₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and methane (CH₄) emissions may lead to nutrient losses and environmental concerns. The objective of this research was to quantify NH₃, N₂O, CO₂, and CH₄ emissions from commercial and manure fertilizers applied to corn. In addition, residual soil N, corn yield, plant tissue N, and grain N were determined. The 2-yr field study was conducted in Fargo-Ryan silty clay soil. Treatments consisted of urea only (UO), solid beef manure (SM), solid beef manure with straw bedding (BM), and no fertilizer (NF). All treatments were applied to meet the corn N demand and yield goal of 10,760 kg ha–¹ (160 bu ac–¹). Greenhouse gases were quantified using static flux chambers, and NH₃ was quantified using acid traps, for a total of 13 measurement dates in each growing season. Manure applied to soil reduced cumulative N₂O by 23% in SM and 31% in BM compared with the UO soil. Cumulative CO₂ emission (cCO₂) was 42% lower in UO than in SM or BM. Cumulative CH₄ emission (cCH₄) ranged from –0.04 (NF) to 0.21 (BM) kg CH₄–C ha–¹, with the highest emission from BM. Cumulative NH₃ emission (cNH₃) was 11% lower in manure than UO. Cumulative residual soil N was 11% greater in Year 2. Fertilizer source did not affect the yield and grain N uptake (P > 0.05). The results highlight the challenges that come with variability in manure, soil, and weather as well as the potential for meeting crop N demand while reducing greenhouse gas emissions when using manure as an N source.

Narrow Grass Hedge Effects on Microbial Transport Following Variable Applications of Beef Cattle Manure

Abstract. The effectiveness of a 1.4 m wide grass hedge in reducing microbial transport following manure application was examined in this study. Beef cattle manure was applied to 0.75 m wide by 4.0 m long plots established on an Aksarben silty clay loam located in southeast Nebraska. Manure was added at rates required to meet none or the 1-, 2-, or 4-year nitrogen requirements for corn. The transport of phages, total coliforms, , and enterococci was measured for three 30 min simulated rainfall events, which were separated by approximately 24 h intervals. The narrow grass hedge reduced total counts of phages, , and enterococci from 10.8 to 9.01 log PFU ha-1, from 12.4 to 11.9 log CFU ha-1, and from 11.8 to 11.2 log CFU ha-1, respectively. For the plots that received manure, no significant differences in transport of phages or enterococci were found among the three manure application rates. Rainfall simulation run significantly affected measurements of phages, total coliforms, and enterococci, with measurements during the three runs varying from 8.91 to 10.5 log PFU ha-1, from 12.7 to 13.3 log CFU ha-1, and from 11.2 to 11.7 log CFU ha-1, respectively. Counts for phages, total coliforms, and enterococci were significantly less for the first than the second and third rainfall simulation runs. All four of the microbial constituents were significantly correlated to dissolved P, particulate P, total P, and total N. A narrow grass hedge placed on the contour significantly reduced microbial transport following variable applications of beef cattle manure. Keywords: Bacteria, Cattle manure, E. coli, Filter strips, Land application, Manure management, Manure runoff, Microbial, Microorganisms, Runoff.

Soil physicochemical properties influenced by nitrogen sources and rates in the central Great Plains

Land application of beef cattle (<i>Bos turus</i>) manure is a management strategy that can supply essential plant nutrients, enhance land sustainability, and maintain environmental quality. The objectives of this study were to evaluate (1) soil chemical properties and (2) temporal changes in soil nutrient dynamics as influenced by tillage practices (no-tillage [NT] and conventional tillage [CT]) and nitrogen (N) sources (manure and commercial fertilizer; urea) at two application rates (high 134 kg N ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ [120 lb ac⁻¹ yr⁻¹] and low 67 kg N ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ [60 lb ac⁻¹ yr⁻¹]) for both N sources. An unfertilized control treatment with no N added was also included within each tillage treatment. The study was conducted on an Armo silt loam (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Entic Haplustolls) at Kansas State University Agriculture Research Center near Hays, Kansas, from 2006 to 2016. Soil samples were taken annually at 0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in) depth prior to spring field operations. Across tillage, soil pH, total N (TN), extractable phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) were influenced by N source, N rate, and sampling time. The high manure rate treatments increased soil TN by an average of 19% compared with the commercial N fertilizer and control treatments. Eliminating tillage enhanced soil TN accumulation in the top 15 cm of soil by approximately 9% more than CT. Extractable soil P measured in 2016 increased by approximately 401% compared with 2006. Similarly, soil P increased by approximately 331% with high manure and by 66% with low manure compared with commercial fertilizer treatments. Manure addition at high and low rates had 43% and 20% increase in soil available K, respectively, compared with commercial fertilizer treatments. The observed temporal variability in soil extractable P, K, and Na were mostly related to manure addition. The increase in N rates strengthens the relationship between soil electrical conductivity (EC) and soil nitrates (NO₃), especially with commercial fertilizer where the changes in soil EC were 2.8-fold greater than the manure treatments. The significant (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) changes in soil chemical properties influenced by the management interaction throughout the years (time × tillage × N sources) may take longer than 10 years to be observed in the dryland cropping system of the Great Plains region. However, growers should take extra care to prevent soil P and Na accumulation, specifically when cattle manure is being added to meet the N requirement for crop production.

Mycorrhizal inoculation and application of cattle manure in field-grown maize in semiarid conditions

AbstractWe evaluated the effects of cattle manure and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in maize plants growing in a semiarid area of Brazilian north-east in 2012 and 2013. Three isolates of AMF (Acaulosporalongula URM-FMA 07 and URM-FMA 03, Claroideoglomusetunicatum UNIVASF 06A) were used, with or without the application of cattle manure, during two growing cycles. In the first year, significant effects of inoculation were detected for straw yield only when the manure was applied. In the second year, there was an interaction between fertilisation and inoculation for plant height and grain yield, with the highest values in the fertilised treatments. Inoculation with A. longula demonstrated that mycorrhizal inoculation in field-grown plants could be an alternative management for improving plant growth and grain yield, reducing the use of cattle manure. The AMF sporulation and mycorrhizal colonisation were improved after inoculation, and A. longula URM-FMA 07 increased sporulation by more than 15 times while inoculation with C. etunicatum increased sporulation by more than 3 times. The mycorrhizal inoculation is a management practice that can be useful for recovering or maintaining AMF infective propagules in soil, showing potential to be used in large-scale field conditions in Brazilian semiarid. Although mycorrhisation presents high agricultural relevance due to benefits promoted to the soil and plants, the knowledge about the factors influencing the interactions among microorganisms, soil and plants need to be broadened aiming to achieve successful crop management in semiarid regions.

The long-term effects of cattle manure application to agricultural soils as a natural-based solution to combat salinization

Excessive exchangeable sodium and high soil pH result in structural destabilization of sodic soil. The long-term application of cattle manure is an important management practice that can affect the physical properties of sodic soil. Experiments were carried out using a randomized complete block design comprising five treatments according to the cattle manure application history: corn (Zea mays L.) fields with annual manure application since 2011 (M2011), 2006 (M2006), 2001 (M2001) and 1995 (M1995) were used as the experimental treatments; manure was applied at a rate of 10,000 kg ha−1 yr−1 on an oven-dry weight basis, and corn without manure application was used as the control. The results indicated that long-term application of manure to sodic soil resulted in significant increases in soil porosity, water-holding capacity, and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and a decrease in bulk density in comparison to the control treatment. In addition, manure application significantly increased macro-aggregate formation and the mean weight diameter (MWD). Based on stepwise regression analysis, the dominant independent variable that affected aggregate stability was water-stable aggregates (WSAs) of 0.5–1 mm, and the dominant independent variable that affected both capillary porosity (ƒc) and non-capillary porosity (ƒn) was WSAs of 0.25–0.5 mm. MWD, ƒn and especially soil organic matter (SOM) were the dominant attributes that affected Ks. It was concluded that improved soil physical properties are related to soil aggregation, resulting mainly from macro-aggregate formation, particularly WSAs of 0.25–0.5 and 0.5–1 mm. This is due to binding-agent production and increased SOM from annual manure application.

Temporal Dynamics of Nitrous Oxide Emission and Nitrate Leaching in Renovated Grassland with Repeated Application of Manure and/or Chemical Fertilizer

Managed grassland is occasionally renovated to maintain plant productivity by killing old vegetation, ploughing, and reseeding. This study aimed to investigate the combined effect of grassland renovation and long-term manure application on the temporal dynamics of nitrous oxide (N2O) emission and nitrate nitrogen (NO3−–N) leaching. The study was conducted from September 2013 to September 2016 in a managed grassland renovated in September 2013. In this grassland, two treatments were managed—chemical fertilizer application (F treatment) and the combined application of chemical fertilizer and beef cattle manure (MF treatment)—for eight years before the renovation. The control treatment without fertilization (CT) was newly established in the F treatment. The soil N2O flux was measured using a closed chamber method. A leachate sample was collected using a tension-free lysimeter that was installed at the bottom of the Ap horizon (25 cm deep), and total NO3−–N leaching was calculated from leachate NO3−–N concentration and drainage volume was estimated by the water balance method. In the first year after renovation, the absence of plant nitrogen uptake triggered NO3−–N leaching following rainfall during renovation and increased drainage water after thawing. NO3−–N movement from topsoil to deeper soil enhanced N2O production and emission from the soil. N2O emission in MF treatment was 1.6–2.0 times larger than those of CT and F treatments, and NO3−–N leaching in MF treatment was 2.3–2.6 times larger than those of CT and F treatments in the first year. Mineral nitrogen release derived from long-term manure application increased NO3−–N leaching and N2O emission. In the second year, N2O emission and NO3−–N leaching significantly decreased from the first year because of increased plant N uptake and decreased mineral nitrogen surplus, and no significant differences in N2O emission and NO3−–N leaching were observed among the treatments. In the second and third years, NO3−–N leaching was regulated by plant nitrogen uptake. There were no significant differences in NO3−–N leaching among the treatments, but N2O emission in MF treatment was significantly smaller than in the F treatment. Long-term manure application could be a possible option to mitigate N2O emission in permanent grassland; however, the risk of increased NO3−–N leaching and N2O emission in the renovation year induced by manure nitrogen release should be noted.

Towards the partial resumption of agriculture with buckwheat cultivation in fields physically decontaminated of radioactive cesium after the nuclear power plant accident in 2011: a case study in Yamakiya District, Fukushima

ABSTRACT Yamakiya District in the town of Kawamata, Fukushima Prefecture, was evacuated after the nuclear accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in 2011. Since then, nuclear decontamination procedures have been applied to the surrounding environment, including agricultural fields. The decontamination procedure for agricultural fields consists of the removal of radiation-contaminated surface soil, followed by soil dressing and plowing. However, radioactive cesium (RCs) remains in the soil even after decontamination. In this study, we investigated the effect of applying nitrogen, potassium fertilizers, and cattle manure compost on buckwheat growth and the concentration of RCs in the grain of buckwheat cultivated in a decontaminated field from 2014 to 2016. Applications of potassium fertilizer and cattle manure compost increased the soil exchangeable potassium content and decreased the RCs concentration in the grain of buckwheat cultivated in the decontaminated field. Before the cultivation of the first buckwheat crop, the RCs concentration in soil varied widely and there were ‘hot spots’ with high RCs concentrations because of insufficient mixing of the original and the dressed soils. Therefore, soil had to be adequately mixed to avoid producing grain with a high RCs concentration. Buckwheat grew better when supplied with more nitrogen fertilizer than the conventional amount at the first cultivation, indicating that the dressed soil had low fertility. We also monitored buckwheat cultivation by local farmers in decontaminated fields from 2015 to 2017. By using potassium fertilizer, the farmers produced buckwheat grain with low RCs concentrations from 2015 to 2017.

Long‐Term Manure Application Effects on Nutrients and Selected Enzymes Involved in Their Cycling

Core Ideas We assessed long‐term manure rates and application times on soil nutrients and enzymes at two sites. Increasing manure rate enhanced soil fertility but hydrolase enzymes showed a quadratic trend. Manure application prior to period of heavy rainfall (spring and fall) was associated with phosphorus losses. Peroxidase and phenol oxidase activities declined with increasing manure application rates. Oxidative enzyme activities were good indices of long‐term soil organic carbon storage. We investigated how soil nutrients (soil organic carbon [SOC], nitrogen [N], and Mehlich‐3‐extractable phosphorus [P‐M3]) and enzymes involved in their cycling were impacted by 10 yr of beef cattle manure application at two sites in Nova Scotia, Canada: a dikeland site (silty clay loam) and an upland site (sandy loam site), under timothy (Phleum pratense L.) cover. Manure was applied at four rates (from 0 to 300 kg total N ha−1) at different times (spring, summer, early fall, and late fall). Activities of hydrolytic enzymes: β‐glucosidase (BG), cellobiohydrolase (CB), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and phosphomonoesterase (PME) and oxidative enzymes: phenol oxidase (PO), peroxidase (PP), were quantified. We hypothesize that manure application will increase soil nutrients and BG, CB, LAP, and PME activities and will decrease PO and PP activities. After 10 yr of manure application, compared to a control, soil pH, SOC, N, and P‐M3 increased linearly by 41, 45, and 125%, respectively, with increasing manure rate, while BG, CB, PME, and LAP activities showed a quadratic response. Conversely, enzymes degrading less labile components (PP and PO) declined with increasing manure rate. Higher SOC and P‐M3 contents and higher LAP activity were found at the upland site, whereas higher PME, PP, and PO activities were found at the dikeland site. Inverse relationships between PME activity and P‐M3 content and between PP activity and SOC or N content were found, whereas a positive correlation between N content and LAP activity was observed. Regular manure application is a good way to sustain soil fertility, with the extent of soil C storage controlled by soil type. The optimal rate and timing of manure application is essential, since application prior to periods of heavy rainfall is associated with phosphorus losses. Our results demonstrated that oxidative enzymes (PP and PO) are good indices of long‐term SOC storage. The lower their activity, the higher is the SOC sequestration.

Initial Growth of Yellow Passion Fruit Under Organic Fertilization

The production of yellow passion fruit seedlings is common among producers. Low cost techniques to maximize and reduce the cost of production with the application of cattle manure make the production of seedlings feasible. The objective of experiment was to evaluate different concentrations of cattle manure in substrate with and without liquid the biofertilizer in the production of yellow passion fruit seedlings. The experiment was carried out at the Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Catolé do Rocha county, Paraíba state. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 5 × 2 factorial scheme, with 5 repetitions end 3 plants per plot. The treatments consisted of five concentrations of cattle manure (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80% of the substrate volume), without and with the biofertilizer (10 mL plant-1). Sixty days after sowing, the following items were evaluated: plant height; number of leaves; root length; leaf area; leaf fresh mass; stem fresh mass; root fresh mass; aerial part fresh mass; total plant fresh mass; aerial part dry mass, and the Dickson quality index. The concentrations between 38 and 69% of composted cattle manure combined with the application of liquid biofertilizer increased the initial growth of yellow passion fruit plants, making its use feasible in the production of seedlings.

Alteration of organic matter during remediation of acid sulfate soils

When acid sulfate soils with hypersulfidic material dry, oxidation of pyrite can cause strong acidification due to formation of sulfuric (pH < 4) material. Re-saturation of acid sulfate soils containing sulfuric material can lead to re-formation of pyrite and pH increase through activity of sulfate reducing bacteria, which require available organic carbon (OC). In the Lower River Murray region in Australia, a clayey acid sulfate soil had acidified during the severe “Millennium” drought between 2007 and early 2010. We investigated why it has not recovered for over a decade after being reflooded. We hypothesized that the low quality and availability of OC limits the activity of sulfate reducing bacteria.A long-term anoxic incubation experiment was conducted to test if OC additions can help to overcome OC limitation. Small-scale incubation vessels were used, allowing investigating general biochemical phenomena under controlled laboratory conditions. Pre-incubated acid sulfate soil with sulfuric material (approx. pH 3.5) was submerged and pre-adjusted to pH 5.0. We used different rates of wheat straw and cattle manure application to test different organic matter quantities and qualities. Both substrates were added in two portions, at the beginning of the experiment and after 190 days. With every addition, we added two different amounts of organic matter (2 mg g−1 soil and 9 mg g−1 soil), equivalent to approx. 10% and 50% of the native soil OC content. A control treatment without OC addition was also included. CO2 production as well as redox and pH values were monitored weekly over a year. At the start and the end of incubation, we determined OC concentrations and the proportion of available, non mineral-associated OC. OC composition was analyzed by solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy to assess its chemical degradation.The pH values increased rapidly in treatments with high OC supply, reaching pH ≥ 6.0 within 3 weeks after the second OC addition. Treatments with low OC additions showed slower pH increases, reaching values between pH 5.5 and 6.0 after one year. The control treatment had pH values <5.0 at the end of the experiment. After one year of anoxic incubation, the control treatment lost 10% of the native OC. Treatments with OC additions lost between 13 and 19% of total OC (native + added OC), with higher percentage loss in treatments with high OC additions.Highest losses were observed for the non mineral-associated OC fraction (up to 69% in treatments with high OC additions), with up to 20% being converted to the mineral-associated OC. OC composition changed little compared to the start of the experiment, showing slightly reduced proportions of carbohydrates (≤10% loss) and slightly higher proportions of lipids and lignin.Best remediation success was achieved by adding 50% of the native soil OC as wheat straw, resulting in fast pH neutralization, strongly reducing conditions, and decreased sulfur and iron concentrations in the soil solution. However, the amount of bioavailable OC was reduced to one third after the incubation period. Repeated OC addition is therefore recommended to keep the total amount of bioavailable, undecomposed plant residues high and to ensure long-term remediation success.

Water Productivity and Economic Analysis of Saffron Under Different Irrigation Water Salinity, Manure Application Rates and Planting Methods

The objective of the present study was to identify whether the investment in the in-furrow planting and higher application of cattle manure under irrigation water salinity condition for saffron planting is cost-effective or not. A split–split plot arrangement was conducted in complete randomized block design with irrigation water salinity levels (0.45 (fresh water, S1), 1.0 (S2), 2.0 (S3) and 3.0 (S4) dS m−1) as the main plot, cattle manure levels (30 (F1) and 60 (F2) Mg ha−1) as the sub plot and planting method (basin (P1) and in-furrow (P2)) as the sub–sub plot in three replications. Results showed that we can reach more than two-fold higher water productivity (WP) in the in-furrow planting method compared with the basin planting method. Also, application of higher cattle manure (F2 treatment) resulted in higher WP in higher salinity levels (i.e., S3 and S4 treatments).According to the net income (NI),economic water use efficiency (EWUE) and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) analysis, the production benefit of the in-furrow planting method was higher than the production cost compared with the basin method even in the first year of the planting; whereas, it was not economically feasible for basin planting method. The highest NI for the in-furrow planting method was obtained 372 × 106 Rls ha−1 that was about 3.5 times of the highest NI (12 × 106 Rls ha−1) for the basin planting method in the second year. The economic analysis results led to conclude that planting the saffron corms in furrow was found to be suitable for producing high saffron yield and consequently NI and EWUE even under high irrigation salinity levels. Therefore, it is worthwhile to change conventional basin planting method into the in-furrow planting for saffron production to achieve the higher WP and economic efficiency.

Bazı Organik Besin Kaynaklarının Cin Mısırın (Zea mays L. everta) Tane Verimine Etkisi

This study was carried out to determine effect of sixteen different organic nutrition sources to grain yield of popcorn (Zea mays L. everta) in Çermik district of Diyarbakır province of Turkey between 2010 and 2011 years. The research was established according to Randomized Complete Block Designs (RCBD) with 3 replicates and Ant-Cin 98 popcorn variety was used as crop material in the study. Organic nutrition sources were torf, compost, cattle manure, chicken manure, horse manure, sheep manure, pigeon manure, vermicompost, seaweed + cattle manure, compost + humic acid, cattle manure + humic acid, chicken manure + humic acid, horse manure + humic acid, sheep manure + humic acid and torf + humic acid except conventional. In both years, applications affected significantly popcorn yield (P≤0.01). According to average of two years, the highest popcorn grain yields were found at seaweed + cattle manure, horse manure + humic acid and sheep manure + humic acid applications. Grain yields of these applications were 526.54 kg da-1, 516.85 kg da-1 and 497.07 kg da-1, respectively. Seaweed + cattle manure, horse manure + humic acid, sheep manure + humic acid and pigeon manure of applications were caused a 9.47%, 7.45%, 3.34%, 0.52% increase in yield compared with the conventional application, respectively. Also economic analysis was performed in this study. The greatest net profits were obtained from horse manure + humic acid application (2280.64 TL da-1) in 2010 while horse manure (2545.82 TL da-1) application in 2011. According to yield, quality and economic net profit; horse manure, chicken manure, compost, cattle manure, sheep manure and humic acid applications can be used in organic popcorn farming.

Effect of cattle manure on growth and yield of carrot (Daucus Carrota L.) under Jimma condition

So far, research has been conducted to know the effect of cattle manure fertilizer on growth and yield of carrot under Jimma condition. Experiment was conducted at Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at horticulture garden during 2016 cropping season under irrigation condition. Experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design and cattle manure applications with four treatments (0, 5, 10 and 18 tons per hectare) were used. Each treatment was replicated three times. Data was collected from five randomly taken plants per plot. The finding revealed that application of cattle manure on carrot showed a highly significant effect for growth parameters (plant height, canopy diameter, root length and root diameter). Application of cattle manure at 10 tons ha-1 increased carrot root weight by 48.8 % compared to the non-fertilized control treatment. Therefore, this finding would be a base for future research to be conducted.

Co-application of biochar and cattle manure counteract positive priming of carbon mineralization in a sandy soil

BackgroundApplication of biochar has been suggested as a carbon (C) management strategy to sequester C and enhance soil quality. An incubation study was carried out to investigate the interactive effect of biochar and cattle manure application on mineralization of carbon (C) in a tropical coastal savanna sandy soil.MethodsThe soils were amended with three sole levels of cattle manure (0, 13 and 26 tons ha−1) or biochar (0, 20 and 40 tons ha−1) and four combined manure–biochar levels (20 or 40 tons ha−1 biochar plus 13 or 26 tons ha−1 manure) and CO2 evolution was measured over 56 days incubation period. The soils were analyzed for mineral N (NH4+-N and NO3−-N) and water extractable organic C, and net N mineralization, and priming effect (PE) values calculated.ResultsThe cumulative C mineralized increased in the sole manure and biochar amended soils, resulting in 45–125% positive PE. However, co-application of biochar and manure decelerated decomposition of C, probably through adsorption of labile C and net N immobilization, subsequently leading up to negative 35% PE.ConclusionsThe results suggest that co-application of biochar and cattle manure can potentially stabilize C in manure amended sandy soils, albeit with a temporary mineral N limitation to plants.

The Effects of Combined Application of Cattle manure And Mineral Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilizer on Growth, Biomass Yield, And Quality of Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L) Tuber Inabelo Area at Masha District sheka Zone, South-Western Ethiopia

The Effects of Combined Application of Cattle manure And Mineral Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilizer on Growth, Biomass Yield, And Quality of Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L) Tuber Inabelo Area at Masha District sheka Zone, South-Western Ethiopia

Bedding additives reduce ammonia emission and improve crop N uptake after soil application of solid cattle manure

This study examined the influences of three potential additives, i.e., lava meal, sandy soil top-layer and zeolite (used in animal bedding) amended solid cattle manures on (i) ammonia (NH3), dinitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions and (ii) maize crop or grassland apparent N recovery (ANR). Diffusion samplers were installed at 20 cm height on grassland surface to measure the concentrations of NH3 from the manures. A photoacoustic gas monitor was used to quantitate the fluxes of N2O, CH4 and CO2 after manures’ incorporation into the maize-field. Herbage ANR was calculated from dry matter yield and N uptake of three successive harvests, while maize crop ANR was determined at cusp of juvenile stage, outset of grain filling as well as physiological maturity stages. Use of additives decreased the NH3 emission rates by about two-third from the manures applied on grassland surface than control untreated-manure. Total herbage ANR was more than doubled in treated manures and was 25% from manure amended with farm soil, 26% and 28% from zeolite and lava meal, respectively compared to 11% from control manure. In maize experiment, mean N2O and CO2 emission rates were the highest from the latter treatment but these rates were not differed from zero control in case of manures amended with farm soil or zeolite. However, mean CH4 emissions was not differed among all treatments during the whole measuring period. The highest maize crop ANR was obtained at the beginning of grain filling stage (11–40%), however ample lower crop recoveries (8–14%) were achieved at the final physiological maturity stage. This phenomenon was occurred due to leaf senescence N losses from maize crop during the period of grains filling. The lowest losses were observed from control manure at this stage. Hence, all additives decreased the N losses from animal manure and enhanced crop N uptake thus improved the agro-environmental worth of animal manure.

Effect of pH, Oxidation States of Arsenic and, Inorganic and Organic Fertilizers on Accumulation of Arsenic in Vegetables

Background/Objectives: The groundwater of 60 districts out of 64 in Bangladesh was contaminated with arsenic, whose irrigation usage is increasing over last two decades to raise food production. In this context, we studied the effects of pH and different oxidation states of arsenic (As3+ and As5+) in irrigation water and of both inorganic and organic fertilizers on arsenic-accumulation in vegetables. Method/Statistical Analysis: Five vegetable plants were grown with sandy clay loamy soil in pots under open field conditions and irrigated with model water of 10 mg As L-1. The pot experiments were well justified by field trails (n=80) that roughly showed 1:1 correlation. The samples were acid-digested and analyzed by GF-AAS for total concentration of arsenic. The regression equations of the fitted models were cross-checked by analyzing ANOVA, P value, r value and Durbin-Watson statistics. Findings: Prolonged use of irrigation water of pH range 5.00-11.00 for 90 days changed pH of surface soil of 0-3 cm depth from 6.22 to 8.93. The concentration of As in vegetables, [As]veg, although varied irregularly, was comparatively higher at both lower pH (5.00) and higher pH (10.00) of irrigation water corresponding to soil pH of 6.22 and 8.34 respectively. Arsenic in +3 oxidation state accumulated more in vegetables than that in +5 oxidation state. Comparison showed that urea and TSP increased arsenic content in vegetables by 72.37% and 18.83% respectively, whereas potash and cattle manure decreased that by 14.76% and 51.16% respectively. The reduction of [As]veg by the cattle manure is probably due to adsorption of As by cellulosic materials and microorganism induced methylation of As in soil, as we found 50.72% organic matter, 30.32% Organic C in cattle manure and about 106 Fecal Coliform bacteria per 100g of cattle manure amended soil. Novelty/Improvements: To our knowledge, this is the first paper that reports the effect of different oxidation states of arsenic (As3+ and As5+) of irrigation water towards arsenicaccumulation in vegetables. Our findings reveal that for As phytoremediation, soil pH should be around 6.80 and application of cattle manure should be highly encouraged, whereas uses of urea and TSP should be controlled. This study highlights the appropriate practices in cultivation process towards safety of human health. Keywords: Arsenic, Effect, Fertilizer, Oxidation State, Vegetables, pH