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Title: Effect of five-year continuous poultry litter use in cotton production on major soil nutrients

Author
item REDDY, K - ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY
item REDDY, S - ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY
item MALIK, BR - ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY
item LEMUNYON, J - USDA-NRCS
item Reeves, Donald

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/3/2008
Publication Date: 6/2/2008
Citation: Reddy, K.C., Reddy, S.S., Malik, B.K., Lemunyon, J.L., Reeves, D.W. 2008. Effect of five-year continuous poultry litter use in cotton production on major soil nutrients. Agronomy Journal. 100:1047-1055.

Interpretive Summary: Repeated application of poultry litter to crop lands may lead to nitrate leaching, which impairs ground water quality; and accumulation of phosphorus (P)and other nutrients in the soil, which can be lost to surface waters in runoff; impairing quality of surface waters. An ARS scientist at the J. Phil Campbell Sr. Natural Resource Conservation Service in Watkinsville, GA cooperated with a USDA-NRCS scientist and scientists at Alabama A&M University to determine nitrate movement and accumulation of P and other crop nutrients from 5-year applications of fresh and composted poultry litter and commercial urea fertilizer to cotton. They treated the litter and urea with a chemical designed to retard nitrate formation. The chemical treatment reduced nitrate formation in all fertilizer sources (fresh litter, composted litter, and urea) for 41 days following application. At the end of 5 years, soil phosphorus increased by 74% with application of composted litter but not with application of fresh litter. These results indicate that application of fresh poultry litter in soils that are not already overloaded with phosporus is safe, and treating litter to retard nitrate formation is advantageous from an environmental perspective. This information can be used by State Cooperative Extension Systems, USDA-NRCS, and other state and federal agencies responsible for managing lands where long-term poultry litter applications have been made in order to reduce the potential for losses of phosphorus to surface waters and nitrate to groundwaters.

Technical Abstract: Repeated application of poultry litter to crop lands may lead to nitrate leaching and build up of P and other elements in the soil profile, which are prone to loss from runoff and erosion. A study was conducted for five years at Belle Mina, AL on a Decatur silt loam (clayey, kaolinitic thermic, Typic Paleudult) during 1994-1998 to determine nitrate movement and quantify accumulation of P, K, Ca and Mg due to the application of the nitrification inhibitor carboxymethyl pyrazole (CP), treated fresh and composted poultry litter and urea in conventionally tilled cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Poultry litter maintained soil pH (0-30 cm depth); application of urea resulted in a decline in pH. The inhibitor, CP, significantly reduced NO3--N formation in all N sources for 41 days following application. In general, very minimal changes in nitrate concentrations were observed due to change in rates or sources of N. Over the experimental period, P concentration increased significantly (by 74%; 17.7 kg P/ha) with application of composted litter but not in fresh litter plots (1.54 kg P/ha). A linear increase in P accumulation was observed with increased rate of composted litter. Concentrations of K and Mg increased significantly with application of fresh litter (93 and 25 kg/ha, respectively) and composted litter (127 and 36 kg/ha, respectively). These results indicate that application of fresh poultry litter in soils that are not already overloaded with P is safe and treating litter with CP is advantageous from an environmental perspective.