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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #309734
Title: Compost and manure effects on sugarbeet nitrogen uptake, nitrogen recovery, and nitrogen use efficiency

Author
item Lehrsch, Gary
item BROWN, BRADFORD - Retired Non ARS Employee
item Lentz, Rodrick
item JOHNSON-MAYNARD, JODI - University Of Idaho
item Leytem, April

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/13/2015
Publication Date: 5/5/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61175
Citation: Lehrsch, G.A., Brown, B., Lentz, R.D., Johnson-Maynard, J.L., Leytem, A.B. 2015. Compost and manure effects on sugarbeet nitrogen uptake, nitrogen recovery, and nitrogen use efficiency. Agronomy Journal. 107(3):1155-1166.

Interpretive Summary: To recover the most sugar from sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.), producers must effectively manage added nitrogen (N), whether it be from urea or organic sources such as manure or composted manure. Our study’s objective was to determine the effects of a one-time application of stockpiled and composted dairy cattle manure on sugarbeet N uptake, N recovery (NR) and N use efficiency (NUE). First-year treatments at Parma, ID, included a non-N-fertilized control, urea (202 kg N/ha), compost (218 and 435 kg estimated available N/ha), and manure (140 and 280 kg available N/ha). Treatments at Kimberly, ID, were a control, urea (82 kg N/ha), compost (81 and 183 kg available N/ha), and manure (173 and 340 kg available N/ha). Compost and manure were rototilled into a Greenleaf silt loam near Parma, ID, in fall 2002 and 2003 and disked into a Portneuf silt loam near Kimberly, ID, in fall 2002 with sugarbeet planted the following spring. Sugarbeet N uptake was similar between urea and manure, and often between urea and compost, when the organic amendments were averaged across rates. Incorporating equal rates of organic amendments to 5 cm rather than 10 cm increased whole-plant N uptake by 13%, to 163.3 kg N/ha. In general, NR varied among fertilizer sources such that urea >> manure > compost because most of the organic sources’ N had not yet been converted into a plant-available form. Where similar rates of available N were supplied, NUE was similar among urea, manure, and compost at each site each year.

Technical Abstract: To maximize recoverable sucrose from sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.), producers must effectively manage added nitrogen (N), whether it be from urea or organic sources such as manure or composted manure. Our multi-site study’s objective was to determine the effects of a one-time application of stockpiled and composted dairy cattle manure on sugarbeet N uptake, N recovery (NR) and N use efficiency (NUE). First-year treatments at Site 1 included a control (no N), urea (202 kg N/ha), compost (218 and 435 kg estimated available N/ha), and manure (140 and 280 kg available N/ha). Site 2 treatments were a control, urea (82 kg N/ha), compost (81 and 183 kg available N/ha), and manure (173 and 340 kg available N/ha). Compost and manure were incorporated into two silt loams, a Greenleaf (Xeric Calciargid) near Parma, ID, in fall 2002 and 2003 and a Portneuf (Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcid) near Kimberly, ID, in fall 2002 with sugarbeet planted the following spring. Sugarbeet N uptake was similar between urea and (i) manure, and (ii) often compost, when the organic amendments were averaged across rates. Incorporating equal rates of organic amendments to 0.05 rather than 0.10 m increased whole-plant N uptake by 1.13-fold, to 163.3 kg N/ha. In general, NR varied among fertilizer sources such that urea >> manure > compost. Where similar rates of available N were supplied, NUE ranged from 44.1 to 83.5 kg sucrose per kg available N, not differing among inorganic and organic N sources within site-years.