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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Southeast Watershed Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #104949
Title: FLUID FERTILIZERS AS STARTER-, FOLIAR-, AND SIDE DRESS-APPLICATIONS IN AN INTENSIVE CROP ROTATION

Author
item GASCHO, GARY - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item BRENNEMAN, TIMOTHY - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item HARRIS, G. - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Hubbard, Robert
item Hanna, Wayne

Submitted to: Animal Production Systems and the Environment
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/24/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: GASCHO, G.J., BRENNEMAN, T.B., HARRIS, G.H., HUBBARD, R.K., HANNA, W.W. FLUID FERTILIZERS AS STARTER-, FOLIAR-, AND SIDE DRESS-APPLICATIONS IN AN INTENSIVE CROP ROTATION. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND THE ENVIRONMENT. 16:128-138. 1999.

Interpretive Summary: The large broiler industry in Georgia is expanding rapidly and figures released in 1999 indicate that GA is the number 1 producer of broilers. Nearly all the current expansion is in the Coastal Plain (CP) in south GA. Presently there are approx. 2000 houses in the CP with each broiler house resulting in approx. 150 tons litter/year. Due to increasing demand for cotton and elimination of the boll weevil, making insect control less costly, cotton acreage has expanded rapidly in the CP. GA cotton acreage has more than quadrupled in the past 4 yrs and is currently 1.4 million acres, surpassing peanut acreage. Given the increase in poultry production in the CP it is apparent that applications of broiler litter will be made on land planted in cotton & peanuts. Indiscriminate applications of poultry litter to crops may result in unbalanced nutritional conditions for most crops. The flexibility of fluid fertilizer compositions and ease of application make them well poised to be of value in providing balanced nutrition. A double-cropped, irrigated, conservation-tilled 3-yr rotation was started in Tifton, GA in 1996 and continues in order to determine the fertilization needed to balance nutrition supplied as broiler litter. Cotton, peanut and pearl millet for grain are planted in summer and wheat and canola are planted in winter. Litter application provided yield and value/acre increases for cotton, grain pearl millet, wheat and canola. Any litter application was detrimental to peanut yield/grade. High rates of broiler litter are rapidly increasing soil test P, signaling potential problems in the future. Overall results should be useful in making recommendations for litter rates and economically efficient applications of fluid fertilizers following litter application.

Technical Abstract: A double-cropped, irrigated, conservation-tilled 3-yr rotation was initiated at Tifton, GA in 1996 and continues in order to determine the fertilization needed to balance nutrition supplied as broiler litter. Cotton, peanut and pearl millet for grain are planted in summer and wheat and canola are planted in winter. Following cotton the plots are fallowed. All summer and winter crops are grown each year. Plots are arranged in split-plots with broiler litter (BL) rates of 0,2,4 and 6 ton/acre before each crop as the main plots and fluid fertilizer treatments as split plots. High rates of BL are rapidly increasing soil test P, signaling potential problems in the future. Litter application provided yield and value/acre increases for cotton, grain pearl millet, wheat and canola. Any litter application was detrimental to peanut yield and grade. At a suggested rate of 2 ton litter/acre, gross returns of cotton increased by $66 or $35/acre/ /year due to 10 gal of 1-34-0 or 12-22-5 (2S) as starter fertilizers, respectively, but not consistenly to 3 foliar KNO**3 applications; millet value increased only slightly due to starter application, but by $19-$28 due to 40 lb N/acre as side dressed UAN; wheat value increased by $57/acre due to 40 lb N dribbled on 15 Feb. and canola value increased as much as $84/acre from 2 dribble applications of 40 lb as UAN spaced at 45 & 90 days after emergence. Peanut responded only to application of a fungicide in all 3 years of this rotation. Data should be useful in making recommendations for litter rates and economically efficient applications of fluid fertilizers following litter application.