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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #176843
Title: CHANGES IN SOIL TEST PHOSPHORUS FROM BROILER LITTER ADDITIONS.

Author
item Leytem, April
item SIMS, J - UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

Submitted to: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/18/2005
Publication Date: 10/1/2006
Citation: Leytem, A.B., Sims, J.T. 2006. Changes in soil test phosphorus from broiler litter additions. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 36:2541:2559.

Interpretive Summary: Nutrient surpluses on the Delmarva Peninsula have lead to a continual accumulation of soil test P (STP), a potential source for transport of P to surface waters. This paper examines the effects of initial soil test P concentrations and broiler litter additions on STP accumulation. Broiler litter was applied at rates of 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 g per kg (dry weight) to three soils: an Evesboro sandy loam (Mesic, coated Typic Quartzipsamments), a Pocomoke sandy loam (Coarse-loamy, siliceous, thermic typic Umbraquults), and a Matapeake silt loam (Fine-silty, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Hapludults). Soils and broiler litter were incubated for 16 wk with subsamples analyzed after 4 and 16 wk. There was a linear increase in STP (Mehlich-3), water soluble P (WS-P), iron-oxide strip extractable P (FeO-P), and Mehlich-3 phosphorus saturation ratio (M3-PSR) with broiler litter additions. Regression analysis indicated few significant differences in STP response to added BL between soils within the same soil group having different initial STP levels. Correlation analysis and stepwise regression indicated that increases in WS-P and FeO-P from added BL were more closely related to the degree of P saturation of the soil rather than traditional STP measurements. Therefore, decisions regarding manure placement within a watershed should be based on the potential P sorption capacity of the soil as well as potential P transport pathways when the goal is the reduction of P transfer to waterbodies.

Technical Abstract: Nutrient surpluses on the Delmarva Peninsula have lead to a continual accumulation of soil test P (STP), a potential source for transport of P to surface waters. This paper examines the effects of initial soil test P concentrations and broiler litter additions on STP accumulation. Broiler litter was applied at rates of 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 g per kg (dry weight) to three soils: an Evesboro sandy loam (Mesic, coated Typic Quartzipsamments), a Pocomoke sandy loam (Coarse-loamy, siliceous, thermic typic Umbraquults), and a Matapeake silt loam (Fine-silty, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Hapludults). Soils and broiler litter were incubated for 16 wk with subsamples analyzed after 4 and 16 wk. There was a linear increase in STP (Mehlich-3), water soluble P (WS-P), iron-oxide strip extractable P (FeO-P), and Mehlich-3 phosphorus saturation ratio (M3-PSR) with broiler litter additions. Regression analysis indicated few significant differences in STP response to added BL between soils within the same soil group having different initial STP levels. Correlation analysis and stepwise regression indicated that increases in WS-P and FeO-P from added BL were more closely related to the degree of P saturation of the soil rather than traditional STP measurements. Therefore, decisions regarding manure placement within a watershed should be based on the potential P sorption capacity of the soil as well as potential P transport pathways when the goal is the reduction of P transfer to waterbodies.