Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #269519
Title: Nutrient losses from Fall and Winter-applied manure: Effects of timing and soil temperature

Author
item WILLIAMS, MARK - Pennsylvania State University
item Feyereisen, Gary
item BEEGLE, DOUG - Pennsylvania State University
item SHANNON, ROB - Pennsylvania State University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2011
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soil temperature is a major environmental factor that affects both the infiltration of meltwater and precipitation, and nutrient cycling. The objectives of this study were to determine nutrient losses in runoff and leachate from fall and winter-applied dairy manure based on the soil temperature at the time of application and to assess nutrient dynamics over the winter season. Three manure treatments were applied to lysimeters containing intact soil cores: early-fall (Oct. 21, 16°C), late-fall (Nov. 16, 4.5°C), and winter (Dec. 15, -6.5°C). Runoff and leachate were collected from a series of four rainfall simulations (Oct. 2009-Jan. 2010) followed by a total of five natural snowmelt and rainfall events (Feb.- April 2010). The winter treatment, at which time manure was applied to frozen soil, had significantly greater nutrient losses in runoff during the first rainfall after manure application. Infiltration of water and nutrients during the early-fall and late-fall treatments resulted in significant losses of nutrients in leachate compared to the winter application, which lead to differences in nutrient transformation and transport over the winter season. The results of this research show that both the soil temperature and timing of manure application are significant factors in determining the nutrient losses from fall and winter-applied manure.