ARS | Publication request: EFFECT OF SAWDUST OR ACID APPLICATION TO PEN SURFACES ON NITROGEN LOSSES FROM OPEN-DIRT FEEDLOTS

Submitted to: Nebraska Beef Reports
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: November 1, 2001
Publication Date: January 1, 2002
Citation: LORY, J., ADAMS, J., EGHBALL, B., KLOPFENSTEIN, T., POWER, J.F. EFFECT OF SAWDUST OR ACID APPLICATION TO PEN SURFACES ON NITROGEN LOSSES FROM OPEN-DIRT FEEDLOTS. NEBRASKA BEEF REPORTS. P. 52-53. 2002.

Interpretive Summary: More than 50% of the nitrogen (N) excreted by beef cattle on feedlots is lost before manure is collected and land applied. Our objective was to test two strategies for reducing N loss from beef cattle pens: 1) lowering the pH of the feedlot surface with repeated additions of sulfuric acid, and 2) raising the carbon to nitrogen ratio of the manure pack with repeated additions of sawdust. Beef cattle (average initial weight, 679 pounds) were fed a finish rations for 124 days in 12 open pens. Three treatments (acidification, sawdust, and control) were applied in a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates. Acidification and sawdust did not have a significant effect on manure nitrogen concentration but sawdust increased the total N removed from each pen by 78% and nearly doubled the quantity of material removed.

Technical Abstract: More than 50% of the nitrogen (N) excreted by beef cattle on feedlots is lost before manure is collected and land applied. Our objective was to test two strategies for reducing N loss from beef cattle pens: 1) lowering the pH of the feedlot surface with repeated additions of sulfuric acid, and 2) raising the C:N ratio of the manure pack with repeated additions of sawdust. Beef cattle (average initial weight, 308 kg) were fed a finish rations for 124 days in 12 open pens. Three treatments (acidification, sawdust, and control) were applied in a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates. Acidification and sawdust did not have a significant effect on manure nitrogen concentration but sawdust increased the total N removed from each pen by 78% and nearly doubled the quantity of material removed.