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Title: SOIL NUTRIENT DYNAMIC FROM BROILER LITTER APPLICATIONS TO BERMUDAGRASS

Author
item Sistani, Karamat
item Brink, Geoffrey
item ADELI, A - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV
item Tewolde, Haile
item Rowe, Dennis

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2003
Publication Date: 10/1/2003
Citation: Sistani, K.R., Brink, G.E., Adeli, A., Tewolde, H., Rowe, D.E. 2003. Soil nutrient dynamic from broiler litter application to bermudagrass. Agronomy Abstracts. CD-ROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Understanding manure nutrients dynamics in soil under any crop is an important management practice for farmers and producers to document accountability and to use manure resources optimally. A field plot experiment was conducted to quantify input, output, and the year-round major plant nutrients dynamic in a fine sandy loam soil supplied with 15.75 Mg/ha/yr broiler litter. Soil samples were collected from pre-established plots of Common and hybrids Coastal and Tifton 85 bermudagrass cultivars for nutrient analysis. Hybrids Coastal and Tifton 85 bermudagrass produced significantly greater annual DM yield (16,948 and 18, 772 kg/ha, respectively) than Common bermudagrass (11,238 kg/ha). On average, Tifton 85 was most efficient and removed 344, 58, and 472 kg/ha N, P, and K from soil, while the quantity of these nutrients supplied by broiler litter were 471, 328, and 414 kg/ha, respectively. Therefore, removal efficiency of these nutrients for Tifton 85 was 73, 18, and 114%, respectively. Soil pH varied from 6.0 to 6.6 throughout the first year until it decreased unexpectedly to 5.6 by the end of 2001. On the other hand total soil carbon increased from 11.4 g/kg at the beginning of the experiment to 17.9 g/kg by the end of the second year. Total N decreased slightly during the high demand stage for N by bermudagrass. Both total P and Mehlich-3 extractable P concentrations increased from first to last sampling dates, mainly in the 5-10 cm depth, indicating slight buildup and leaching of P. Results indicated that top yield from hybrid bermudagrass cultivars are possible with broiler litter as a sole fertilizer source. However, considerable nutrients imbalances in soil may occur in the long-term, if improper litter rates are used.