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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #348113
Research Project: Improving Management Practices for Irrigated Western Cropping and Dairy Systems to Contribute to Sustainability and Improve Air Quality

Location: Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research

Title: Effects of manure history and nitrogen fertilizer rate on sugar beet production in the northwest U.S.

Author
item Tarkalson, David
item Bjorneberg, David - Dave
item Lentz, Rodrick

Submitted to: Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/4/2018
Publication Date: 7/2/2018
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/6472448
Citation: Tarkalson, D.D., Bjorneberg, D.L., Lentz, R.D. 2018. Effects of manure history and nitrogen fertilizer rate on sugar beet production in the northwest U.S. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management. 4(1):170083. https://doi.org/10.2134/cftm2017.11.0083.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2134/cftm2017.11.0083

Interpretive Summary: Past manure applications effects on sugarbeet production needs to be assessed in the areas where manure applications to crop land are common. A study was conducted at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Kimberly, Idaho in 2014 and 2016 to assess the effects of manure application history and N rates on sugarbeet production. From 2004 to 2009, manure was applied at two amounts to plots at total applications of 60 tons per acre and 106 tons per acre. No manure plots were included, which only received recommended amounts of commercial fertilizer. For this study, fertilizer rates (0, 30, 56, 77, 100, 141, 180, and 202 pounds per acre) were placed on top of the past treatments mentioned above. During both years of the study, N rate did not affect sugarbeet yields, but on the plots with past manure applications sugarbeet root yields were higher than the yields on the past fertilizer only plots. Averaged across all N rates, root yields from both manured plots were 12% and 36% greater than the fertilizer only plots. Manure applications will impact sugarbeet production for several years after manure applications have ceased.

Technical Abstract: Past manure applications effects on sugarbeet production needs to be assessed in the areas where manure applications to crop land are common. A study was conducted in Kimberly, Idaho in 2014 and 2016 to assess the effects of manure application history and N rates on sugarbeet production on a Portneuf silt loam (coarse-silty mixed mesic Durixerollic Calciorthid) soil. From 2004 to 2009, manure was applied to plots every two years (M1, total application = 60 tons per acre), every year (M2 total application = 106 tons per acre), or no manure (F, commercial fertilizer only). In spring 2014, the manure main plots were split in half with one half receiving a commercial fertilizer N rate treatment superimposed on the main plots in 2014 and the other half receiving the superimposed N rate treatments in 2016. In 2014 and 2016, the commercial fertilizer N rates were 0, 30, 56, 77, 100, 141, 180, and 202 pounds per acre. The study design was a randomized block split-plot with manure history as the main plot and N rate as the subplot. During both years of the study, N rate did not affect sugarbeet yields, but M1 and M2 treatments had higher sugarbeet root yields compared to the F treatment. Averaged across all N rates, root yields from both manured treatments were 12% and 36% greater than the F treatment in 2014 and 2016, respectively, although sugar yield was only significantly greater in 2016. Manure applications will impact sugarbeet production for several years after manure applications have ceased.