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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #386146
Research Project: Quantifying Air and Water Quality Benefits of Improved Poultry Manure Management Practices

Location: Poultry Production and Product Safety Research

Title: Phosphorus runoff following poultry litter applications in perennial and annual agroecosystems

Author
item Adams, Taylor
item Ashworth, Amanda

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/6/2021
Publication Date: 7/6/2021
Citation: Adams, T.C., Ashworth, A.J. 2021. Phosphorus runoff following poultry litter applications in perennial and annual agroecosystems. Abstract. Silphium Conference, Salina, Kansas, July 11-13, 2021.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The USDA-ARS in Fayetteville is interested in investigating Silphium as a potential dual-use grazeable buffer strip. We are comparing it to two species of native warm season grasses, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides), as well as Kernza®, cereal rye (Secale cereale), and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum). The site consists of whole plots, 6.1m by 6.1m, on a 5% slope. Each whole plot is equipped with metal borders and runoff collection troughs. The plots are divided with a metal border on the slope at the halfway point to produce 50 split plots, of which there are 8 Silphium. The site received poultry litter applications at a rate of 2 tons/ac (standard for Arkansas) annually from 1996-2015. Silphium was transplanted from seedlings to the field in June 2017. In 2019, poultry litter was applied to half of the split-plots, heights were measured, and rainfall simulations were conducted on June 10 and 11. Rainfall was simulated at 5 cm/hr until continuous runoff. Time to runoff was measured, and runoff was then collected for 30 min. Frequency counts were conducted and biomass of all species was harvested June 13, and again on September 5. Simulations were repeated October 8 and 9. Poultry litter was applied to the same split-plots in 2020, with two harvests occurring. In 2021, litter was applied to the same split plots and simulated on June 15 and 16, and sampled and harvested June 29. We are currently processing soil, runoff, and plant samples. We will perform one more simulation, collect soil samples, and harvest again this autumn, for a total of 6 harvests and 4 simulations.