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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #394261

Research Project: Developing Best Management Practices for Poultry Litter to Improve Agronomic Value and Reduce Air, Soil and Water Pollution

Location: Poultry Production and Product Safety Research

Title: Characterization of nutrient runoff from perennial and annual forages following broiler litter application

Author
item KATUWAL, SHEELA - University Of Arkansas
item Ashworth, Amanda
item Moore, Philip
item Owens, Phillip

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2022
Publication Date: 10/31/2022
Citation: Katuwal, S., Ashworth, A.J., Moore Jr, P.A., Owens, P.R. 2022. Characterization of nutrient runoff from perennial and annual forages following broiler litter application. Journal of Environmental Quality. 52(1):88–99. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20425.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20425

Interpretive Summary: Land application of poultry litter (mix of poultry manure and bedding material) as a soil amendment is a common practice in areas with high density poultry production, such as Northwest Arkansas. This serves the dual purpose of providing nutrients for plants and as a means of waste management. However, repeated application of litter to agricultural lands can impair water systems. Various conservation practices such as buffer/vegetative filter strips, have shown to be effective in reducing runoff nutrient and sediment losses. However, the effect of different species grown within pastures or as agricultural field boarders in controlling sediment and nutrient losses in runoff with poultry litter application has received less attention. Researchers set out to identify the effectiveness of five species (annual and perennial, native and non-native) with and without poultry litter applications for their ability to limit sediment and nutrient losses in runoff under simulated rainfall. Total sediment and nutrients increased 2 – 12-fold following litter application from all species. Among the five species, lowest nutrient levels in water runoff occurred for the perennialized wheat species (Kernza) and the native prairie grass, switchgrass, during fall and spring rainfall events. These study results show great potential for these two vegetative filter strips to provide environmental benefits when used in forage and filter strip systems.

Technical Abstract: The influence of various forage species in transport of sediment and nutrients in runoff is required for limiting non-point source pollution from application of broiler litter to pasture systems. In this study, we examined the effect of five forage species [eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides), Kernza (Thinopyrum intermedium), silphium (Silphium integrifolium), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and winter wheat Triticum aestivum)] on runoff nutrient losses from broiler litter amended (5.6 Mg ha-1) and non-amended plots (control) on a Captina silt loam soil (fine-silty, siliceous, mesic Typic Fragiudults) in a rainfall simulation experiment. Following litter application in split-plots, rainfall (5 cm h-1) was applied late spring and early fall of 2019 and 2021. Runoff collected for 30 min was analyzed for total suspended solids (TSS) and nutrients [total organic carbon (TOC), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N), and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N)]. Total sediment and nutrients losses increased 2 – 12-fold following litter application from all forage species, which reduced to background levels during fall rainfall events. Among the five forage species, lowest TN and NO3-N concentrations in runoff were observed under Kernza. Overall, switchgrass resulted in the lowest and wheat in the greatest cumulative nutrient losses (TOC, SRP, TDP, TP, TN, NH4-N) from the four rain events. The performance of newly introduced perennial crops, Kernza and silphium, were similar or better than that of eastern gamagrass in terms of cumulative sediment and nutrient losses in runoff. The results show high potential for Kernza and silphium to provide environmental benefits when used in forage systems.