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Title: COMPARISON OF BROADCAST AND BAND APPLICATION OF POULTRY LITTER ON COTTON

Author
item Armstrong, Shalamar
item Tewolde, Haile
item Way, Thomas - Tom
item Rowe, Dennis
item Sistani, Karamat
item TAYLOR, R - ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/4/2005
Publication Date: 5/1/2005
Citation: Armstrong, S.D., Taylor, R.W., Tewolde, H., Rowe, D.E., Way, T., Sistani, K. 2005. Comparison of broadcast and band application of poultry litter on cotton [abstract]. Proceedings National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. p. 2613.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Poultry litter contains nutrient compounds such as NH3 that are vulnerable to volatilization with land application. Researchers of the USDA-ARS at Auburn, AL designed and built a new implement that applies litter in subsurface bands and potentially reduces the N loss to the atmosphere. Field research conducted at the R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Facility in Starkville, MS compared the new subsurface band application to the conventional surface broadcast application of litter. Fertilizer treatments were a no fertilizer control, 115 kg ha-1 of N from 32% urea ammonium nitrate, poultry litter surface broadcast before planting at 2240, 6720, and 11200 kg ha-1, subsurface banded before planting at 6720 kg ha-1 and subsurface banded after planting at 6720 kg ha-1 after planting. Subsurface banding was 20 cm from the row center. Responses measured were cotton yield and N uptake. Subsurface banding after planting of cotton was better than all other treatments except for broadcast at 11200 when the difference was not significant. The apparent N recovery for the subsurface banding after planting was highest for the subsurface banding of poultry litter after cotton has been planted. This first year of results suggest that subsurface banding of poultry litter is a more efficient use of poultry litter. This efficiency could result in less litter applied to the row crops.