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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Bowling Green, Kentucky » Food Animal Environmental Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #253719
Title: Poultry Litter Application Time Effect on Nutrient Availability and Corn Yield In Central Kentucky.

Author
item Jn-Baptiste, Marcia
item Sistani, Karamat
item Tewolde, Haile

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/22/2010
Publication Date: 11/3/2010
Citation: Jn-Baptiste, M., Sistani, K.R., Tewolde, H. 2010. Poultry Litter Application Time Effect on Nutrient Availability and Corn Yield In Central Kentucky.. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. 314-10.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: With the growing interest in poultry litter use as nutrient sources, knowledge of whether application time is consequential to production is pertinent. This study investigated the effects of fall and spring application of two rates (9 and 18 mega grams per ha) of poultry litter and a 19-19-19 NPK blend of commercial fertilizer (CF) on nutrient availability, and yield of field corn. Only inorganic N and K were impacted by timing of poultry litter application and the application time*sampled date interaction. Significantly higher concentrations of inorganic N observed from spring treated NPK plots and those receiving the 18 mega grams per ha of poultry litter, but higher K observed from fall treated plots and those receiving the two rates of poultry litter. Significantly higher concentrations inorganic N were observed from spring than fall treated plots when soil was sampled in July (27% and 29%) and either November or October (22% and 27%) in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Potassium concentrations were significantly higher from fall than spring treated plots when plots were sampled in April (30% and 37%); 2007 and 2008 respectively. Grain yield was not influenced by application time of nutrient sources and differences among treatments were seen only in 2008. The higher application of poultry litter resulted in 7% increase of grain yield compared to the lower rate but was not different from the CF. Grain responses to N showed a 7% greater concentration from the higher poultry rate and no difference with the CF. The response was reversed for P, smallest concentrations observed from CF treatments (10%); no difference between the two poultry litter treatments. Treatment*year interaction analysis showed significant increases (P=0.01) in P concentration from 2006 - 2008 for each treatment. Results from this study seem to indicate that fall application of poultry litter to corn potentially produces similar grain yield as the traditional spring application.