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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Agroecosystem Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #133964
Title: SITE-SPECIFIC MANURE APPLICATION EFFECTS ON CORN YIELD AND NITROGEN STATUS

Author
item Eghball, Bahman
item Bauer, Christopher
item Schepers, James
item SHAPIRO, C - UNIV OF NEBRASKA

Submitted to: North Central Extension Industry Soil Fertility Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2001
Publication Date: 11/1/2001
Citation: EGHBALL, B., BAUER, C.J., SCHEPERS, J.S., SHAPIRO, C.A. SITE-SPECIFIC MANURE APPLICATION EFFECTS ON CORN YIELD AND NITROGEN STATUS. NORTH CENTRAL EXTENSION INDUSTRY SOIL FERTILITY CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. pp. 39-49. 2001.

Interpretive Summary: Manure, a renewable resource, is an excellent source of nutrients that can be substituted for synthetic types of fertilizers. The organic matter in manure can enhance the physical and chemical properties of soils, especially infertile soils, as these soils typically contain low levels of organic matter and nutrients, and have low water holding capacities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of manure application for improving crop yield and N status in less productive areas within a field. The treatments included applications of site-specific manure (SSM), uniform manure (UM), uniform commercial fertilizer, and a no treatment check. Field strips 40 ft (16 corn rows) wide and 2200 ft long were used in three years (1998 to 2000). For the SSM treatment, manure was applied to areas within the field where organic matter was < 2.5%. Chlorophyll meter readings and leaf tissue samples were collected from all treatments. Averaged across years, the UM and SSM treatments produced significantly greater grain yields than the commercial fertilizer treatment. The UM and SSM treatments also resulted in higher levels of N uptake than the commercial fertilizer treatment. Stalk nitrate was less for uniform manure than fertilizer application indicating over-application of N with the fertilizer treatment. Site-specific manure application is a good method of improving less productive soils or sites within a field.

Technical Abstract: Manure, a renewable resource, is an excellent source of nutrients that can be substituted for synthetic types of fertilizers. The organic matter in manure can enhance the physical and chemical properties of soils, especially infertile soils, as these soils typically contain low levels of organic matter and nutrients, and have low water holding capacities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of manure application for improving crop yield and N status in less productive areas within a field. The treatments included applications of site-specific manure (SSM), uniform manure (UM), uniform commercial fertilizer, and a no treatment check. Field strips 12.4 m (16 corn rows) wide and 680 m long were used in three years (1998 to 2000). For the SSM treatment, manure was applied to areas within the field where organic C was < 1.4%. Chlorophyll meter readings and leaf tissue samples were collected from all treatments. Averaged across years, the UM and SSM treatments produced significantly greater grain yields than the commercial fertilizer treatment. The UM and SSM treatments also resulted in higher levels of N uptake than the commercial fertilizer treatment. Stalk NO3-N was less for uniform manure than fertilizer application indicating over-application of N with the fertilizer treatment. Site-specific manure application is a good method of improving less productive soils or sites within a field.