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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Raleigh, North Carolina » Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #144884
Title: NITROGEN MINERALIZATION OF ANAEROBIC SWINE LAGOON SLUDGE AS INFLUENCED BY SEASONAL TEMPERATURES

Author
item MOORE, AMBER - NC STATE UNIV.
item MIKKELSEN, ROBERT - NC STATE UNIV.
item Israel, Daniel

Submitted to: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2003
Publication Date: 8/10/2004
Citation: Moore, A.D., Mikkelsen, R.L., Israel, D.W. 2004. Nitrogen mineralization of anaerobic swine lagoon sludge as influenced by seasonal temperatures. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 35:991-1005.

Interpretive Summary: As anaerobic lagoons approach maximum sludge storage capacity, science producers must remove sludge and apply it to nearby fields. Information regarding plant availability of nitrogen in sludge applied at different seasons of the year could improve crop-use efficiency and help minimize negative, environmental impacts. The influence of temperature regimes that simulated full, winter, spring, and summer application dates on mineralization of organic nitrogen in swine lagoon sludge was investigated. The study demonstrated that while the pattern of net nitrogen mineralization over a 12 month period varied with date of application, the portion of total nitrogen mineralization during the 12 months was the same for all application dates (74%). This result supports the current NCDA recommendation that swine producers use a plant N availability coefficient of 60% during the first year after soil incorporation of sludge in developing waste management plans.

Technical Abstract: As anaerobic swine lagoons approach maximum sludge storage capacity, producers must periodically remove sludge and apply it to nearby fields. Information regarding the availability of nitrogen (N) in sludge as a nutrient source applied at different seasons of the year would improve crop-use efficiency. A 12-month laboratory study was conducted to quantify the effects of seasonal temperatures on mineralization of N in lagoon sludge. Sludges were mixed with a Coastal Plain soil (Arenic Kandiudult) and incubated for one year at weekly fluctuating temperatures based on winter, spring, summer, and fall application dates, ranging from a winter low temperature of 9 degrees C to a summer maximum temperature of 30 degrees C. Samples were analyzed monthly for nitrate and ammonium. Sludge N mineralization was fit to a nonlinear regression model for a first-order reaction. Mineralization rate constants (k) for the initial season of application increased in the order Fall (0.07) < Winter (0.075) < Spring (0.22) < Summer (0.36). While initial rates of N mineralization differed, predicted N availability for all temperature treatments after one year of incubation averaged 74% of the total N applied.