Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Agroecosystem Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #253186
Title: Nutrient transport in runoff as affected by diet, tillage and manure application rate

Author
item Gilley, John
item Durso, Lisa
item Eigenberg, Roger
item Woodbury, Bryan

Submitted to: Transactions of the ASABE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2010
Publication Date: 12/1/2010
Citation: Gilley, J.E., Durso, L.M., Eigenberg, R.A., Woodbury, B.L. 2010. Nutrient transport in runoff as affected by diet, tillage and manure application rate. Transactions of the ASABE. 53(6): 1895-1902.

Interpretive Summary: Feedlots may increase profitability by including distillers grains in feedlot finishing diets. However the nutrient content of by-products are concentrated about three during the distillation process. Manure can be applied to meet single or multiple year crop nutrient requirements. The water quality effects of the use of distillers grains and multiple year manure application have not been well quantified. The objectives of this study were to (1) compare the runoff water quality effects resulting from the application of manure derived from corn and distillers grain diets; (2) examine the effects of till and no-till conditions on runoff nutrient transport; and (3) compare the water quality impacts of 1, 2, and 4-year phosphorus (P) based manure application rates. Simulated rainfall events were applied to 0.75 m wide x 2 m long plots soon after manure application. No significant difference in dissolved phosphorus (DP) or total P (TP) transport was found between the corn and distillers grain treatments. The runoff load of TP was significantly larger on the no-till than the till plots. The amount of DP, particulate phosphorus, and TP transported in runoff was significantly affected by manure application rate. The TN content of runoff was similar for till and no-till conditions on the plots containing manure obtained from the distillers grain diet. The environmental effects of the use of manure from a distillers grain diet and multiple year manure application should be considered when developing nutrient management plans.

Technical Abstract: Including distillers grains in feedlot finishing diets may increase feedlot profitability. However the nutrient content of by-products are concentrated about three during the distillation process. Manure can be applied to meet single or multiple year crop nutrient requirements. The water quality effects of the use of distillers grains and multiple year manure application have not been well quantified. The objectives of this field study were to (1) compare runoff water quality effects resulting from the application of manure derived from corn and distillers grain diets; (2) examine the effects of till and no-till conditions on runoff nutrient transport; and (3) compare the water quality impacts of 1, 2, and 4-year phosphorus (P) based manure application rates. Simulated rainfall events were applied to 0.75 m wide x 2 m long plots soon after manure application. The dissolved phosphorus load in runoff was significantly affected by manure application rate and varied from 0.16 to 0.48 kg ha-1. Incorporation of manure following application significantly reduced the total P load in runoff from 0.62 to 0.34 kg ha-1. The NH4-N load of runoff from the distillers grain treatment was 0.83 kg ha-1 which was significantly greater than the 0.49 kg ha-1 measured on the corn treatment. The total nitrogen load of runoff was significantly reduced from 3.91 to 2.91 kg ha-1as a result of incorporation. The environmental effects of the use of manure from a distillers grain diet and multiple year manure application should be considered when developing nutrient management plans.