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Submitted to: Midwest Poultry Federation Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 3/16/2011 Publication Date: 3/16/2011 Citation: Way, T.R., Watts, D.B., Tewolde, H., Sistani, K.R., Torbert III, H.A. 2011. An implement for subsurface band application of poultry litter. In: Midwest Poultry Federation Proceedings, March 16-17, 2011, St. Paul, Minnesota. CDROM. Interpretive Summary: Broiler chicken litter is a mixture of chicken manure and a bedding material, and is a solid material. This litter is commonly used as a fertilizer on pastures and cropland. Poultry litter is typically land-applied by broadcasting the litter on the soil surface. Rain falling on soil to which poultry litter has been applied, may carry phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) nutrients from the soil into streams, lakes, and other water bodies. Phosphorus from fields fertilized with broiler litter contributes to eutrophication and growth of toxic algae in surface waters. Liquid manure, such as manure from dairy cows, hogs, and laying hens, is often land-applied by injecting it beneath the soil surface. This subsurface injection of liquid manure is commonly recommended as a method of controlling odor and reducing nutrient losses, compared to surface broadcast application. An implement for subsurface application for solid manure, such as poultry litter, has not been available, so a prototype implement for applying poultry litter in shallow trenches and covering the litter with soil has been developed at the USDA-ARS National Soil Dynamics Lab (Auburn, AL). The implement is equipped with four trenching devices, so it applies litter in four subsurface bands simultaneously. The implement works well for side-dressing litter to row crops, whereby each of the four trenching devices forms a trench close to a crop row, litter is applied in each trench, and soil is pushed over top of the litter band. Also, the implement works well for subsurface band application of litter in pastures. Technical Abstract: Broiler litter is commonly used as a fertilizer on pastures and cropland. Poultry litter is typically land-applied by broadcasting the litter on the soil surface. Rain falling on soil to which poultry litter has been applied, may carry phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) nutrients from the soil into streams, lakes, and other water bodies. Phosphorus from fields fertilized with broiler litter contributes to eutrophication and growth of toxic algae in surface waters. Subsurface injection of liquid manure is commonly recommended as a method of controlling odor and reducing nutrient losses, compared to surface broadcast application. An implement for subsurface application for solid manure, such as poultry litter, has not been available, so a prototype implement for subsurface band application of poultry litter has been developed at the USDA-ARS National Soil Dynamics Lab (Auburn, AL). The implement is a four-trench (four-row) implement and its band spacing is adjustable from 10 to 40 in. in 1 in. increments. The implement is capable of applying poultry litter as a side-dress to row crops, and the implement is capable of applying litter to pastures. Typical band spacings of 10 to 15 in. have been used for pastures. When broiler litter was applied in subsurface bands in tall fescue on a sandy loam using the implement, and simulated rainfall was applied, concentrations of total P, inorganic N, and E. coli in the runoff water were significantly greater for broadcast-applied litter plots than for the subsurface banded litter plots. In a cotton experiment, the lint yield increased from 878 lb/acre when litter was applied by surface broadcast to 938 lb/acre when litter was applied as a side-dress at planting or one month later. |
