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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Bowling Green, Kentucky » Food Animal Environmental Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #407660
Research Project: Developing Agronomically and Environmentally Beneficial Management Practices to Increase the Sustainability and Safety of Animal Manure Utilization

Location: Food Animal Environmental Systems Research

Title: Spacing of subsurface poultry litter bands: Influence on maize performance and nitrogen use efficiency

Author
item Simmons, Jason
item RITCHEY, EDWIN - University Of Kentucky
item Sistani, Karamat
item Way, Thomas - Tom
item COYNE, MARK - University Of Kentucky
item MATOCHA, CHRISTOPHER - University Of Kentucky

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/23/2023
Publication Date: 3/5/2024
Citation: Simmons, J.R., Ritchey, E.L., Sistani, K.R., Way, T.R., Coyne, M.S., Matocha, C.J. 2024. Spacing of subsurface poultry litter bands: Influence on maize performance and nitrogen use efficiency. Agronomy Journal. 116(3):1513-1527. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21541.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21541

Interpretive Summary: Poultry litter (PL) is traditionally surface broadcast to no-till corn plant. Surface applied nitrogen (N) by way of poultry manure, is vulnerable to losses to the atmosphere and as surface runoff. An application method was developed by USDA-ARS scientists for shallow subsurface banding of PL to reduce N losses as ammonia (NH3) volatilization and surface runoff. There is limited information on how this application method will affect conservation and nutrient accessibility in no-till corn production. The objectives of this research were to determine if adjusting the lateral subsurface band of PL placement in relation to corn rows affects nutrient use efficiency and corn yields. Treatments were: untreated control, urea ammonium nitrate fertilizer (surface banded), PL surface broadcast, and three subsurface banded PL treatments. The subsurface PL treatments were designated as PLSub1, PLSub2, or PLSub3 bands between corn rows. Treatments receiving N fertilizer were applied at 180 kg total N ha-1. Nitrogen concentration in V4 aboveground dry matter was higher in PLSub1 than PLSub2. Aboveground biomass yields for all PL subsurface treatments were greater than PL broadcast and similar to Fertilizer treatments. The PLSub1 and PLSub2 treatments resulted in corn grain yields similar to Fertilizer and greater than PL broadcast and control treatments when averaged across years. Few differences were observed in post-harvest soil sample nutrient concentrations among PL subsurface treatments. These results suggest that subsurface banding PL can conserve N and increase no-till corn yield over traditional surface broadcast PL; however, increasing the frequency of subsurface PL bands did not clearly affect nutrient conservation or accessibility to the corn plant.

Technical Abstract: Poultry litter (PL) is traditionally surface broadcast to no-till maize (Zea mays L.). PL is nutrient-dense, and surface-applied PL nitrogen (N) is vulnerable to losses to the atmosphere and water systems. An application method was developed by USDA-ARS scientists for shallow subsurface banding PL to reduce ammonia (NH3) volatilization and surface runoff. There is limited information on how this application method will affect conservation and nutrient accessibility in no-till maize. The objectives were to determine if adjusting PL lateral subsurface band placement in relation to maize rows affects nutrient use and maize yields. Treatments were a nontreated control (NTC), urea ammonium nitrate surface banded (Fert), poultry litter surface broadcast (PLBr), and three subsurface banded PL treatments. The subsurface PL treatments were one (PLSub1), two (PLSub2), or three (PLSub3) bands between maize rows. Treatments receiving N were applied at 180 kg total N ha-1. Nitrogen concentration in V4 aboveground dry matter was higher in PLSub1 than PLSub2. Aboveground dry matter yields for all PLSub treatments were greater than PLBr and comparable to Fert. The PLSub1 and PLSub2 treatments resulted in maize grain yields equivalent to Fert and greater than PLBr and NTC when averaged across years. Few differences were observed in postharvest soil sample nutrient concentrations between PLSub treatments. These results suggest that subsurface banding PL can conserve N and increase no-till maize yield over traditional surface broadcast PL; however, increasing the frequency of subsurface PL bands did not clearly affect nutrient conservation or accessibility to the maize.