Using Manure for Row Crop Production

Edwin RitcheyExtension Soil Specialist

UK-REC

“Organic” Amendments

• Animal Manures• Processed Municipal Waste – “be in front of the line”– Louisville Green (5-3-0)

• Separate solids, anaerobic digesters, dewatered in centrifuges, heat dried in rotary drums

– Warren County has a “new” operation on-line– Lime stabilized waste (many are giving away)

• Composted Products– Decomposition process that reduces the volume and produces

a stabilized product• Concentrates some nutrients, not others

Spreading Poultry Litter

Manure and Compost = $$$

• Animal Manure is a complete fertilizer• Calculate value based on N-P-K• But more value than just N-P-K– Ca, Mg, S, B, Mo, Zn, Cu, and “other”

• Hard to measure “other” – but I am trying!!!– Increased OM, improved structure, improved tilth,

and plant available water• Must be aware of mineralization rates and loss

mechanisms

Value of Nutrients in Manure • Bulk fertilizer prices per ton (10-12-12)– Urea (46-0-0) $790 (N=$0.86/lb N)– KCl (0-0-60) $597 (K2O=$0.54/lb K)– DAP (18-46-0) $649

• if only considered N= $1.80/lb N• if only considered P= $0.71/lb P2O5

• accounting for N in DAP = $0.37/lb P2O5

• Must consider what nutrients are needed• Value = $62.43/ton adjusted for availability• (assuming 55-55-45 and 50, 80, and 100% availability)

Value of Nutrients in Manure • Bulk fertilizer prices per ton (10-2-13)– Urea (46-0-0) $460 (N=$0.50/lb N)– KCl (0-0-60) $445 (K2O=$0.37/lb K)– DAP (18-46-0) $500

• if only considered N= $1.39/lb N• if only considered P= $0.54/lb P2O5

• accounting for N in DAP = $0.35/lb P2O5

• Must consider what nutrients are needed• Value = $51.51/ton adjusted for availability• (assuming 55-55-45 and 50, 80, and 100% availability)

Nutrient Variation - N• Mineralization (Organic N NH4

+)– Warm, moist, and O2

• Ammonia loss (NH3)– Warm, wet, and windy

• Nitrification (NH4+ NO3

-)– NH4

+ present, warm, moist, and O2

• Denitrification (NO3- NO2

- NO N20 N2)– NO3

- , waterlogged soils, available carbon, and warm

• Leaching (NO3-)

Nitrogen Rate DeterminationIS UK RECOMMENDING ENOUGH N?

• Based on crop response for: different drainage classes, tillage practice, and crop history

• Crop needs differ (e.g. corn vs. wheat)• Drainage class: well drained soil requires less

N than poorly drained soil• Not based on yield goals, no difference in

most instances (exception-irrigated fields?)

Specific Research Results

The Use of Organic Soil Amendments for Wheat and Corn Production

Considerations

• Time of poultry houses cleanout– Mainly Spring and Fall

• Other organic sources– Composts – Between planting and harvest– Processed Municipal Waste – Year round

• Nutrient availabilities – Varies– Due to type of material, timing, application and

storage method, mineralization rates, etc

Nitrogen Availability (PL)

Crop Management* Availability (%)Corn or Spring AppliedAnnual Grass 2 days 60

5-6 days 50 > 7 days <45 Fall Applied No Cover Crop 15 Cover Crop 50

Wheat Preplant 50Pasture (cool) Spring/Fall 80

* Incorporation with tillage or > 0.5 inches of rain (AGR-146)

Methods

• Zanesville Silt Loam (2011)• Applied PL, LG, CSM based on Total N– Assumed 100% available– 100, 150, and 200 lbs total N/A for wheat– 100, 200, and 300 lbs total N/A for corn

• 4 Rates of inorganic N plus non-treated check– 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 lbs N/A for wheat– 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 lbs N/A for corn

2011 Results (LSD = 6.7)

0 50 100 150 200 2500

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

f(x) = − 0.00307142857142857 x² + 0.766238095238095 x + 23.0914285714286R² = 0.989946005573189

Yield Response to Added Nitrogen

CFPolynomial (CF)CSMPLLG

Nitrogen Rate (lbs/A)

Yiel

d (b

u/A)

Wheat grain yields and N availabilities for the 2011-2012 crop.Production Function: Y= -0.0031X2 + 0.7662X + 23.091 (R2=0.9899)N Source N-Rate Yield (bu/A) Eq. Urea-N % N Avail†

CF 0 21.9e 0 -30 45.6c 30 -60 58.3b 60 -90 64.5b 90 -

120 72.1a 120 -CSM 100 20.3e -3.6 ≤ 0

150 19.5e -4.6 ≤ 0200 22.4e -0.9 ≤ 0

PL 100 29.9d 9.2 9.2150 31.6d 11.7 7.8200 33.9d 15.0 7.5

LG 100 33.2d 14.0 14.0150 43.9c 31.1 20.7200 46.8c 36.3 18.1

† Availabilities are compared to commercial fertilizer N response data. Slight differences in equivalent urea-N and subsequent availabilities are attributed to the variation in the fitted line verses the actual response.

2011 Results (LSD = 6.7)

0 50 100 150 200 2500.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

120.0

f(x) = 15.4977954547437 ln(x) + 31.7753601440627R² = 0.991615669738082

f(x) = − 0.0016229604216079 x² + 0.487878376625804 x + 71.0869760977541R² = 0.998672631869527

2013 Wheat Yield

CFLogarithmic (CF)Polynomial (CF)CSMPLLG

Lbs N/A

Bu/A

2012 Results (LSD = 15.6)

Wheat grain yields and N availabilities for the 2012-2013 crop.

Production Function: Y= -0.0016X2 + 0.4879X + 71.087 (R2=0.9987)

N Source N-Rate Yield (bu/A) Eq. Urea-N % N Avail†

CF 0 70.8 0 -

30 85.1 30 -

60 94.0 60 -

90 101.8 90 -

120 106.4 120 -

CSM 100 67.9 -6.4 ≤ 0

150 75.4 9.2 6.1

200 76.5 11.6 5.8

PL 100 96.5 66.7 66.7

150 81.6 23.3 15.6

200 91.7 50.7 25.3

LG 100 91.8 50.9 25.4

150 92.7 53.7 26.9

200 108.0 140.3 70.2

† Availabilities are compared to commercial fertilizer N response data. Slight differences in equivalent urea-N and subsequent availabilities are attributed to the variation in the fitted line verses the actual response.

2012 Results (LSD = 15.6)

Mean annual temperature (F) and precipitation (in) at UK-REC for the 2011-2012 and 2012 -2013 growing seasons.

Year Month Avg. Temp (F) Avg. TempDeparture†

Precipitation(in)

PrecipitationDeparture

2011 Oct 57 -2 1.35 -1.70

2011 Nov 51 +4 9.12 +4.49

2011 Dec 42 +3 6.13 +1.09

2012 Jan 40 +6 3.01 -0.79

2012 Feb 44 +6 1.73 -2.70

2012 Mar 60 +13 3.27 -1.67

2012 Apr 60 +1 0.62 -4.18

2012 May 71 +4 1.36 -3.60

2012 Jun 74 -1 2.38 -1.47

2012 Oct 57 -2 2.94 -0.11

2012 Nov 45 -2 2.11 -2.52

2012 Dec 45 +6 4.77 -0.27

2013 Jan 38 +4 6.31 +2.51

2013 Feb 39 +1 3.09 -1.34

2013 Mar 42 -5 4.34 -0.60

2013 Apr 57 -2 5.72 +0.92

2013 May 66 -1 4.26 -0.70

2013 Jun 74 -1 7.55 +3.70

2013 Corn Results

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 3500

50

100

150

200

250

f(x) = − 0.00464 x² + 1.4736 x + 110.24R² = 0.940061529528932

Corn Yield Response to Added Nitrogen

CFPolynomial (CF)CSMPLLG

N-Rate (lbs N/A)

Yiel

d (b

u/A)

2013 Corn ResultsTable 2. Corn grain yields and N availabilities for the 2013 crop.

Production Function: Y= -0.0046X2 + 1.4736X + 110.24 (R2=0.9401)

N Source N-Rate Yield (bu/A) Eq. Urea-N % N Avail†

CF 0 102.0 0 -

50 190.7 50 -

100 205.5 100 -

150 216.1 150 -

200 225.7 200 -

CSM 86 127.9 12.5 14.4

173 145.6 26.1 15.1

259 121.2 7.6 2.9

PL 100 156.6 35.4 35.4

200 189.0 67.8 33.9

300 213.2 103.0 34.3

LG 100 171.7 49.3 49.3

200 210.5 98.0 49.0

300 210.6 98.2 32.7

What do these results mean?

• Need more information• N availability varies (between and within products)• Probably not 50% N availability with wheat and corn

when surface applied– Incorporation with tillage???

• Are they still a good deal???– Put a pencil to it and consider other benefits

If not Yield then What?

• Soil Organic Matter• Resistance to compaction• Residual Nitrogen• Infiltration/Structure – infiltrometer • Plant Available Water – pressure plate• Other Benefits???

Poultry LitterAve.

(gypsum)

Gypsum no yes

no 0 + 0 0 + 3

yes 3 + 0 3 + 3

Ave. (litter)

Experimental Design

16 reps.

32 reps.

Poultry LitterAve.

(gypsum)

Gypsum no yes

no 118±22 129±17 124±20 a

yes 121±27 120±30 120±28 a

Ave. (litter) 120±24 a 124±24 a

2012 Corn Yield (bu/acre)

Poultry LitterAve.

(gypsum)

Gypsum no yes

no 57±6 60±8 58±7 a

yes 56±5 58±9 57±7 a

Ave. (litter) 57±5 b* 59±8 a* *P ≤ 0.10

2012 Soybean Yield (bu/acre)

Other Considerations

• The environment (DOW, EPA, DAQ)– “Though shall not pollute”– Utilize setbacks

• Neighbors (Good fences make good neighbors)– Good neighbors make good neighbors– Litter was stockpiled and later applied– Producer was told to incorporate or $25,000 fine– 401 KAR 53:101 – mix 1 part “polluted air” with 7 parts

of filtered air and if odor is detected then in violation

Conclusions

• More information is needed for KY• Organic amendments are a good source of

plant nutrients, but…• Optimize nutrients present (DAP for N)– Test soil, test manure

• Availabilities vary between and within sources• Be considerate of environment and neighbors

Questions?