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UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

III'IIITI IIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIII II

“if 31293015592

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIBRARY

Michigan State
University

 

 

 

This is to certify that the

thesis entitled

ESTIMATING ANIMAL MANURE AND PAPER MILL SLUDGE NUTRIENT
CREDITS FOR CROP PRODUCTION

presented by

Sven Bohm

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

Master degree in Crop & Soil Sciences

 

 

 

Date IZ/l3l/94

0-7639 MS U is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution

 

 

 

 

PLACE IN RETURN BOX to romavothb checkout from your record.
To AVOID FINES Mum on or baton dot. duo.

DATE DUE DATE DUE DATE DUE
. i I. , . 9

. W

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSU I. An Namath. ActiorVEquol Opportunity Instituion
mm:

ESTIMATING ANIMAL MANURE AND PAPER MILL SLUDGE NUTRIENT
CREDITS FOR CROP PRODUCTION

By

Sven B6hm

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE

Department of Crop and Soil Sciences

1996

ABSTRACT

ESTIMATING ANIMAL MAN URE AND PAPER MILL SLUDGE NUTRIENT
CREDITS FOR CROP PRODUCTION

By

Sven Bohm

The studies reported in this thesis relate to the problem of estimating the fertilizer
value of manures. The N, P, and K equivalence values for nutrients derived from
manure as opposed to inorganic fertilizer are estimated. No evidence was found to
reject the assumed P and K availability factors of 75% and 100% respectively. No
significant N residual was found at agronomic application rates. The use of cover
crops in retarding N leaching is examined. Although the rye cover crop took up 2000
to 3000 lb of N / acre, it slightly decreased the corn yield in the following year. An
attempt is made to quantify the N mineralization of a paper mill sludge. And finally

a nutrient recordkeeping system is presented.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the members of my committee, Lee Jacobs, Boyd Ellis, Jim
Tiedje, and Steve Harsh for their support. Thanks to all the people who helped me
with the lab and field work for their assistance. Acknowledgement is made to the

Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station for its support of this research.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES vi
LIST OF FIGURES ix
INTRODUCTION 1
1 Estimating Manure P and K Nutrient Credits 3
Abstract ..................................... 3
Introduction ................................... 3
Objectives .................................... 7
Hypothesis ................................... 7
Methods and Materials ............................. 8
St. Clair Site ............................... 8
KBS, MSU, and Sturgis Sites ...................... 10
All Experimental Sites .......................... 11
Phosphorus Studies Results and Discussion .................. 13
Potassium Study Results and Discussion ................... 26

2 Residual N Accumulation Due to Low Annual Applications of Ma-
nure 29
Abstract ..................................... 29
Introduction ................................... 29
Objective .................................... 31

iv

Methods and Materials ............................. 31

Results and Discussion ............................. 36

3 The Effect of Delayed Manure Application and Cover Crops on Ma-

nure N Availability When Applying Manure in the Fall 40
Abstract ..................................... 40
Introduction ................................... 40
Objectives .................................... 41
Methods and Materials ............................. 42
Results and Discussion ............................. 44
4 Mineralization of Nitrogen in a Paper Mill Sludge 50
Abstract ..................................... 50
Introduction ................................... 50
Methods and Materials ............................. 51
Results and Discussion ............................. 53
5 Recordkeeping System for Crop Production 59
Abstract ..................................... 59
Introduction ................................... 59
Development .................................. 60
Description of the system ........................... 61
Annual Record Book .............................. 63
Field File .................................... 63
Manure Management Sheets .......................... 68
Enhanced Recordkeeping Sheets ........................ 70
Benefits ..................................... 70

BIBLIOGRAPHY 76

LIST OF TABLES

1.1 Manure P efficiencies reported in the literature. ........... 7
1.2 Characteristics of the manures used at each location for the P/ K
study. .................................. 9
1.3 Characteristics of the soils at each location. ............. 9
1.4 Biomass yields from the P experiment at the KBS site ........ 14
1.5 Biomass P concentrations from the P experiment at the KBS site. . 14
1.6 P uptake from the P experiment at the KBS site ........... 15
1.7 Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels in the spring for the KBS P site ...... 16
1.8 Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels at 5th leaf stage for the KBS P site. . . . 16
1.9 Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels at harvest for the KBS P site. ...... 17
1.10 Biomass yields from the P experiment at the MSU site ........ 17
1.11 Biomass P concentrations from the P experiment at the MSU site. 18
1.12 P uptake from the P experiment at the MSU site ........... 18
1.13 Biomass yields from the P experiment at the St. Clair site ...... 19

1.14 Biomass P concentrations from the P experiment at the St. Clair site. 20
1.15 P uptake from the P experiment at the St. Clair site ......... 20
1.16 Biomass yields from the P experiment at the Sturgis site. ..... 21
1.17 Biomass P concentrations from the P experiment at the Sturgis site. 22
1.18 P uptake from the P experiment at the Sturgis site .......... 22
1.19 Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels in the spring at the MSU, St. Clair, and

Sturgis sites. .............................. 24

vi

1.20

1.21

1.22
1.23
1.24
1.25
1.26

2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4

2.5
2.6
2.7
2.8

3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5

3.6
3.7

vii

Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels at the 5th leaf stage for the MSU, St. Clair,
and Sturgis sites .............................
Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels at harvest for the MSU, St. Clair, and
Sturgis sites. ..............................
Calculated manure P availability factors based on corn grain yields.
Potassium soil test levels at the St. Clair site .............
St Clair Potassium study grain and stover yields at harvest. . . . .
St. Clair Potassium study nutrient concentrations at harvest.

St. Clair Potassium study nutrient uptake at harvest .........

Characteristics of the soils at each site .................
Characteristics of the manures used at each site. ..........
Amount of manure and plant-available N applied at each site. . . .
Inorganic N (NO3-N + NH4-N) concentrations in soil samples at
harvest 1991. ..............................
Corn grain yields at manure residual N sites. ............
Corn stover yields at manure residual N sites. ............
Total N uptake by the Corn Crop at the manure residual N sites. .

Fertilizer N equivalents observed in 1991 for residual manure N. . .

Soil types at the Chatham, KBS, and Marlette study sites ......
Characteristics of the manures used at Chatham, KBS, and Marlette.
Soil NOg-N levels at Chatham, KBS, and Marlette. .........
Soil N H4-N levels at Chatham, KBS, and Marlette. .........
Earleaf nutrient concentrations in 1990 at Chatham, KBS, and Mar-
lette ....................................
Corn yields harvested in 1990 at Chatham, KBS, and Marlette. . .
Corn N uptake in 1990 at Chatham, KBS, and Marlette .......

24

36
37
38
38
39

43

45
46

47
48
48

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

viii

Concentrations of inorganic compounds and elements present in the
PCA paper sludge ...........................
Cumulative C released as C02 during incubation of sludge-treated
soils ....................................
Amounts of N H4-N plus NO3-N present in soils after incubation with
paper mill sludge .............................
Amounts of NH4-N plus N O3-N present in sludge-treated soils above
background levels obtained in control soils ...............
NO3-N plus NH4-N present in soils incubated with 0 and 40 ton

acre“1 of paper mill sludge .......................

53

54

57

57

58

4.1
4.2

4.3

5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4

5.5

5.6

5.7

5.8

5.9
5.10

LIST OF FIGURES

Fit of the first order C mineralization equation against the data points. 55

Comparison of the actual vs. the calculated amounts of C released
as C02 during incubation of soils treated with 5 tons acre‘1 of paper
mill sludge ...............................
Comparison of the actual vs. the calculated amounts of C released as
C02 during incubation of soil treated with 20 tons acre'1 of paper

mill sludge ...............................

Information flow in the paper RKS ...................
Pages from the larger Annual Record Book. .............
Historic Soil Test Summary table in Individual Field File folder. . .
Nitrogen Credits for Nutrient Planning table in Individual Field File
folder. ..................................
Nutrient Planning table in Individual Field File folder. .......
Pesticide Use Information table in Individual Field File folder . . .
Manure Management Sheet #1, Part A. Nutrient Budget for a Live-
stock Farmer ...............................
Manure Management Sheet #1, Part B. and C. Nutrient Budget for
a Livestcok Farmer. ..........................
Manure Management Sheet #2. Manure Analysis Information. . . .
Manure Management Sheet #3. Quantities of Manure Nutrients per

Spreader Load. ............................ . .

ix

66

67

67

69

69
71

72

5.11

5.12

5.13

5.14

Manure Management Sheet #4. Worksheet to Estimate the Quan-
tity of Manure Nutrients Applied ....................
Enhanced Recordkeeping Sheet #1. Lime and Fertilizer N, P205,
K20 applications .............................
Enhanced Recordkeeping Sheet #2. Micronutrient and Sulfur Fer-
tilization Applications ..........................

Enhanced Recordkeeping Sheet #3. Crop History Information.

73

74

75
75

INTRODUCTION

The five studies reported in this thesis relate to the question of using manure/ waste

as a fertilizer substitute for crop production. The studies are:
0 Manure N, P and Klstudy
0 Fall vs. spring manure application practices
a N mineralization in a paper mill sludge
0 Paper recordkeeping system

The manure N, P and K studies were conducted with financial support from the
Michigan Energy Conservation Program (MECP). The purpose of MECP was to
find ways to reduce established energy use and / or increase energy use efficiency on
Michigan farms. The manure P, K and N sites were started in 1988 by B. Lentz and
C. Rice. In 1989 B. Vaughan took responsibility for the manure N study and made
several changes to simplify the experimental design. The author assumed responsi—
bility for the manure P and K sites in 1989 and the manure N sites in 1990. The
N study was designed to estimate manure N mineralization and residual manure N
accumulation in the soil. The P and K studies were designed to estimate the P and
K supplying capability of manures as compared with inorganic fertilizers.

The fall vs. spring manure application study was established in 1990 in cooperation
with B. Vaughan to evaluate management practices for fall manure applications.
The efficiency of cover crops or delaying manure applications, to prevent the winter
leaching of fall applied manure N from the rooting zone was studied.

1

The paper sludge study was conducted in late 1991 to estimate the mineralization
of N from a paper sludge via laboratory incubations. The results were to provide
information that would be used to estimate a safe sludge rate for land application.

The paper recordkeeping system was developed in cooperation with B. MacKellar
and L.W. Jacobs in 1990. The goal was to design a field by field recordkeeping system
that farmers could use to manage fertilizer and manure nutrients on the farm. The
need to develop this “management tool” evolved when management practices, adopted
under the Michigan Right-to-Farm Act, recommended that farmers keep records of

the practices they used.

CHAPTER 1

Estimating Manure P and K Nutrient Credits

Abstract

To predict the phosphorus buildup in the soil due to manure applications the
residual fertilizer value of manures was investigated. The efficiency and residual
value of manure derived P and K was compared to triple superphosphate (0-46-
0) and potash (0-0-60) during a three year field trial. Triple superphosphate and
potash or manure were applied in the spring of 1988. Pit and solid manure P was
assumed to be 50% and liquid manure P 75% as available as triple superphosphate,
while liquid manure K was assumed to be 100% as available as potash. Application
method (broadcast vs. injected) was a secondary factor on the P study. Hybrid corn
(Zea mays L.) was grown. Grain and stover yields, and 5th/ 10th leaf, earleaf, grain,
stover and soil test P and K levels were monitored for the next three years. No
significant differences in the efficiencies between broadcast and injected treatments
were detected. Manure P availability in subsequent years seems to be similar to that

of triple superphosphate.

Introduction

Manure has long been used to maintain agricultural productivity. With the devel-

opment of inexpensive chemical fertilizers and the increasing specialization of farms,

manure has become a disposal problem for many farmers. High rates of manure ap-
plication will lead to the accumulation of available N, P, K, Mg, Ca, and soil organic
matter (Mackowiak, 1988; Mathers and Stewart, 1974; Olsen et al., 1970; Singh et al.,
1983; Vitosh et al., 1973). This buildup of nutrients can lead to water quality prob-
lems via non-point source losses from a watershed into surface waters. The key to
preventing nutrient pollution is to manage nutrient additions.

Since P is usually the limiting nutrient in aquatic systems, P enriched sediment
can contribute to rapid eutrophication. Over—fertilization and excessive manure ap-
plication can contribute to this enrichment. Therefore, an evaluation of the proper P
credits or equivalents for manure is needed. The P equivalents of manure depend on
the nature of the manure, and its behavior once it is added to the soil. While K is not
considered a potential water quality problem, high accumulations of K in soils can be
a problem for proper plant and animal nutrition. Thus, knowing what credits should
be given for manure K. additions can improve the management of this nutrient.

The P content of manures is extremely variable. In a survey conducted in 1989,
we found that the total P content of solid manures varied from 1.4 to 96.5 lb P205
per ton of manure. In manures, P can occur in organic and inorganic forms. Since
plants can only take up inorganic P, the proportion of organic and inorganic P in
manure is important. Broomfield (1961) reported that 60 to 70% of the P in sheep
manure was in the organic form. On the other hand, McAuliffe and Peech (1949)
reported that most of the P in sheep feces was in the inorganic form. They reported
that 16% of the total P was organic and most of that organic P was protein bound.
Peperzak et a1. (1959) fractionated manures and found they contained an average
of 27% organic P. Barrow (1975) reported that most of the P in sheep manure is
present as calcium phosphate, and that more inorganic P was excreted when the P
concentration in the feed was high. van Fassen and van Dijk (1987) reported that 80

to 90% of the total P in manure slurries was present as calcium phosphates. After two

months of anaerobic storage, organic P was 5 to 15% of the total P regardless of the
initial P distribution (van Fassen and van Dijk, 1987). The main organic P forms in
manure are inositol hexaphosphate and adenosine triphosphate (Caldwell and Black,
1958; Gerritse, 1978).

If the C:P ratio of a material is less than 200, P should be mineralized, but when
the C:P ratio is above 300, organic P should be immobilized (Stevenson, 1992; Dalai,
1977; Fuller et al., 1956). The organic P compounds are broken down in the soil by
the activity of phosphatases. This breakdown is influenced by a number of factors,
including the temperature, moisture, and organic matter content of the soil.

Gerritse and Zugec (1977) investigated the P-cycle in pig slurry using radioac-
tive 32P04 and found that all of the manure P seemed to be part of the microbial
cycle. So manure P availability could be increased by mineralization or decreased
by immobilization of available P, depending on the C:P and N:P ratios of the soil
environment.

Sorption competition has been suggested as a method of maintaining a higher level
of phosphates in solution since organic phosphates seemed to be preferentially sorbed.
Reddy et a1. (1980) reported that the addition of beef, poultry, and swine wastes to
a Norfolk soil decreased the sorption capacity and increased soluble P, equilibrium P,
and P desorption. They attributed the decrease in sorption to the relative stabilities
of the Fe (or Al)—organic anion complex and the Fe (or Al)-phosphate complex. Their
report is supported by the earlier findings of Singh and Jones (1976).

In P fertilizer trials, banded applications have proven more efficient than broadcast
treatments (Engelstad and Terman, 1980). McAuliffe et a1. (1949) reported that
plants absorbed slightly more P from banded manure applications than from banded
superphosphate applications. On the other hand, Abbott and Tucker (1973) reported
that on calcareous soils, manure P can be mixed with the soil, i.e. broadcast applied,

without loosing effectiveness.

Manure P availability has been assessed in a variety of ways. Most have centered
around the percent of the added manure P recovered, either by plants or by chemical
methods, divided by the percent of P recovered from an equivalent application of
inorganic P fertilizer. This assumes that the amount of indigenous P removed from
the soil is the same regardless of fertilization. Morel and Fardeau (1990) showed by
using isotropic tracers, that the amount of P utilized from the soil decreased when P
was supplied in the fertilizer. However, without resorting to tracers, the assumption
of unchanged native P availability has to be made.

Table 1.1 shows some of the efficiencies reported in the literature. Montavalli
et a1. (1989) reported first year P equivalents from injected dairy manures to be
14% to 88% with a large amount of variability between sites and years. McAllister
(1977) found that less responsive sites showed little differences between applications of
fertilizer versus manure P. McAuliffe et al. (1949) reported that while superphosphate
was more effective for the first cutting of Italian rye grass, manure P proved more
effective for subsequent cuttings. This indicated that the manure P might remain
available for a longer time.

Goss and Eck (1983) found no difference between feedlot manure derived P and
0-46-0 for the production of alfalfa, although Goss and Stewart (1979) had earlier
found that manure P was more efficient than superphosphate. They also reported
that superphosphate gave higher yields for the first cutting, while the manured plots
provided more P for the next several cuttings which is in agreement with the findings
of McAuliffe et a1. (1949). Given the low amount of organic P reported in manures,
differences in “fertilizer value” between manure P and fertilizer P might not due to
the presence of organic P (van Fassen and van Dijk, 1987). Manure applications seem
to increase P availability in calcareous desert soils (Meek et al., 1979; Abbott and
Tucker, 1973), and Hensler et a1. (1970) reported lower P recoveries from unlimed

than from limed soils.

Table 1.1. Manure P efficiencies reported in the literature.

 

 

 

 

Manure Phosphorus Efficiency Reference
%
Cattle slurry 60 Prummel and Sissingh (1983)
Liquid sludge 60 de Haan (1983)
Sheep dung 90 McAuliffe and Peech (1949)
Sheep dung (banded) 118 McAuliffe et a1. (1949)
Dairy (injected) 14-88 Montavalli et a1. (1989)
Any 50 Smith et a1. (1984)

 

Manure derived K has been considered 100% as effective as K derived from potash
(0-0-60) (Azevedo and Stout, 1974). Recently some re-evaluation of the efficiency of
manure derived K has been done. Montavalli et a1. (1989) reported that on several
loamy soils in Wisconsin, K from dairy manure was 72% as available as potash,
although their estimates for the various years and sites varied from 24% to 152%.

Smith et a1. (1984) suggests that manure K is 90% as available as potash.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficiency and residual P and
K value of manures applied at agronomic rates. A secondary goal was to evaluate

whether the application method or tillage system influenced the efficiency.

Hypothesis

0 Solid manure P is 50% as available as triple superphosphate (0-46-0).
0 Liquid manure P is 75% as available as triple superphosphate (0-46-0).

o The residual value of manure derived P is the same as that of triple superphos-

phate, if the manure is applied with the above first year availability factors.

0 Liquid manure K is as available as potash (0-0-60).

0 The residual K value of liquid manure is the same as that of potash (0—0-60).

Methods and Materials

In 1988 sites were established at the Michigan State University (MSU) University
Farms and the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), and on private farms in St. Clair
county and in St. Joseph county near Sturgis, MI. Sites selected had not been ma-
nured in the past 5 years, were in close proximity to a source of manure, and had
uniform, well-drained soils. The site at MSU was located north of Jolly Road near the
intersection of Jolly Road and Collins Road. The KBS site was located just south of
Baseline Road on the KBS Experimental Station near Kalamazoo, MI. The St. Clair
site was located in southern St. Clair county, and the Sturgis site was located on the
farm of Mr. Dave Sturgis just west of Sturgis, MI. All sites had a P study, but only
the St. Clair site had a K study, since only the St. Clair soils had K levels low enough
to be responsive to potash fertilization.

Table 1.2 summarizes the characteristics of the manures used at each location.
Details about the manure and fertilizer applications have been given by Lentz (1989)1
Except for the St. Clair site, all of the sites had been in active agricultural production
prior to the start of this study. The St. Clair site had been fallow since 1953. Table 1.3

shows the soil types and initial soil test values at each location.

St. Clair Site

A randomized complete block design was used in the K study. The treatments were

95 and 190 lb/ acre of K20 applied as potash (0-0-60) or liquid dairy manure (4200

 

1Benjamin Eaton Lentz research paper for Plan B, MS. degree, 1989. Availability and Replace-
ment Values of Potassium and Phosphorus in Animal Manures and Difierent Soil Types Amended

with Manures. Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing

Table 1.2. Characteristics of the manures used at each
location for the P / K study.

 

 

 

Site

Characteristic MSU Sturgis St. Clair KBS
Animal species Swine Swine Diary Diary
Storage type Lagoon Liquid pit Lagoon Free stall
Percent 98.7 89.9 93.8 65.5
moisture

——lb/1000 gal —— lb/wet ton
Total N 9.5 52.0 27.5 15.1
NH4-N 7.2 37.8 17.1 1.0
NO3-N 0.5 0.8 2.3 0.0
P205 6.6 50.0 11.3 14.0
K20 11.3 21.0 23.6 66.0

 

Table 1.3. Characteristics of the soils at each location.

 

 

 

 

Parameter I MSU KBS Sturgis St. Clair
Soil series Capac sandy loam Kalamazoo Schoolcraft Spinks loamy
loam sandy loam sandy loam sand
Classification Fine-loamy F inc-loamy, Fine-loamy, Sandy,
mixed, mesic mixed, mesic mixed, mesic mixed, mesic
Aerie Endoaqualfs Typic Hapludalfs Typic Argiudolls Psammentic
Hapludalfs
Soil pH 6.5 6.8 6.2 5.45
lb/ acre

P 32 48 58 21

K 98 136 213 84

Ca 3200 1818 2000 753

Mg 528 93 444 62

 

I Values for P, K, Ca, and Mg are extractable concentrations determined by soil fertility
testing.

10

and 8400 gal / acre). Characteristics of the dairy manure used are shown in Table 1.2.
In early spring the site had been plowed twice and treated with “Round-up” herbicide.
The manure was surface applied by EnviroLand Inc.2, with a commercial shank type
slurry applicator and then incorporated by disking. Nitrogen (ammonium nitrate).
and P (triple superphosphate) were supplied in excess of fertilizer recommendations.
In the spring of 1990 the cooperator mistakenly applied starter fertilizer containing 36
pounds of potash to the plots, so the K study was not continued in the 1990 growing

season .

KBS, MSU, and Sturgis Sites

The P experiments were designed as an incomplete three factor factorial, random-
ized complete block. The factorial design was incomplete because only one rather
than two controls was used per block. Alternatively the design could be viewed as
a two factor factorial plus a control. The factors were P carrier (manure, triple su-
perphosphate), P rate (0, 30, 60 lb PgO5/acre), taking the manure efficiencies into
account, and application method (broadcast, injected). At the KBS site the third
factor was tillage (no-till vs. moldboard plow followed by disking) and the P was
broadcast applied. At the KBS site both a plowed and a no-till control were used.

Manure and fertilizer P were applied in the spring of 1988. The nutrient content
of the manure was established by a prior manure test. Initial manure P was assumed
to be 50% as available as triple-superphosphate for the KBS manure, while the MSU,
Sturgis, and St. Clair manures P was assumed to be 75% as available as triple-
superphosphate. At the KBS site, manure was applied with a normal solid manure
spreader. However the low rate turned out to be too low to be applied with a manure

spreader so it was applied by weighing the manure into clean garbage barrels and

 

2EnviroLand Inc. is a commercial contractor that applied municipal, industrial, and agricultural

wastes residues to land.

11

spreading the manure by hand. The other (liquid) manures were applied with a
shank injection system. Broadcast manure applications were made by applying the
manure with the injectors out of the ground. After the initial fertilizer and manure
application, N H4N O3 (34-0—0) and K20 (0-0—60) were applied to all plots each year

in accordance with fertilizer recommendations.

All Experimental Sites

Hybrid corn was planted in each of the three years (1988—1990). The plot size was
30 feet by 60 feet. Corn was planted the long way at 30 inch row spacing, giving 12
rows per plot. Plant and soil samples were collected from the middle 10 com rows
and 2 feet from each end of the plot. Normal pesticide and herbicide applications
were done. In 1989 and 1990, adequate moisture was supplied by precipitation, while
1988 was very dry and the corn was under considerable drought stress. None of the
sites was irrigated.

Whole plant samples were taken at the 10th leaf stage in 1988, and at the 5th leaf
stage in 1989 and 1990. All of the aboveground plant matter from 10 (1988) and 20
(1989 and 1990) plants was taken. Earleaf samples were taken each year at silking, by
collecting twenty individual leaves from each plot. For yield measurements 20 feet of
row in each of the two center rows were hand harvested. The grain was shelled from
the ear and bagged. The stover (whole aboveground biomass minus the grain) was
weighed and shredded. In 1988 and part of 1989 a flail shredder was used, whereas
in 1989 and 1990 a silage chopper was used. A subsample of the chopped corn stover
was taken back to the lab for moisture determination and analysis.

Wet weights of the stover subsamples were taken as soon as possible after shredding
(within 2 hours). All plant tissue materials were dried in a forced air dryer at 65°C
prior to chemical analysis. After drying the plant biomass samples were weighed to

determine moisture content. The grain moisture was gravimetrically determined with

12

a Borroughs Moisture Computer 2000 in 1988 and 1990. In 1989 grain moisture was
determined by difference between wet and dried (1 week at 65°C) weights. Plant
tissue samples and stover were ground in a steel mill to pass a 1 mm sieve, and corn
grain was ground in a cyclone mill.

One foot soil samples were taken each spring, at the 5th or 10th leaf sample and
at harvest. A minimum of 20 cores (10 cores at KBS) were taken from each plot and
composited. At the KBS site the cores were split into 0-2”, 2-6” and 6—12” depths,
to monitor movement of the broadcast applied P in the no-till treatments.

Plant samples were dry-ashed to determine the nutrient content. In 1988 one
gram of plant material was dry-ashed at 500°C for 6 hours and diluted with 5ml of
6M HNO3. The ash and solution was mixed to extract the ash. After one hour the
samples were brought to 10 ml volume with 2000 mg/ L LIC12 in distilled water. Then
a 0.2 ml subsample was diluted with 9.8 m1 of 1000 mg/ L LIC12 in distilled water.
Both the sample and the subsample were analyzed by direct current plasma atomic
emission spectroscopy (DCP-AES). In 1989 and 1990 the procedure was simplified to
eliminate the dilution step as follows: 0.25 grams of plant material was dry-ashed in
a porcelain crucible at 500°C for 6 hours; 12.5 ml of 1000 mg/ L L1C12 in 3M HN03
was added and mixed with the residue. After one hour the supernatant was decanted
into 20 ml scintillation vials. The samples were stored at room temperature until
analyzed for P and K by DCP-AES.

Soil samples were air dried and ground with a hammer mill to pass a 5 mm mesh.
Phosphorus levels were determined by Bray-Kurtz P1 extraction at a 1:10 soilzsolution
ratio with a shaking time of 10 minutes on a rotary shaker. The extract was filtered
for 20 minutes through Whatman No. 5 filter paper and the filtrates were refrigerated
until analysis. The samples were analyzed on a Lachat Flow Injection analyzer using
a molybdate blue colorimetric method (USEPA, 1979).

Ammonium acetate extractable K, Ca and Mg in. soil samples was determined

13

by extracting 2.5 grams of soil with 20 ml of 1N NH4OAc at pH 7. The mixture
was shaken for 5 minutes at 200 rpm and filtered through Whatman #1 filter paper.
Three ml of extractant were diluted with 3ml of 2000 ppm LiC12 and refrigerated
until analyzed by DCP-AES.

The statistical analysis of the data was done using the PC-SAS system (SAS Insti-
tute, 1985). Least significant differences were calculated with the method described
by Steel and Torrie (1980). A linear regression equation relating the grain yield of the
fertilizer treatments to the amount of P fertilizer applied was obtained (for example
equation 1.1 where a and b are obtained from the regression). Then this equation
was solved for the fertilizer application and used to calculate equivalent fertilizer

applications from the yields of the manure treatments (for example equation 1.2).

yield = a x fertilizer2 + b (1.1)

l ' ld- b
fertilizer = yw—a— (1.2)

The ratio between the equivalent fertilizer application and the total amount of P

supplied by the manure was taken to be the efficiency.

Phosphorus Studies Results and Discussion

At the KBS site, the corn on the no-till treatment initially lagged behind the
plowed treatments in 1988, while in 1989 and 1990 the no-till did slightly better
(Table 1.4). The early differences in biomass were not reflected in the grain yield
except in 1988. In 1988 drought prevented the no-till treatment from catching-up
(Table 1.4). In 1988 the plowed manure treated plots had higher yields than the
plowed fertilizer and plowed control treatments, while in 1989 and 1990, no consistent
yield response to the P fertilization or tillage was observed. Table 1.5 shows the P
concentrations in the plant tissues. The differences in P uptake (Table 1.6) parallel

those in the biomass yields (Table 1.4).

14

Table 1.4. Biomass yields from the P experiment at the KBS site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th leaf Stover Grain
Treatmentl 1988I 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990
lb / acre bu / acre

No-till
Control 280 100 100 3700 9700 8700 50 131 118
30 lb as TSP 370 110 110 3800 9100 8400 58 118 116
60 lb as TSP 280 120 110 3300 10600 7400 49 104 104
30 lb as manure 360 110 110 2900 9300 7600 47 119 86
60 lb as manure 350 130 130 4000 9500 8200 64 124 114

Plowed
Control 790 80 80 3600 10100 8100 58 114 108
30 lb as TSP 770 90 90 3600 9400 8200 58 129 121
60 lb as TSP 860 100 100 3300 9600 7800 60 121 116
30 lb as manure 920 70 70 4400 10000 8000 73 123 115
60 lb as manure 1000 110 100 4400 10500 7700 78 122 113
LSD (0.05) 200 35 33 us n.s. n.s. 17 18 19

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).
f In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

Table 1.5. Biomass P concentrations from the P experiment at the KBS site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th leaf Stover Grain
Treatmentl 1988: 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990
%

No-till
Control 0.34 0.35 0.34 0.10 0.11 0.06 0.24 0.28 0.27
30 lb as TSP 0.31 0.35 0.33 0.10 0.11 0.06 0.26 0.28 0.29
60 lb as TSP 0.29 0.37 0.34 0.12 0.13 0.08 0.27 0.27 0.27
30 lb as manure 0.29 0.35 0.30 0.11 0.08 0.07 0.26 0.26 0.33
60 lb as manure 0.30 0.37 0.32 0.09 0.11 0.06 0.25 0.27 0.30

M
Control 0.29 0.33 0.32 0.10 0.08 0.10 0.24 0.25 0.26
30 lb as TSP 0.29 0.32 0.31 0.07 0.09 0.06 0.25 0.24 0.25
60 lb as TSP 0.27 0.31 0.33 0.12 0.07 0.07 0.25 0.28 0.28
30 lb as manure 0.28 0.31 0.32 0.09 0.09 0.07 0.25 0.25 0.27
60 lb as manure 0.30 0.33 0.30 0.09 0.11 0.07 0.25 0.27 0.29
LSD (0.05) 0.03 n.s. 0.03 n.s n.s. n.s. 0.02 n.s. 0.04

 

l Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).
f In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

15

Table 1.6. P uptake from the P experiment at the KBS site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th leaf Stover Grain

'Ii'eatmentI 1988I 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990

lb/acre

No—till
Control 1.0 0.38 0.36 3.6 10 5.7 6.7 20 18
30 lb as TSP 1.2 0.39 0.39 3.8 10 5.5 8.4 20 19
60 lb as TSP 0.97 0.45 0.38 4.0 12 6.1 7.0 17 16
30 lb as manure 1.1 0.40 0.33 3.0 7.9 5.4 6.9 17 16
60 lb as manure 1.1 0.50 0.41 3.6 11 5.2 9.1 21 19

Plowed
Control 2.3 0.26 0.25 3.5 8.3 7.8 7.8 14 16
30 lb as TSP 2.3 0.29 0.27 2.8 8.8 4.9 8.1 17 17
60 lb as TSP 2.4 0.30 0.31 4.7 6.8 5.6 8.4 17 18
30 lb as manure 2.6 0.23 0.22 4.0 8.9 - 5.8 10 16 18
60 lb as manure 3.1 0.37 0.33 3.9 11 5.3 11 19 17
LSD (0.05) 0.57 0.14 0.11 n.s n.s. n.s. 2.4 2.8 n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).
I In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

Soil tests show accumulation of P in the surface layer (0—2”) of the no-till vs.
the plowed treatments. No significant differences were found for the deeper layers in
any of the treatments (Tables 1.7—1.9). Treatments fertilized with manure or TSP
generally had higher P levels than the control, but no significant differences were
observed between the manure and TSP treatments.

At the MSU site, no significant differences in yield were observed, except at the
5th leaf stage in 1990 where the 30 lb TSP broadcast application and the 30 lb manure
injected treatment resulted in a lower yield compared to some of the other treatments
(Table 1.10). This difference also shows up in the P uptake data (Table 1.12). Biomass
P concentrations did not show any significant differences, except that in 1989 the grain
P concentrations were reduced in the 60 lb manure broadcast and the 30 lb manure
injected treatment than in the other treatments (Table 1.11).

At the St. Clair site, grain yields on the injected 60 lb treatments were significantly

higher than the control in 1988. In 1990, grain and silage yields were higher on

16

Table 1.7. Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels in the spring for the KBS P site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1988 1989 1990

TreatmentI 0-2” 2-6” 6-12” 0-2” 2—6” 6-12” 0-2” 2-6” 6-12”

lb/acre

No-till
Control 23.7 11.8 19.6 33.7 20.4 20.4 28.0 10.6 9.6
30 lb as TSP 27.0 14.7 21.8 48.6 23.9 23.9 33.8 14.4 11.7
60 lb as TSP 34.9 15.3 20.4 42.9 21.2 21.2 32.2 13.6 7.6
30 lb as manure 28.9 16.6 24.9 43.2 22.8 22.8 35.6 14.7 11.4
60 lb as manure 24.6 14.9 20.0 40.6 20.6 20.6 32.8 12.3 6.7

Jim—64
Control 11.3 11.3 17.6 18.9 18.9 18.9 11.9 10.8 7.1
30 lb as TSP 15.8 15.8 18.2 23.7 23.7 23.7 15.9 14.0 9.1
60 lb as TSP 16.2 16.2 20.5 24.5 24.5 24.5 18.1 18.1 10.3
30 lb as manure 13.7 13.7 21.7 22.9 22.9 22.9 16.3 16.6 11.3
60 lb as manure 16.9 16.9 23.7 24.4 24.4 24.4 18.9 18.0 11.6
LSD (0.05) 7.8 n.s. n.s. 11.5 n.s. n.s. 7.8 n.s. n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).

Table 1.8. Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels at 5th leaf stage for the
KBS P siteI.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1989 1990

TreatmentI 0-2” 2-6” 6- 1 2” 0-2” 2-6” 6- 12”

lb/acre

No-till
Control 39.4 16.9 11.6 31.5 9.8 10.9
30 lb as TSP 48.9 20.3 16.7 43.3 8.9 15.0
60 lb as TSP 46.8 19.5 9.5 40.0 10.9 9.0
30 lb as manure 48.1 25.5 14.4 35.4 17.2 14.5
60 lb as manure 36.5 20.1 10.5 37.3 12.3 11.5

Plowed
Control 17.6 18.2 10.6 13.5 13.0 10.1
30 lb as TSP 19.2 20.1 11.8 18.9 14.7 13.4
60 lb as TSP 24.3 27.5 14.5 17.8 13.2 14.3
30 lb as manure 20.8 22.3 14.7 18.7 17.1 18.6
60 lb as manure 22.9 22.3 13.1 18.7 14.6 15.9
LSD (0.05) 11.5 n.s. n.s. 11.9 n.s. n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate

(TSP).

I No 5th leaf samples taken in 1988.

17

Table 1.9. Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels at harvest for the KBS P site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1988 1989 1990

'D‘eatmentI 0-2” 2-6” 6-12” 0-2” 2-6” 6-12” 0-2” 2-6” 6-12”

lb/acre

No—till
Control 39.2 24.9 15.9 43.8 20.4 14.5 45.7 29.4 10.9
30 lb as TSP 44.2 26.3 18.9 55.6 25.0 19.3 54.0 37.0 14.8
60 lb as TSP 47.7 25.5 14.7 53.9 27.2 12.7 50.7 31.0 9.7
30 lb as manure 45.2 32.1 18.9 46.9 26.5 18.5 50.1 27.9 15.0
60 lb as manure 38.7 26.6 16.4 46.5 21.4 12.4 47.3 26.7 8.8

Plowed
Control 24.3 26.2 15.9 21.0 20.5 15.9 27.3 26.8 10.9
30 lb as TSP 25.2 28.6 16.8 23.5 27.9 17.8 29.1 37.0 9.9
60 lb as TSP 30.9 33.5 19.9 28.5 32.9 22.7 33.0 34.2 12.9
30 lb as manure 26.7 30.2 18.6 23.6 28.8 21.2 33.1 31.1 13.5
60 lb as manure 25.3 29.0 18.4 25.8 30.8 21.0 35.5 33.1 14.0
LSD (0.05) 8.0 n.s. n.s. 14.0 n.s. n.s. 11.9 n.s. n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).

Table 1.10. Biomass yields from the P experiment at the MSU site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th leaf Stover Grain
TreatmentI 1988I 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990
lb/ acre bu/ acre
Control 2500 400 320 4000 9800 3800 62 71 123
Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 2200 370 290 4300 11700 3800 66 67 121
60 lb as TSP 2100 510 340 4200 10000 4800 61 75 135
30 lb as manure 2100 520 390 4400 10000 4400 61 63 144
60 lb as manure 2000 470 370 3500 11200 4200 62 68 133
Injected Application
30 lb as TSP 2000 420 370 4300 10400 4900 61 69 135
60 lb as TSP 2300 420 330 4500 11000 4700 75 69 143
30 lb as manure 2300 340 270 3800 8000 4700 58 72 139
60 lb as manure 2300 420 310 4100 10000 4500 60 64 136
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. 80 n.s n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).
I In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

18

Table 1.11. Biomass P concentrations from the P experiment at the MSU site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th leaf Stover Grain
TreatmentI 1988I 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990
%
Control 0.34 0.26 0.43 0.10 0.21 0.05 0.31 0.33 0.25
Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 0.34 0.27 0.45 0.09 0.14 0.08 0.36 0.34 0.26
60 lb as TSP 0.31 0.27 0.46 0.11 0.17 0.07 0.37 0.36 0.26

30 lb as manure 0.33 0.28 0.45 0.12 0.13 0.06 0.35 0.31 0.28
60 lb as manure 0.33 0.28 0.45 0.11 0.13 0.08 0.30 0.28 0.28
Injected Application

 

 

30 1b as TSP 0.33 0.27 0.47 0.10 0.18 0.07 0.27 0.32 0.28
60 lb as TSP 0.27 0.28 0.46 0.09 0.13 0.07 0.28 0.31 0.25
30 lb as manure 0.28 0.28 0.42 0.11 0.13 0.06 0.26 0.28 0.26
60 lb as manure 0.33 0.28 0.44 0.11 0.15 0.08 0.34 0.33 0.26
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s n.s. n.s. n.s. 0.04 n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).
I In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

Table 1.12. P uptake from the P experiment at the MSU site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th leaf Stover Grain
TreatmentI 1988I 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990
lb/ acre
Control 8.5 1.0 1.4 4.2 20 1.9 11 13 17
Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 7.4 1.0 1.3 3.9 17 3.1 13 13 18
60 lb as TSP 6.4 1.4 1.6 4.5 17 3.3 9.3 12 20
30 lb as manure 6.9 1.6 1.8 5.5 13 2.9 12 11 23
60 lb as manure 6.6 1.3 1.7 3.7 15 3.4 11 11 21
Injected Application
30 lb as TSP 6.5 1.2 1.8 4.5 20 3.1 9.2 12 21
60 lb as TSP 6.1 1.2 1.5 4.1 14 3.1 12 12 20
30 lb as manure 6.5 0.95 1.2 4.3 10 3.0 8.3 8.1 20
60 lb as manure 7.8 1.2 1.4 4.7 15 3.4 11 8.5 19
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. 0.45 n.s n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).
I In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

19

Table 1.13. Biomass yields from the P experiment at the St. Clair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

site.
5th leaf Stover Grain

TreatmentI 1988I 1989 1990 1988 1990 1988 1990

lb / acre — bu / acre —
Control 220 90 30 2800 1300 41 18

Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 80 160 60 1900 2100 29 34
60 lb as TSP 130 220 60 2100 2300 36 43
30 lb as manure 170 240 70 2700 2600 46 49
60 lb as manure 210 270 70 2800 3000 53 52
Injected Application

30 lb as TSP 170 170 60 2000 1900 33 31
60 lb as TSP 220 170 60 3000 2300 60 39
30 lb as manure 150 240 80 2800 2100 39 42
60 lb as manure 130 220 70 3200 2900 62 52
LSD (0.05) n.s. 110 n.s. n.s 660 17 10

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).
I In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

all the treated plots compared to the control, and the manured treatments yielded
more than the fertilizer treatments (Table 1.13). Silage yields in 1990 for the 60 lb
manure treatments were also significantly higher than the 30 lb TSP treatment on
both broadcast and injected plots. The St. Clair site was the only site where P
deficiency symptoms were noted in the control plots at the 2—3 leaf stage, although
the symptoms had disappeared by the 5th leaf stage. In 1989 the manure treatments
resulted in increased yields at the 5th leaf stage, which might be a reflection of low
P bioavailability. No harvest data is available for 1989 due to premature harvesting
by the cooperator. No significant differences were found in the P content of plant
tissues except that the 60 lb injected manure treatment in 1988 was higher than
the control (Table 1.14). Phosphorus uptake only showed significant differences in
the 1990 harvest data (Table 1.15), mostly a reflection of similar differences in grain

yields.

20

Table 1.14. Biomass P concentrations from the P experiment at the

St. Clair site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th leaf Stover Grain
TreatmentI 1988I 1989 1990 1988 1990 1988 1990
%
Control 0.26 0.23 0.26 0.06 0.05 0.19 0.26
Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 0.24 0.28 0.32 0.07 0.06 0.23 0.24
60 lb as TSP 0.23 0.26 0.33 0.06 0.06 0.14 0.23
30 lb as manure 0.22 0.30 0.37 0.07 0.05 0.23 0.22
60 lb as manure 0.23 0.29 0.36 0.08 0.07 0.22 0.23
. Injected Application
30 lb as TSP 0.24 0.29 0.23 0.06 0.05 0.20 0.24
60 lb as TSP 0.24 0.30 0.34 0.07 0.05 0.22 0.24
30 lb as manure 0.21 0.25 0.35 0.08 0.05 0.23 0.21
60 lb as manure 0.26 0.26 0.36 0.07 0.05 0.35 0.26
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s n.s. 0.06 n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).
I In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

Table 1.15. P uptake from the P experiment at the St. Clair site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th leaf Stover Grain
'II‘eatmentI 1988I 1989 1990 1988 1990 1988 1990
lb/ acre
Control 0.59 0.21 0.06 1.7 0.68 4.4 2.6
Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 0.20 0.32 0.18 1.3 1.2 3.7 4.6
60 lb as TSP 0.32 0.61 0.20 1.3 1.4 2.8 5.5
30 lb as manure 0.38 0.52 0.26 1.9 1.4 5.9 6.0
60 lb as manure 0.48 0.85 0.29 2.2 2.0 6.5 6.7
Injected Application
30 lb as TSP 0.39 0.50 0.22 1.2 0.92 3.7 4.2
60 lb as TSP 0.56 0.48 0.22 2.1 1.1 6.7 5.2
30 lb as manure 0.33 0.63 0.32 2.2 1.0 5.0 4.9
60 lb as manure 0.33 0.59 0.24 2.2 1.5 12 7.9
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. 0.48 n.s. n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).

I In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

21

Table 1.16. Biomass yields from the P experiment at the Sturgis site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th leaf Stover Grain
TreatmentI 1988I 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990
lb / acre bu / acre
Control 430 110 130 2400 31500 15300 56 123 113
Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 400 100 100 2400 52800 12900 50 120 113
60 lb as TSP 390 130 100 2200 41400 13600 46 111 113
30 lb as manure 340 140 100 2200 41500 11900 53 113 106
60 lb as manure 410 130 90 2400 56000 14500 54 117 120
Injected Application
30 lb as TSP 410 120 90 2700 40600 11000 60 121 122
60 lb as TSP 480 120 100 2300 40300 12700 55 110 123
30 lb as manure 400 120 110 2100 47500 15000 49 115 111
60 lb as manure 610 110 90 2700 44400 13400 53 116 120
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. 4.1 n.s 22700 n.s. n.s. 6 n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).
I In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

At the Sturgis site, the control treatments often resulted in the highest yields.
In 1989 the 30 lb TSP and 60 lb manure broadcast application resulted in signifi-
cant increases in stover yield, but not in grain yields (Table 1.16). No significant
difference in P concentration or P uptake was detected at any of the sampling times
(Tables 1.17—~1.18).

The strongest soil test P response to P fertilization was observed at the St. Clair
site. This was expected because of the extremely low P levels prior to the study. The
St. Clair site is also the site with the coarsest texture, which might have helped the
soil to respond to the fertilization. The MSU and Sturgis sites had finer grained soils
which might have had a higher buffering capacity i.e. more clay, so that the response
to P fertilization was less clear. Consistent increases in Bray-Kurtz P1 levels were
only observed at the St. Clair site (Table 1.19—1.21), while no consistent increases in
P soil test levels were observed at the MSU and Sturgis sites. No consistent significant

differences were found between broadcast and injected applications or between the

22

Table 1.17. Biomass P concentrations from the P experiment at the Sturgis site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th leaf Stover Grain
TreatmentI 1988T 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990
%
Control 0.45 0.45 0.53 0.14 0.06 0.09 0.38 0.28 0.29
Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 0.21 0.41 0.49 0.13 0.05 0.08 0.40 0.26 0.26
60 lb as TSP 0.25 0.45 0.55 0.14 0.06 0.08 0.39 0.28 0.28
30 lb as manure 0.26 0.46 0.53 0.13 0.06 0.10 0.36 0.28 0.29

60 lb as manure 0.24 0.30 0.52 0.11 0.06 0.06 0.38 0.27 0.28
Injected Application

30 lb as TSP 0.24 0.43 0.51 0.11 0.05 0.06 0.34 0.28 0.25

60 lb as TSP 0.24 0.43 0.52 0.12 0.05 0.06 0.37 0.26 0.28

30 lb as manure 0.21 0.43 0.53 0.10 0.05 0.08 0.39 0.27 0.28

60 lb as manure 0.26 0.46 0.54 0.11 0.05 0.07 0.36 0.25 0.28

LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s.

 

 

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).
I In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

Table 1.18. P uptake from the P experiment at the Sturgis site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th leaf Stover Grain
'II‘eatmentI 1988I 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990
lb/acre
Control 1.9 0.52 0.71 3.4 19 13 12 19 18
Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 0.86 0.54 0.52 3.2 27 9.7 11 18 16
60 lb as TSP 0.98 0.57 0.52 3.1 26 9.3 10 17 18
30 lb as manure 0.88 0.62 0.50 2.9 25 11 11 18 17
60 lb as manure 0.98 0.60 0.48 2.8 33 8.9 12 18 19
Injected Application
30 lb as TSP 0.98 0.52 0.45 3.2 22 6.8 11 19 17
60 lb as TSP 1.1 0.52 0.57 2.9 22 7.4 11 16 19
30 lb as manure 0.84 0.51 0.59 2.1 26 11 11 17 17
60 lb as manure 1.5 0.52 0.49 3.2 26 9.3 11 16 19
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).
I In 1988 the 10th leaf stage was sampled.

23

TSP and manure applications, although the 60 lb treatments showed the largest
number of samples with a significant increase above the control treatments.

At the MSU site, soil test P levels at the 10th leaf sampling in 1988 the 30 lb TSP
and the manure broadcast treatments were higher than the control. No significant
differences were observed in 1989 and 1990 (Table 1.20). On the harvest sample the
60 lb TSP injected treatment was higher than the control in 1988, while in 1989 the
broadcast applications resulted in higher soil test levels than the control. In 1990 the
30 lb manure injected treatment showed significantly lower P levels than the other
treatments (Table 1.21).

At the St. Clair site the P205 additions resulted in significantly elevated P soil test
levels compared to control soils not receiving any P205, but no consistent differences
were observed between the 30 and 60 lb or the broadcast vs. injected or the manured
vs. fertilizer treatments (Tables 1.19—1.21).

At the Sturgis site in the spring of 1989, the 60 lb manure broadcast application
and both 60 lb injected treatments resulted in significantly increased soil test P levels
compared to the control (Table 1.19). At the 5th leaf sample no significant differences
were observed in 1989, but in 1988 the 60 lb manure injected application resulted in
higher soil test levels. In 1990 both the 60 lb manure treatments and the 60 lb TSP
injected treatment resulted in higher soil test levels than the control (Table 1.20). At
the harvest sample the only significant difference was observed in 1988 where the 60
lb injected treatments showed soil test levels higher than the control (Table 1.21).

No basis was found to reject the assumed P availability factors as hypothesized.
Table 1.22 shows the calculated P efficiencies. The average first year availability factor
for the liquid manures applied at the 30 lb P205 / acre rate was 88%, while the solid
manure was 48% as available as triple superphosphate. These values agree well with
the assumed values of 75% for the liquid manures and 50% for the solid manure. First

year availability factors for the the 60 lb/ acre rate where 48% for the solid manures

24

Table 1.19. Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels in the spring at the MSU, St. Clair, and
Sturgis sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSU St. Clair Sturgis
TreatmentI 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990
lb/acre
control 10.8 35.5 12.0 14.5 21.1 18.4 24.5 25.4 15.8
Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 13.5 33.1 16.4 70.3 65.2 53.9 23.6 22.7 15.5
60 lb as TSP 12.9 40.1 15.2 35.9 45.7 29.4 26.6 26.0 17.2
30 lb as manure 14.0 46.4 16.7 76.0 93.4 61.8 28.5 26.9 15.9
60 lb as manure 13.8 37.7 15.9 60.7 95.6 51.5 25.4 31.6 19.9
Injected Application
30 lb as TSP 13.4 31.0 16.0 62.5 54.9 42.3 30.5 27.8 16.8
60 lb as TSP 9.7 41.6 15.6 29.7 56.1 30.2 24.4 43.4 19.9
30 lb as manure 10.6 31.7 12.7 40.7 43.8 35.4 23.0 27.1 18.9
60 lb as manure 14.1 38.7 14.2 39.8 71.1 35.3 27.5 31.4 19.0
LSD (0.05) n.s. 13.2 4.7 29.9 32.0 18.8 n.s. 5.1 n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).

Table 1.20. Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels at the 5th leafI stage for the MSU, St.
Clair, and Sturgis sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSU St. Clair Sturgis
TreatmentI 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990
lb/acre
control 15.2 16.1 11.5 10.6 16.4 8.7 29.4 22.3 18.1
Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 21.0 19.9 12.7 28.6 60.2 38.1 24.3 21.1 17.1
60 lb as TSP 19.4 18.6 11.5 18.5 31.8 21.6 26.6 24.4 19.2
30 lb as manure 22.4 20.3 14.8 31.8 63.4 39.0 30.2 21.8 19.6

601basmanure 22.0 20.9 13.0 26.0 49.8 31.6 29.2 25.8 26.4
Injected Application

 

 

30 lb as TSP 16.2 17.9 10.3 25.0 37.9 23.5 30.3 21.7 18.4
60 lb as TSP 11.8 21.3 13.0 25.0 42.6 20.1 27.3 25.6 23.6
30 lb as manure 15.3 13.8 10.5 18.2 38.7 23.6 33.5 28.2 20.3
60 lb as manure 19.1 21.0 12.6 14.3 26.9 17.1 38.0 30.4 23.5
LSD (0.05) 5.7 n.s. n.s. 9.3 20.8 15.5 4.8 n.s. 4.1

 

I In 1988 samples were taken at the 10th leaf time.
I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).

25

Table 1.21. Soil Bray-Kurtz P1 levels at harvest for the MSU, St. Clair, and
Sturgis sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSU St. Clair Sturgis
TreatmentI 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990 1988 1989 1990
lb/acre
control 14.4 9.5 15.8 15.7 18.5 27.4 27.0 21.8 21.8
Broadcast Application
30 lb as TSP 17.1 15.2 16.6 68.2 66.7 48.6 23.9 23.2 23.2
60 lb as TSP 13.9 15.7 19.1 32.8 32.1 43.2 27.3 23.2 23.2
30 lb as manure 16.1 16.6 16.9 69.5 56.6 49.1 28.1 24.5 24.5
60 lb as manure 14.6 12.3 13.1 61.7 54.3 49.8 32.3 29.5 29.5
Injected Application
30 lb as TSP 15.6 11.9 14.9 47.9 60.1 38.0 24.9 24.5 24.5
60 lb as TSP 28.1 15.9 17.3 23.6 40.5 37.0 38.0 28.0 28.0
30 lb as manure 10.6 11.4 7.5 38.7 44.6 43.3 24.5 24.6 24.6
60 lb as manure 14.1 11.8 10.6 28.2 32.9 38.5 33.6 28.5 28.5
LSD (0.05) 5.7 5.6 5.2 26.3 23.8 9.2 6.0 n.s. n.s.

 

I Quantities of P205 applied as manure or triple superphosphate (TSP).

and 22% for the liquid manure. This decrease might be due to P saturation. Adequate
P was available for corn growth so the additional P supplied by the 60 lb treatment
did not increase yields as much as the 30 lb treatment. Efficiencies seemed to increase
during the residual period, however the increase was not statistically significant, so
that the residual availability of manure P was the same as triple superphosphate-P.
The high value for the third year residual efficiency at St. Clair is probably due to
the starter fertilizer applied in the spring of 1990. The calculated efficiencies ranged
from 22% for the 60 lb P205 manure treatment in the first year at KBS to about
130% on the 30 lb P205 manure treatment in the third year at MSU. These values

are in the same range as those reported by Montavalli et al. (1989).

26

Table 1.22. Calculated manure P availability factors based on
corn grain yields.

 

 

 

 

30 lb appliedI 60 lb appliedI
1 year 2 year 3 year 1 year 2 year 3 year
%
MSU 65 74 133 35 33 52
Sturgis 103 120 51 46 45 52
St. ClairI 95 —- 172 63 —— 107
KBS 48 49 75 22 24 28

 

I Values are relative to the fertilizer treatments.

I No values for the second year due to premature harvesting by the
cooperator.

Potassium Study Results and Discussion

Table 1.23 shows the soil test K levels at all of the sampling dates in 1988 and 1989.
The K study was not continued in 1990 due to starter potash fertilizer application
at planting. Soil test K levels showed a difference between the two rates as well
as between the manure and fertilizer treatments. Higher rates tended to result in
higher soil test levels. The manure treatments consistently showed higher soil test
K levels than the fertilizer treatments, although the increase was not statistically
significant. The difference can be explained, since the actual rate of manure K20
applied contained about 8 lb K20 per acre more than the fertilizer rate.

Grain yields for the two years were highly variable between replicates (Table 1.24).
Yields did not show a response to K20 treatments in either year. Taken over both
years however the rate component became significant. The average grain yield in-
creased from 59 bu/ acre in the control treatment to 62 and 84 bu / acre in the 95 and
190 lb K20 treatment. Stover yields did not show any significant differences due to
the treatments.

The average K content of the grain did not increase due to increased fertilization

(Table 1.25). Stover K content in the high manure treatments was highest of any of

27

Table 1.23. Potassium soil test levels at the St. Clair site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1988 1989
TreatmentI ' spring 10th leaf harvest spring 5th leaf harvest
mg K / kg soil
Control 48 43 49 38 35 40
95 lb as potash 60 50 60 56 45 53
95 lb as manure 67 59 66 66 46 55
190 lb as potash 89 63 78 83 61 69
190 lb as manure 77 76 86 100 65 74
LSD (0.05) 22 n.s. n.s. 19 20 17

 

I Quantities of K20 applied as potash or manure.

Table 1.24. St Clair Potassium study grain and stover yields at

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

harvest.
Grain Stover
TreatmentI 1988 1989 Average 1988 1989 Average
bu/ acre —— lb/acre
Control 56 61 59 5000 4200 3500
95 lb as potash 42 65 54 3800 4900 3500
95 lb as manure 59 82 71 5000 6100 5000
190 lb as potash 71 85 78 6300 6600 4800
190 lb as manure 63 116 90 5100 6900 4800
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. 31 n.s. n.s. n.s.

 

I Quantities of K20 applied as potash or manure.

28

Table 1.25. St. Clair Potassium study nutrient con-
centrations at harvest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grain Stover
'D‘eatmentI 1988 1989 1988 1989
%

Control 0.39 0.36 1.4 0.81
95 lb as potash 0.42 0.34 1.8 1.0
95 lb as manure 0.41 0.34 1.8 1.0
190 lb as potash 0.40 0.34 1.6 1.0
190 lb as manure 0.41 0.34 2.2 1.3
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. 0.38 0.027

 

I Quantities of K20 applied as potash or manure.

the treatments. The stover K content of most treatments significantly exceeded the
control. The overall K uptake increased (Table 1.26) mostly due to the larger grain
production. The was no significant difference in K content, uptake or yield between
manure and fertilizer derived K. Therefore the hypothesis that liquid manure K is as

available as potash could not be rejected. This agrees with the findings of Azevedo

and Stout (1974).

Table 1.26. St. Clair Potassium study nutri-
ent uptake at harvest.

 

 

 

 

 

Grain Stover
TreatmentI 1988 1989 1988 1989
lb/ acre
Control 6.6 10 69 35
95 lb as potash 4.6 10 66 51
95 lb as manure 7.8 13 87 59
190 lb as potash 9.1 13 100 66
190 lb as manure 8.6 18 112 84
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. 39 30

 

I Quantities of K20 applied as potash or ma-

nure.

CHAPTER 2

Residual N Accumulation Due to Low Annual Applications

of Manure

Abstract

Long-term large manure application can lead to increased soil N levels, due to
the accumulation of residual manure. It is not clear if this accumulation also takes
place when manure is applied at agronomic rates i.e. to satisfy the N requirement of
the crop. Therefore the residual effect of agronomic rates of manure applications was
investigated. Manure was applied at agronomic rates for one, two, and three years
consecutively. Corn (Zea mays L.) was grown, and the yields on the manure plots
compared to the yields of fertilized plots. Three years of annual manure application
to loamy and sandy loam soils in Michigan did not significantly increase soil inorganic

and total nitrogen (N) levels, corn grain yields, or dry matter production.

Introduction

Traditionally manure has been applied to land as a fertilizer and an expedient
method of disposal. Manures have varying N availability compared to inorganic N
salt. Coleman (1917) reviewed early experiments on the N efficiency of manures.
He reported that experimenters between 1895 and 1914 found cow manure to be
between 18 to 58% as available as N aNO3. These factors are similar to the manure
N efficiencies used currently (Vitosh et al., 1990).

29

30

Large applications of manure increase the levels of N in the soil (Meek et al.,
1974; Adriano et al., 1971). The question we wanted to address was: Will low,
agronomic rates of manure applications also result in significant increases in soil N
levels? Sommerfeldt et a1. (1988) found that long term (11 year) application of cattle
feedlot manure resulted in an increase of organic matter and total N. This increase
could be modeled with a Michaelis-Menten type model. Application rates ranged
from the recommended rate (30 wet metric tons ha‘l year'l) to three times the
recommended rate.

Smith et al. (1980) reported increases in total N content, nitrate levels and N
mineralization, although statistically significant increases were only found at rates
higher than 67 wet metric tons ha'1 year‘1 applied annually for 8 years. From the
application of 0, 10, and 20 tons acre‘1 of manure over three years, Herron and Erhart
(1965) calculated that one ton of cattle feedlot manure was equivalent to 22 lb N from
NH4N03. They also reported that the residual value of their manure after three years
of application was less than 2 lb N per ton manure. Smith et al. (1984) reported that
residual effects were generally small, except where large applications of manure had
been made. Lund and Doss (1980) reported increased yields of bermuda grass after
6 years of annual manure applications and attributed this to the residual N released.
The yields remained above those of fertilizer controls for 3 to 4 years after manure
applications had ceased. Mugwira (1979) reported increased yields of millet and rye
forage due to residual N effects from three years of manure applications at 180 dry
metric tons ha'1 year'1 or higher. He also reported evidence that these high rates
might potentially contaminate groundwater from nitrate leaching.

The organic N in manures applied to soils can be expected to break down in
successive years. A decay series is often used to estimate the N release from manure
applications. The premise for this decay is that a certain percentage of the added

organic matter breaks down each year, and the percentage of that annual breakdown

31

will decrease each year (Powers et al., 1975; Pratt et al., 1973). Decay series have
been proposed for different manures (Mathers and Goss, 1979; Pratt et al., 1973).
Pratt et a1. (1976) demonstrated a good agreement between the residuals calculated
with a decay series and those measured during four years of manure applications. The
use of decay series for predicting residual N availability is currently recommended in
Michigan (Vitosh et al., 1990). Mathers and Goss (1979) developed a relationship to

estimate the shape of the decay series from the initial N content of the manure.

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine if low, agronomic applications of

manure result in a significant accumulation of residual N.

Methods and Materials

In 1988 four sites were established, but one of the original four sites was dropped
in 1989 and the Chatham site was added. Table 2.1 gives the soil types and initial soil
test at the experimental sites. The study sites used for this experiment were located

in the following places:
0 MSU University Farm, East Lansing MI
0 KBS Experimental Farm, Hickory Corners MI
0 Dave Sturgis Farm, Sturgis MI
0 Upper Peninsula Experimental Station, Chatham MI (established in 1989)

Manure was applied for one, two, or three years in a row. The first year manure
was applied to three treatments, so we had a “check” i.e. no manure was applied
and three “one year” manure treatments, the second year manure was applied to

two of the three manure treatments. This resulted in a “check” treatment, a “one

32

Table 2.1. Characteristics of the soils at each site.

 

 

 

 

 

ParameterI MSU KBS Sturgis Chatham
Soil series Capac loam Kalamazoo Schoolcraft Munising
sandy loam sandy loam sandy loam
Classification Fine-loamy, Fine-loamy, Fine-loamy, Coarse-loamy,
mixed, mesic mixed, mesic mixed, mesic mixed, frigid
Aeric Endoaqualfs Typic Hapludalfs Typic Argiudolls Oxyaquic
Fragiorthods
pH 6.6 6.8 6.2 6.7
lb / acre
P 95 48 25558 182
K 211 136 213 302
Ca 2743 1818 2000 1760
Mg 480 93 444 356
I Values of P, K, Ca, and Mg are extractable concentrations determined by soil fertility
testing.

year” manure treatment and two “two year” manure treatments. In the third year
manure was applied to one of the “two year” treatments. Now we had one “check”,
one “one year”, one “two year”, and one “three year” manure treatment. In the forth
year no manure was applied. The manure application rates were chosen to release an
estimated 100 lb N during the growing season, on the assumption that one-third of
the organic matter breaks down during the first year, and no NH4-N is volatilized.
Due to the year to year variability of the manure, the actual application rates varied
somewhat (Table 2.3). Manure application methods varied. In 1988 the manure was
applied with manure Spreaders, while during 1989 - 1991 manure was spread by hand,
except at the MSU site.

The nutrient composition of the manures is given in Table 2.2, and 2.3 shows the
amount of manures applied each year. Since the manure applications were based on
estimated or “quick-tested” nutrient values, the actual amounts of plant-available N
applied varied significantly over the years (Table 2.3). In the fourth year no manure

was applied. In 1988 and 1989 inorganic N treatments were 0, 60, and 160 lb N / acre

33

and were 0, 40, 80, and 120 lb N/ acre in 1990 and 1991. The experimental design
was a randomized complete block design with four replications.

In 1988 and 1989 soil samples were taken to 2 feet depth at one foot intervals,
while in 1990 and 1991 only the top foot was sampled. A minimum of 15 cores were
composited for each sample. In 1988, soil samples were extracted in a field moist
state, but where air-dried in the other years.

Soil samples (10 grams) were extracted with 2M KCL at a 1:10 soilzsolution ratio.
The samples were shaken for one hour at 240 rpm on a rotary shaker and then vacuum
filtered through Whatman GF/ C glass fiber filters. The filtrate was analyzed for
nitrate and ammonium using a Latchat Flow Injection Analyzer (USEPA, 1979).
In 1988 field moist soil samples were extracted by shaking with 1M KCl solution
(1:10 soil:solution ratio) for 1 hour followed by centrifugation and analysis of the
supernatant. The results were then corrected for moisture. In 1990 total soil N was
determined by Total Kjeldahl N (TKN) digestion (0.5 grams) of the spring and fall
samples from the MSU, KBS, and Chatham site.

Hybrid corn was planted at all sites. While 1988 was a dry year, the other three
years had normal moisture patterns. None of the sites was irrigated, so during 1988
the corn suffered severe drought stress. Herbicide and pesticide applications were
made as necessary.

Grain and stover (whole, above-ground plant matter minus grain) were hand har-
vested. In 1988 two 20 foot rows were harvested, while only three rows of 3 feet were
taken from each plot in the other years. Grain and stover were weighed separately.
The grain was dried if necessary and shelled with a commercial stationary sheller.
The stover samples were shredded in the field and a subsample was taken to the lab
for moisture determination and analysis. Grain moistures were determined gravimet-
rically with a Boroughs Moisture Computer, except in 1990 when the moisture was

determined by weigh loss after oven drying. Grain weights were corrected to 15.5%

34

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ag e...” is 3 3 we as 3. 3; 2. 2. N... scam
o6 «ac wd ad ad md od 2. od od ed od InOZ
wdm Q? 0.? ad ad «a. ca. 96 o4 w; m: m6 “:2
wév Nam 93. m4. v.5 m6 Qw 92 fig «.3 w.w fl: Z 130.5
5 82>: as as}:

5.3 «.3 mdw mdm mda fiwm knew Qwu 9mm odm flaw oéw Gav ocsummoz
SE 33va :ooweq =Sm oven .35 8am 25H. owwuoam
oEBm eEBm “com Loom 86on 3815.

owe awe mm? 83 $8 £3 89 $2 $2 53 cog awe
macaw am: 8.: 5:56 assseaam

 

.88 :28 as com: 8.552: 23 mo mosmtouoeamno .m.m oBfiH

35

Table 2.3. Amount of manure and plant-available N applied at each site.

 

 

 

Manure Plant-available N
ChathamI KBS MSU Sturgis ChathamI KBS MSU Sturgis
— tons/acre — — gal/ acre — —— lb/ acre
1988 — 18 20,000 3,000 - 100 201 158
1989 14 25 15,000 3,100 96 170 128 202
1990 14 23 10,800 1,600 59 153 59 76
1991 13 — — - 68 — — —

 

I Experiment at Chatham began a year later than at the other sites.

moisture. The grain samples were ground in a cyclone mill. Stover moisture was
determined by weight loss on drying at 65°C. Stover samples were ground using a
steel mill.

Total N in plant samples was determined using a micro TKN digestion followed by
analysis on a Latchat Flow Injection Analyzer (USEPA, 1979). The TKN procedure
involves weighing 0.1 grams (dry) of green plant tissue or 0.2 grams (dry) of stover
material into a 75 ml TKN tube. Three ml of concentrated sulfuric acid (H2804)
and one Kjeldahl tablet were added, and samples were digested in a block digester at
375°C for 2 to 2.5 hours.

The statistical analysis of the data was done using PC-SAS system (SAS Institute,
1985). Least significant differences were calculated with the method described by Steel
and Torrie (1980). A linear regression equation relating the grain yield of the fertil-
izer treatments to the amount of N applied was obtained (for example equation 2.1
where a and b are obtained from the regression). Both linear and quadratic models
were tried. Then this equation was solved for the fertilizer application and used to
calculate equivalent fertilizer applications from the yields of the manure treatments

(for example equation 2.2).

yield = a x fertilizer2 + l) (2.1)

36

Table 2.4. Inorganic N (NO3-N
+ NH4—N) concentra-
tions in soil samples at
harvest 1991.

 

Treatment KBS MSU Sturgis
— lb/acre

0 lb N 8.1 15.8 6.8

40 lb N 9.7 15.9 11.2

80 lb N 13.0 20.8 9.6
120 lb N 19.5 16.7 16.4

1 year 8.7 14.1 6.7

2 years 9.0 14.8 7.1

3 years 9.5 15.2 8.0
LSD (0.05) 4.2 n.s. 7.2

/ ' ld — b
fertilizer = %— (2.2)

 

 

 

 

Results and Discussion1

Table 2.4 shows the inorganic N (nitrate plus ammonium) levels in the soil at har-
vest (1991). No significant differences were found between the control and the manure
treatments at any of the sites. Since the inorganic treatments had received N H4NO3
in the spring the soil N levels for these plots are higher. Treatments accounted for
59% of the variability. Soil inorganic N levels were higher at MSU than at the other
sites. However the residual manure treatments did not result in significantly increased
(or decreased) levels of inorganic N.

In 1990 replication and treatments accounted for 68% of the variability in the soil
N levels on the manure treatments. The only significant differences at the 5% level
were between sites. The MSU site contained significantly more total N in the soil (4500

lb N / acre) than the other three sites (2400 lb N / acre). On the fertilizer treatments:

 

ISince the Chatham site lags one year behind the other sites the results are not reported here.

37

Table 2.5. Corn grain yields at manure residual N sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

KBS MSU Sturgis

1989 1990 1991 1989 1990 1991 1989 1990 1991
bu/ acre

0 lb N 65 60 91 92 139 88 52 112 77
40 lb NI 99 81 128 137 134 114 111 130 131
80 lb NI — 89 131 — 142 106 — 142 160
1201b NI 112 85 157 140 136 130 136 158 172
1 year 86 67 114 130 142 85 100 132 81
2 years 112 68 127 140 139 68 121 136 81
3 yearsI -— 62 125 — 134 63 — 137 86
LSD (0.05) 16 24 44 n.s. 8 26 n.s. 14 29

 

I In 1989 no 80 lb N and 3 years manure treatment were created.

I In 1989 the 120 lb N treatment received 160 lb N, while the 40 lb N treatment
received 60 lb N.

site, replication and treatments accounted for 86% of the soil N variability. Site and
the linear rate components are significant at the 1% level.

Corn yields were variable (Table 2.5-2.6). In general we observed a response to
the inorganic N, and manure fertilization. However significant yield increases due to
residual N were not detected. The reason might be that the inputs of N were small
enough so that residuals would not be detectable after only three years of application.
Or small applications of manure might establish a new equilibrium between manure
addition and mineralization that is not significantly higher than the old equilibrium.

The N removal and manure N additions were nearly the same (Table 2.3 and 2.7).
this might account for the lack of residual response.

In 1991 when no manure was applied, the residual manure mineralization from
one, two and three years of manure application was calculated using a linear or
quadratic regression of the yields from the inorganic N treatments onto the amount
of N added. Table 2.8 summarizes the pounds inorganic N equivalents produced by
one, two, and three years of manure applications at agronomic rates. Due to the

large variability between treatment reps, the differences in residual N at each site are

38

Table 2.6. Corn stover yields at manure residual N sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

K BS MSU Sturgis

1989 1990 1991 1989 1990 1991 1989 1990 1991
lb / acre

0 lb N 4800 4400 13600 4100 8500 1 1900 4100 4500 5400
40 lb NI 5800 4900 17000 4400 8800 15000 6100 8200 5600
80 lb NI — 5200 18600 — 8800 13500 — 7100 5800
120 lb NI 6700 5200 19900 4700 8400 15500 5200 10300 6200
1 year 5700 5200 16400 4100 9600 12600 5100 8500 4400
2 years 6400 5000 16900 5000 9800 1 1300 5000 7700 5200
3 yearsI — 4800 16600 — 9600 11700 — 8200 4 100
LSD (0.05) 640 n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. 2300 n.s. n.s. n.s.

 

I In 1989 no 80 lb N and 3 years manure treatment were created.

I In 1989 the 120 lb N treatment received 160 lb N, while the 40 lb N treatment received
60 lb N.

Table 2.7. Total N uptake by the Corn Crop at the manure residual N

 

 

 

 

sites.
KBS MSU Sturgis
1989 1990 1991 1989 1990 1991 1989 1990 1991
lb/ acre
01b N 44 67 76 119 169 79 39 86 147
40 lb NI 68 98 102 102 189 125 91 143 200
80 lb NI —— 100 151 — 212 109 -— 142 243
120 lb NI 101 124 185 124 219 152 142 232 386
1 year 73 106 100 96 164 71 86 179 117
2 years 98 103 100 119 168 63 108 148 109
3 yearsI — 93 123 — 188 69 - 146 108

 

LSD (0.05) 45 38 42 n.s. 34 35 n.s 51 n.s.

I In 1989 no 80 lb N and 3 years manure treatment were created.
I In 1989 the 120 lb N treatment received 160 lb N, while the 40 lb N treatment
received 60 lb N.

 

39

Table 2.8. Fertilizer N equivalents observed
in 1991 for residual manure N.

 

Consecutive
Manure Applications Sturgis MSU KBS
—lb/1000 gal— lb/ ton

 

 

 

1 year 6.0 n.m.I 0.5
2 years 7.0 5.1 1.7
3 years 3.6 1.3 1.6
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. n.s.
I not meaningful; a negative value was ob-
tained.

not significant. The amount of residual manure N at the KBS site is similar to the
amount reported by Herron and Erhart (1965). The average first year residual at
the MSU site was negative, meaning that the control plot yielded more than the first
year manure residual. Past manure applications explained 40% of the variability in
residual N at Sturgis, 54% at MSU, and 34% at KBS.

Three years of manure application at agronomic rates did not seem to increase
grain yields, dry matter production, inorganic or total soil N levels. Residual manure
applied at agronomic rates provided an average of 4 1b N acre"l from the swine
manure residual and 1.3 lb N acre‘1 from beef manure residual (Table 2.8). This

contribution does not seem to be significant considering that 100—150 lb N acre-l

are
normally applied to a corn crop. But it may be that three years is not sufficient to

allow for a measurable accumulation of residual manure applied at agronomic rates.

CHAPTER 3

The Effect of Delayed Manure Application and Cover Crops

on Manure N Availability When Applying Manure in the Fall

Abstract

The effectiveness of several strategies designed to reduce fall manure nitrogen
losses were compared. The strategies included planting a cover crop (rye and mam-
moth clover) and delaying manure application until the soil has cooled. Manure was
applied in the early fall (soil temperatures above 60°F), in the late fall (soil tempera-
tures below 40°F) and in the spring. Rye, clover and no cover crops were planted on
the early fall application. Hybrid corn (Zea mays L.) was grown. Grain yields, stover
yields, tissue nutrient concentrations and soil inorganic N levels were monitored. The
rye cover crop used a 90 to 120 lb N in the fall, while the clover cover crop used less
than 30 lb N. No significant grain yield or soil N differences were detected between

the different manure treatments.

Introduction

Nitrate pollution of surface and groundwater is one of the major concerns on soils
receiving large quantities of manures (Gilmour et al., 1977). Nitrate may be leached
during periods when no crop is grown. To minimize the potential leaching losses,

manure should be applied as close to the time of active crop growth as possible.

40

41

This usually means applying manures in the spring rather than in the fall or winter.
However, few farmers have storage for a year’s production of manure, so manure can
not be held until spring. Producers having storage typically have a maximum storage
capacity for six months manure production and must apply manure in the fall and in
the spring. Producers without storage are forced to apply manure during unfavorable
conditions. Therefore strategies to reduce the potential of nitrate leaching from fall

and winter applied manures need to be found. The following strategies were tried:

1. Delay the application of manures until the soils have cooled. Cool tempera—
tures reduce the rate of mineralization (Stanford et al., 1973; Harmsen and
Kolenbrander, 1965). Applying manure to cool soils might delay or reduce min-
eralization until soils warm up in the spring. This would reduce the amount of

leachable NO§-N during the winter when there is no plant uptake.

2. Plant a cover crop. The cover crOp would remove available N from the soil, and
store the N in the plant biomass. In the spring the cover crop would be killed
with an herbicide and incorporated into the soil. Breakdown of the plant matter
will release N back into the soil, where it can be used by the next crop. The
effectiveness of this technique depends on the ability of the cover crop take up
any available N in the fall and then to release the N in time for the growth of the
spring planted crop. This might not always be the case, for example Vilsmeier
and Gutser (1987) reported no N mineralization from rye grass, during a 50

week incubation, due to high C to N ratios.

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to compare the effectiveness of (1) delaying

manure applications until the soils are cool and (2) cover cropping, to provide more

42

manure N to the next crop and reduce nitrate losses, versus a control receiving no N

and a spring manure application.

Methods and Materials

Three sites were established in the fall of 1989. The experiment was designed as
a randomized complete block with four replications with a plot size of 30’x 15’. The

following treatments were used:
0 No N applied (control)
0 40 lb/acre N as NH4NO3 applied in the spring (40 lb/acre)
o 80 lb/acre N as NH4NO3 applied in the spring (80 lb/acre)
o 120 lb/acre N as NH4N03 applied in the spring (120 lb/acre)

o manure applied in the fall after the soil temperature had dropped below 40°F

(Fall 40)

o manure applied in the fall when the soil temperature was about 60°F, no cover

crop was grown (Fall 60-Weed)

o manure applied in the fall when the soil temperature was about 60°F, seeded

to a rye cover crop (Fall 60-Rye)

c manure applied in the fall when the soil temperature was about 60°F, seeded

to a mammoth clover cover crop (Fall 60-Clover)
o manure applied in the spring prior to planting (Spring).

The sites were located on the Chatham Experimental Station (Chatham) in Chatham

MI, at the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) in Hickory Corners MI, and on Jim

43

Table 3.1. Soil types at the Chatham, KBS, and Mar-
lette study sites.

 

 

Site Soil Series Taxonomic Classification
Chatham Chatham stony loam Typic Haplorthods
KBS Kalamazoo sandy loam Typic Hapludalfs

Marlette Marlette loamy sand Haplic Glossudalfs

 

Calendar’s farm in Sanilac Co. MI, east of Marlette and south of M-28 (Marlette).
The soil types at each location are summarized in Table 3.1.

Solid dairy cattle manure was used at all sites. The Chatham and Marlette ma-
nures contained straw bedding, while the KBS manure consisted of scrapings without
bedding. Sixty pounds of P205 (0-27-0) and 150 pounds of K20 (0-0-60) was broad-
cast on all plots in the spring of 1990. Table 3.2 shows some of the characteristics of
the manures used and the rates of manure application.

Manure was applied at rates expected to release an 100 lb N / acre of plant-available
N, assuming that one third of the organic N is mineralized in the first year, and no
NH4-N was volatilized. The Fall 60 manure applications were made with manure

spreaders, while all subsequent manure applications were made by weighing the ma-

Table 3.2. Characteristics of the manures used at Chatham, KBS,
and Marlette.

 

 

Site Time Moisture Total N NH;I P205 K20 Rate
— % — —— lb/wet ton —— tons/acre

Chatham Fall 60 74.9 7.0 3.0 4.3 9.4 21

Fall 40 80.7 12.0 3.5 4.8 7.9 18

Spring 83.1 8.8 1.6 6.9 15.7 14
KBS Fall 60 86.5 8.3 2.7 3.0 13.8 31

Fall 40 82.9 11.6 3.5 3.8 9.4 30

Spring 84.7 8.9 4.0 3.3 15.1 23
Marlette Fall 60 84.1 10.8 3.6 5.4 10.9 38

Fall 40 84.4 10.2 3.1 4.9 11.0 25

Spring 85.3 11.2 3.8 4.4 12.2 25

 

44

nure into clean garbage cans and spreading the manure by hand. Therefore the later
manure applications were more consistent and uniform. All manure applications were
disked in within 6 hours. No attempt was made to control weeds in the fall. The
cover crops and weeds were killed with Roundup in the spring. The plots were plowed
and hybrid corn was planted in late May.

Soil samples from the top foot, consisting of a minimum of 15 cores per plot, were
taken from all plots in the middle of June and in late October. Biomass samples were
obtained from the rye and clover in early spring. They were analyzed for N by TKN
analysis. Ear leaf samples were taken in early August. Two rows of ten feet each were
hand-harvested in October. Grain and stover were separated. Ten to twenty stalks
were bagged in plastic garbage bags and transported back to MSU for shredding the
same day. The rest of the sample handling was as described in Chapter 1.

To check for possible nutrient deficiencies, 0.25 g of the earleaf samples was dry-
ashed 6 hours at 550°C, diluted with 12.5 ml 3M HNO3 containing 1000 mg LiCl/L,
and analyzed for P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B, Mo by direct current plasma
atomic emission spectroscopy (DCP-AES).

N recovery was calculated with the following formula (Mengel and Kirkby, 1987).

Uptake p — U ptakec
F ertil izerApplied

 

N recoverr =

:1: 100 (3.1)

Where Uptake p is the N uptake by the corn from the fertilized or manured plots, and

Uptakec is the N uptake from the control plots

Results and Discussion

The manure treatments had average levels of soil NO3-N comparable to the 40 lb
N/ acre NH4NO3 treatment (Table 3.3). Levels of N O3-N on the manure treatments
declined from 46 lb/ acre in June to 11 lb / acre in October. For comparison the average

NOg-N levels on the control declined from 33 lb/ acre in June to 4 lb/ acre in October.

45

Table 3.3. Soil NO3-N levels at Chatham, KBS, and Marlette.

 

 

 

 

 

'D‘eatment Chatham KBS Marlette
June October June October June October
lb/ acre

Control 39.7 6.1 29.3 2.9 29.9 3.5
40 lb N 40.8 10.6 31.6 3.9 41.6 4.4
80 lb N 72.7 28.8 64.6 7.7 48.6 5.4
120 lb N 111.3 32.8 73.7 12.7 63.3 13.8
Spring 66.9 10.4 35.6 3.8 50.4 10.4
Fall 40 46.1 9.0 58.8 13.2 39.3 7.7

Fall 60 Weed 43.1 22.8 34.7 3.9 42.8 8.4
Fall 60 Rye 52.1 27.7 33.3 4.9 43.7 8.6
Fall 60 Clover 36.6 16.7 39.8 5.2 45.3 6.6
LSD (0.05) 42.4 14.2 19.9 8.3 13.2 3.1

 

 

From June to October, N O3-N levels declined less on the manured treatments than
on the fertilizer treatments, but average June NO3-N levels in June where higher in
the fertilizer treatments than in the manure treatments. Nitrate-N levels at harvest
were higher at the Chatham site than at the two downstate sites (Table 3.3). This
difference may be due to the earlier harvest at Chatham. The earlier harvest resulted
in lower nitrogen uptake due to reduced corn grain yields. Average soil NH4-N levels
for all treatments declined from an average of 11 lb/ acre in June to 7 lb/acre in
October, but at the KBS site N H4-N levels stayed at 8 to 9 lb/ acre (Table 3.4). The
average soil NH4-N level of the manure treatments showed little change from June to
October.

Early rye establishment was good. But since a successful clover establishment
requires good seed to ground contact, and only the KBS site was rolled after seeding,
clover establishment in the fall was poor to non-existent, except at the KBS site. The
clover establishment improved somewhat in the spring. Prior to winter dormancy the
rye produced 2000 to 3000 lb of dry matter/ acre or 90 to 120 lb N uptake per acre.

Clover biomass was less than 700 lb dry matter/ acre or less than 30 lb N / acre. Weed

46

Table 3.4. Soil N H4-N levels at Chatham, KBS, and Marlette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Treatment Chatham KBS Marlette
June October June October June October
lb/acre

Control 27.4 7.7 5.5 8.2 14.6 5.1
40 lb N 13.1 8.2 3.9 10.8 13.1 6.4
80 lb N 11.5 5.8 8.3 8.1 9.7 5.7
120 lb N 24.7 11.2 9.6 6.8 14.9 5.9
Spring 7.9 5.8 8.6 7.4 13.2 4.1
Fall 40 7.4 9.3 7.7 13.7 12.1 4.4
Fall 60 Weed 10.0 8.4 6.6 7.3 9.3 5.5
Fall 60 Rye 7.1 6.6 11.4 8.3 10.2 4.9
Fall 60 Clover 7.6 6.1 7.8 8.9 9.2 5.6
LSD (0.05) 19.9 3.8 9.6 4.3 5.6 3.8

 

biomass on the non-cover crop treatment looked to be more than the clover treatment
but less than the rye treatment, however no biomass samples were taken from the
weed plots.

Earleaf samples showed no nutrient deficiencies or consistent differences between
treatments and sites. Visual observation at the earleaf stage showed that the corn on
the Fall 60 Rye treatment did not grow as well as on other plots. None of the manure
N treatments caused a significant difference in the apparent N recovery.

Because of weather conditions, the Chatham corn was harvested just after the
milk stage. This resulted in very low yields (Table 3.6). Grain yields for the Fall
60-rye treatments were lower than for the clover or non-cover crop treatments. The
reason could be an allelopathic effect, or the failure of the rye to release N at the time
necessary for corn growth. Stover yields did not show a significant difference between
the treatments. N uptake from the manured treatments did not show significant
differences, except that at Chatham the Spring manure treatment resulted in lower
N grain uptake than the Fall 60-clover treatment (Table 3.7).

Soil N O3-N levels for the manured treatments were similar to the 40 lb N treat-

ment, but no consistent difference between the soil NO3-N levels of the manured

47

 

 

 

 

 

 

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8852 was 5255

 

832.82 was .mmx .Esfieso as omg E 9858:5028 scumbag “828m .m.m £889

48

Table 3.6. Corn yields harvested in 1990 at Chatham, KBS, and Mar-

 

 

 

 

lette.
Stover Grain
Chatham KBS Marlette Chatham KBS Marlette
lb/acre — — bu/ acre
Control 3800 7490 3890 16 127 134
40 lb N 3280 7240 3880 15 102 134
80 lb N 3870 7250 3950 23 116 140
120 lb N 4240 7620 4230 22 120 141
Spring 4210 7610 3540 2 1 1 1 3 136
Fall 40 4370 8710 3860 27 125 139
Fall 60 weed 4020 8170 4380 29 138 143
Fall 60 rye 3750 7870 3560 25 95 125
Fall 60 clover 4030 7490 4450 33 119 136
LSD (0.05) n.s. n.s. n.s. 9 n.s. n.s.

 

Table 3.7. Corn N uptake in 1990 at Chatham, KBS, and Marlette.

 

 

 

 

 

Stover Grain
Chatham KBS Marlette Chatham KBS Marlette
lb/acre
Control 63 60 30 16 116 109
40 lb N 56 70 34 17 102 119
80 lb N 69 77 39 28 119 128
120 1b N 80 87 44 25 126 128
Spring 64 69 34 20 112 117
Fall 40 71 105 36 26 134 118
Fall 60 weed 58 73 44 29 138 129
Fall 60 rye 47 81 33 31 98 105
Fall 60 clover 60 80 45 33 124 130

 

LSD (0.05) n.s. 23 10 12 n.s. n.s.

 

49

treatments could be detected. Although the rye crop removed 90 to 120 lb N from
the soil, it did not significantly increase the corn grain yield or the NO3-N levels in
the soil. There was no detectable yield difference between the treatments. This lack

of response precludes the detection of a “preferred” manure strategy.

CHAPTER 4

Mineralization of Nitrogen in a Paper Mill Sludge

Abstract

This study attempted to determine the initial N mineralization rate of a paper mill
sludge. Soil-sludge mixtures at several rates were incubated for 38 days. Evolution
of C02, and NO3—N and NH4-N levels in the soil were measured at 7, 14, 22, and 38
days. Cumulative C02 release could be modeled successfully by first order kinetics.

The N results were too variable for a reliable interpretation.

Introduction

Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) located in Filer City, MI has land ap-
plied their biological wastewater treatment sludge for many years. The Filer City
plant uses a semi-chemical pulping process to produce paper, and currently treats its
wastewater flow by a secondary activated sludge process, with inputs of N and P to
effect biological treatment. Biomass from this process is collected and dewatered to
about 10% solids content using a belt filter press.

The paper mill sludge contains nutrients that can be recycled to land for field crop
production and to enhance tree growth on forest land. Not all of the nutrients in this
sludge are readily available for plant growth, particularly N. The majority of the N

in the PCA sludge is present in the organic form and must be mineralized in the soil.

50

51

The process of mineralization converts organic N to NH4-N and then to NO3-N, a
form which is available for plant growth.

We were asked by RMT, Inc. (Grand Ledge, M1) to conduct a laboratory study
to help estimate how much plant-available N would be released from this PCA sludge
following land application. This report describes the microbial incubation study we
conducted, the results of the N mineralization evaluation, and our interpretation of

the laboratory results.

Methods and Materials

Three five-gallon pails of soil and two five-gallon pails of sludge were received
from RMT. The soil was collected from a field in Manistee county that is used for
application of PCA sludge. The soil was mixed and dried with forced air at 28°C for
one day. Subsamples of the air-dried soil were oven-dried and found to contain 0.93%
moisture (determined by weight loss after 24 hours at 104°C).

A subsample of the sludge was dried at 85°C and sent to the MSU Soil Testing
Laboratory for a total carbon determination (LECO furnace combustion). Two one
gram subsamples of sludge were dry-ashed at 500°C for 6 hours and taken up in 5 ml
of 6M HNOg. After one hour, 5 ml of 2000 ppm LiCl solution was added. B, Zn, Cd,
P, Mn, Cu, Mo, Pb, Ni, Fe, Cr, Al, and Na were determined by direct current plasma
atomic emission spectroscopy (DCP-AES). A subsample, diluted 1:50 with 1000 ppm
LiCl was used for the determination of P, Mg, Cu, Fe, Ca, K and A1 with the DCP-
AES. Three one gram subsamples were taken from the wet sludge for a Total Kjeldahl
N (TKN) determination. The sludge was found to contain 90.6% moisture on a wet
weight basis.

Soil texture was determined by feel. Three subsamples of soil (2 50 g) were placed
in filter funnels, wetted thoroughly, and allowed to drain for one hour. The percent

moisture remaining was multiplied by 0.55 to get an estimate of the water—holding

 

52

capacity. Soil pH was measured in a 1:1 soilzwater suspension on the original soil and
the 20 dry ton / acre treatment after 38 days.

Air—dried soil (1100 grams) was mixed with 0, 59, 118, 176 and 235 grams of wet
sludge to obtain the equivalent of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 dry tons/acre-furrow slice of
soil (assuming 2 million pounds of soil per acre—furrow slice). Water was added to the
0, 5, 10, and 15 ton treatments to bring the moisture content of the mixture up to
19.9%, the level of the 20 ton treatment. N 0 water was added during the incubation.
After the sludge and soil were mixed thoroughly with a spatula, subsamples (50 dry
grams) were placed in 2 oz. plastic Whirl-Pak bags. Five bags from each treatment
were placed in a separate Mason jar and sealed with a lid containing a septum to
allow the withdrawal of gas samples. The jars were then incubated in the dark at a
temperature of 23 :l: 2°C. The experiment was replicated four times.

At the end of 7, 14, 22, and 38 days, the C02 levels in each jar were measured with
an Aerograph Model 90-P3 gas chromatograph using a thermal conductivity detector.
At each sampling time one of the bags in each jar was removed. A 5 gram (5.99-wet
gram) subsample was taken from each bag of soil, placed into an Erlenmeyer flask,
and 50 ml of 2M KCL solution added. The flasks were shaken on a rotary shaker for
one hour. The solution was filtered by vacuum filtration through Whatman GF/ C
glass-fiber filters, and the filtrate was analyzed for NO3-N and NH4-N on a Lachat
Flow Injection Analyzer (USEPA, 1979).

A second incubation with 0 and 40 dry tons/acre was started on the 19th of
December 1991 to determine mineralization at higher rates or application. For the 40
ton rate, 235 grams of wet sludge were mixed with 1100 grams of air-dried soil. The
mixture was air-dried, and another 235 grams of wet sludge was added. Half pint
mason jars were filled about three quarters with the soil or soilzsludge mixture. This
experiment was replicated 6 times. After 12, 20, 62 and 75 days, the C02, NO3-N

and N H4-N levels were measured as described above.

 

53

Table 4.1. Concentrations of inorganic compounds
and elements present in the PCA paper

 

 

 

 

sludge
Constituent ConcentrationI Constituent ConcentrationI
‘70 — Ins/kg -—
C 43.0 B 29
Total N 5.9 Cu 49
NH4-N 0.17 Mn 500
N 03-N 0.0001 Mo 6
P 1.8 Zn 120
K 0.58 Cd 1
Ca 1.1 Cr 13
Mg 0.38 Pb 15
Fe 0.21 Ni 4
A1 1.0

 

I Dry weight basis.

Results and Discussion

Table 4.1 lists the chemical composition of the PCA paper sludge. The C:N ratio,
approximately 7:1, is slightly below that of stable organic matter, but above that of
microbial biomass. With this C:N ratio, immobilization of inorganic N forms would
not be expected during incubation.

The soil was a loamy sand with a water-holding capacity of 17%, while the wa-
ter content during the first incubation was 19.9%. The initial soil pH was 5.2 but
increased to 5.9 after 38 days of incubation with 20 dry tons/ acre of sludge.

Table 4.2, shows the average cumulative milligrams of C mineralized after each
incubation period. For the first two incubation periods, the cumulative amount of C
released during microbial respiration increased. By the third sampling date, the rate
of C release had begun to decrease.

If we assume that the breakdown follows first order reaction kinetics, then the

equation for C release is:

C1: Cozre-M (4.1)

54

Table 4.2. Cumulative C released as C02 during
incubation of sludge-treated soils.

 

 

 

Sludge Rate Days of Incubation
7 14 22 38
tons/ acre —— mg C/ g soil
0 0.059 0.114 0.143 0.152
5 0.149 0.282 0.415 0.503
10 0.164 0.319 0.450 0.585
15 0.180 0.357 0.497 0.602
20 0.189 0.380 0.533 0.653

 

where C1 is the amount of added C remaining at time t, C0 is the amount of C initially
added, and k is the mineralization constant. Taking the natural log of both sides we
get:

In — = —kt (4.2)

The mineralization constant k is determined by fitting a straight line to the plot of
the natural log of Cl/Co vs. time and is equal to 1.01 x 10‘2 days-1 (Figure 4.1).
This k underestimates the C release at low rates and overestimates it at high rates of
sludge addition (Figure 4.2 — 4.3).

While this equation can be used to estimate the breakdown of the C in the sludge,
it does not necessarily describe the availability of N from the sludge. Attempts to fit
the N data to the same equation form have not been successful.

Table 4.3 shows the levels of NH4-N plus NOg-N measured for the different sludge
rates at each sampling time. The large variability between replications makes it
difficult to determine trends. Treatments only accounted for 48% of the variability,
and no rate by time interaction could be detected. Several samples appear to be
higher (5 tons 0.1 days, 15 and 20 tons 7 days, 0 and 10 tons 38 days), and one

sample (15 tons 38 day) seems to be lower than they should be. In general mineral

55

Days of Incubation

 

; 010,9‘20‘0‘30““4‘0“‘50
I 1 i
-0.2:' . g . ’
’5 0.4» I - I
Q : -
o' I -
:5 -0.6 :
-0.8
-11 .

 

Figure 4.1. Fit of the first order C mineralization equation against the data points.

 

 

8 60? '
“5 g .
w 50» °
E g ' .
g .
U) 40: . o
:9 E - °
'0 30'
m > :
8 20l- :
2 I 8
a, .
_ .
1.
0 O:
U) Iggggluu ............
E 10 20 30 40 50

Days of Incubation

Figure 4.2. Comparison of the actual vs. the calculated amounts of C released as C02
during incubation of soils treated with 5 tons acre‘1 of paper mill sludge

56

 

 

5 z

03150:

3 E

(0125'

E I

g :

c”100:

EL F

3 : . °
3 5°? 3 I .
0) : °

0 ’ o

E 10 20 30 40 50

Days of Incubation

Figure 4.3. Comparison of the actual vs. the calculated amounts of C released as C02
during incubation of soil treated with 20 tons acre"1 of paper mill sludge

N levels increased with increasing sludge application. The mineral N levels seem to
increase up to the 7 day sample, then plateau until day 22 before increasing once
more by day 38.

If we assume that the sludge addition had no effect on the mineralization rate
of native soil organic matter, Table 4.4 shows the amount of additional N that was
released. The variability in the results seem to indicate that some denitrification
loss or immobilization into microbial biomass or organic matter may have occured.
The microbial C02 respiration data seems to indicate that mineralization was taking
place, so the variability in N levels is likely due to the dynamic nature of the N cycle.
Since C02 was purged at each sampling date, it did not have the opportunity to be
reincorporated into the organic matter. On the other hand, the N was not purged

and therefore was available for further transformation.

57

Table 4.3. Amounts of NH4-N plus NO3—N present
in soils after incubation with paper mill

 

 

 

 

 

sludge.
Sludge Rate Days of Incubation
0.1 7 14 22 38
tons/ acre lb N / acre
0 17 35:t 6 39:1:14 37:1: 2 98:l: 75
5 91 45:}: 7 46i26 773:35 96d: 42
10 69 89i46 96in 842t49 237:1:149
15 113 167i96 113:1:79 137i92 109d: 75
20 145 230i29 168i77 198:1:76 279:1:113

 

Table 4.4. Amounts of N H4-N plus NO3-N present in
sludge-treated soils above background lev-
els obtained in control soils.

 

 

 

 

 

Sludge Rate Days of Incubation
0.1 7 14 22 38
tons/ acre lb N/ acre
5 74 9 7 41 —2
10 52 53 57 48 139
15 96 134 74 101 11

20 128 198 129 162 181

 

58

Table 4.5. NO3-N plus NH4-N present in soils incubated with 0 and 40 ton acre—1
of paper mill sludge

 

 

 

 

 

Sludge Rate Days of Incubation
0.1 12 28 62 75
tons / acre lb N / acre
0 233 341 402 541 61 1
40 28818 675305 139150 152062 150148

 

Given the caveats mentioned above, the actual amount of sludge which could be
safely applied to land should be based on supplying the amount of N that the planned
cr0p can be expected to use. Based 011 the N recommendation for the planned crop,
Table 4.4 can be used to estimate the rate of sludge application. For example if we
look at the 22nd incubation day (since the 38th incubation day seems to have a couple
of unexpected numbers) and dividing the ‘lb N / acre’ by the ‘Sludge Rate’, the sludge
contributes approximately 7 lb N / acre for every ton of sludge applied. Based on an
organic N content of 5.7% or 114 lb N / dry ton, 7 lb N mineralized would equal about
6% mineralization.

Table 4.5 shows the results from the 0 and 40 dry ton/acre incubation study.
Calculating the pounds of N released per ton of sludge applied after 75 days, yields
36 lb N / acre for every ton of sludge applied. This works out to be about 30% of the
organic N mineralized, which is in the range of 25—30% often reported for this type
of biological sludge.

Since mineralization carried out in the laboratory is conducted under more ideal
temperature and moisture conditions than would be expected in the field, the actual
mineralization rate is probably between 7 lb and 36 lb N per dry ton. Further study
in the field would be required to better determine what mineralization rate should be

used for estimating available N from field-applied PCA sludge.

CHAPTER 5

Recordkeeping System for Crop Production

Abstract

A simple flexible and modular paper recordkeeping system for nutrient manage-
ment and pesticide application recordkeeping was developed. The system is composed
of an annual recordbook, individual field files, a set of manure management sheets
and a set of enhanced recordkeeping sheets. The system was field tested with 120

farmers in Michigan.

Introduction

In 1987 Michigan amended the Michigan Right to Farm Act (MCL— 286.471)
to state that a farm shall not be found a public or private nuisance, if it follows
“generally accepted agricultural and management practices” (GAAMP). Since then
a number of amendments to environmental statues, (e.g., the Air Pollution Control
Act and Polluters Pay Act) have been written to exempt farmers who are following
the GAAMP. Defining the GAAMP is left to task forces comprised of university re-
searchers, federal and state government officials and industry representatives. Michi-
gan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MSU-CANR)
was asked to organize the task forces to draft the GAAMP. The task forces meet
annually to review and amend these practices as necessary. Practices have been

formulated for (1) management and utilization of manure, (2) nutrient (fertilizer)

59

60

utilization, and (3) pesticide utilization and pest control. Each set of these guidelines
lists recordkeeping as a recommended GAAMP.

In response to producers who asked “What records should I keep?” , we initiated
the development of a simple, flexible paper recordkeeping system (RKS). It is designed
primarily as a management tool to help crop and livestock producers become better
nutrient managers by increasing their awareness of the whole farm nutrient planning.
This is done by encouraging soil fertility testing, following fertilizer recommendations,
and the determination of nutrient credits for manure applications, previous legume
crops grown, high organic matter levels in soils, and soil nitrate testing. Balancing
nutrient inputs to the farm with crop outflows increases on-farm nutrient utilization,
reduces nutrient losses, and minimizes the impact of the farm on the environment. A
second goal in developing this system was to use it as a stepping stone to get infor—
mation from the field into computer-based expert systems, decision support systems,

and transactions systems that have been developed in recent years (Lanyon and Mei j,

1992; Harsh et al., 1992).

Development

The idea for the system grew out of talks with extension agents in the late summer
of 1990. The basic concept was that of a field by field record system. Dennis Stein
(then Ag Agent for Tuscola Co.) suggested a system similar to a dairy health record
system used to keep track of the health record and breeding cycles of individual cows.
Therefore we borrowed the folder idea from the dairy health record system.

An advisory committee of county extension agents and campus specialists was
assembled to review, comment and offer suggestions on the RKS as it was developed.
The initial focus of the paper RKS was nutrient management. Additional provisions
for recording pesticide application information were added during development in

response to suggestions by the advisory committee.

61

One of our goals was to develop a modular system where a farmer could use those
parts that he feels are most pertinent to his operation. Another goal was to minimize
the copying of numbers from one sheet to another. In general some sort of calculation
is done in transferring numbers from one sheet or column to another.

The system was tested during the summer of 1991. Extension agents willing to
participate in a field trial were identified and the system was distributed to about 120
farms in Michigan. During this test, the prototype of the small annual record book
was the most popular item.

In the fall we conducted a series of extension agent/ farmer meetings to collect
feedback and suggestions for improvement. In response to these comments we made
several changes in the layout of the tables. One frequent request was for more space
to record pesticide applications. Another was the addition of a numbering system
to aid in finding the correct field in the annual record books. These and some other
changes were made after the field test, and the revised RKS was sent out to the

advisory committee for a final review before publication.

Description of the system

The paper RKS is composed of an annual record book, a set of field files, and two
sets of supplemental sheets. The annual record book is used to record information
about planting, fertilizing, manuring, pesticide spraying, and harvesting as it is done.
It is available in two sizes, a small size (3.5” x 5.5”) designed to fit in a shirt pocket
and a larger (8.5” x 5.5”) size to be carried in the cab of a tractor or pickup truck.
The large record book holds all of the information for one field on one double page,
in the small record book the same forms occupy two consecutive double pages. Using
the annual record book constitutes a basic level of recordkeeping. If a producer saves

the annual record books he will have some documentation about his management

62

practices. A farmer who uses a computer based recordkeeping system can also use
the annual record book to carry information between the field and the office.

At the basic level of recordkeeping, the information gathered is not very usable
for planning purposes. The next step in this recordkeeping system is to transfer the
information from the annual record book to a set of field files and recordkeeping sheets
(Figure 5.1). Using the field files constitutes a recommended level of recordkeeping
that will allow the producer to make the best use of his information for management
decisions.

A field file consists of a three panel folder with four tables to summarize some of
the more important nutrient and pesticide management information. One field file
should be established for each field. The field file becomes the container for all of the
information, such as soil test reports, SCS plans, etc., unique to that field. The field
file contains tables to (1) record soil test information, (2) determine nitrogen credits,
(3) determine future nutrient additions, and (4) record past pesticide applications.
For a livestock producer, the recommended level of recordkeeping would also include
the use of the manure management sheets.

A set of enhanced recordkeeping sheets is available to keep track of additional
information about fertilizer additions and crop rotations and comprises the enhanced
level of recordkeeping. The manure management and enhanced recordkeeping sheets
are provided on heavy weight paper and are intended as a template. The producer
would photocopy the sheets to make as many copies as he needs.

The information flow between the different parts of the RKS and its relationship
to the levels of recordkeeping is illustrated in Figure 5.1. Information flows from the
field to the annual record book, and then into the field file, the manure management
sheets, and the enhanced recordkeeping sheets. Some planning information from the
field file returns to next year’s annual record book for the new growing season. By

keeping the system modular we hope to have given the farmer maximum flexibility

63

in choosing the level of recordkeeping that he would like to practice. In addition, the
producer can start out simple and increase the detail and level of recordkeeping at a

later time.

Annual Record Book

A set of pages from the larger annual record book is shown in Figure 5.2. The Crop
Production Plans should be filled out before the field activities begin each growing
season. It serves as a reminder during planting, spraying, and tillage operations. The
information about planting, fertilizer/ lime application, presticide applications, etc.,
is recorded during the growing season as these activities are done. While the amount
of space for pesticide applications is considered adequate for most field and vegetable
crop producers it will not be sufficient for orchard growers. Space is provided for
notes and field sketches. The Spreader Speed and Setting columns in the manure
table are provided to assist with manure spreader calibration and recording how the
application was done. This way a producer can use the same settings to apply a

similar rate of manure in the future.

Field File

The field file consists of a tri—fold folder and is used to collect the information from
a single field. The Historic Soil Test Summary table (Figure 5.3) is used to record
soil fertility test results and to evaluate the effect of current management practices
on the nutrient, especially P, status of the field.

The Nitrogen Credits for Nutrient Planning table (Figure 5.4) has been included
in the field file to stress the importance of giving credits for previous legume crops
and previous manure additions. The table is used to add up all of the expected N
credits for a particular growing season. For some crops a pre-sidedress nitrate soil

test (PSNT) can be done in place of using this table to estimate N credits.

64

 

Annual

Recordbook _
Soil fertility BaSIC
tests

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Manure
analysis Fie'd FIG Recommended

Manure
Management Sheets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enhanced

 

 

Enhanced
Recordkeeping Sheets

 

 

 

Figure 5.1. Information flow in the paper RKS.

Field")

Crop Production Plans

009—..—
Nutrient: Needed (15ml N Pp,

 

Pesticide

Planting Information
Plating Dole

Popuhlionbeed'u; we used
Tilhgc med

Acres

 

K20

 

 

Fertilizer/[Jule Applican-

Due

'l'ypetAndyt'l

Ru
Applied

Method of
Application:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pesticide Application. 1..

 

Dale

 

TlrncofDly

 

Clement Applied (Trade
Name and Formulation)

 

'91: 126 Am

 

rCameu. mum and

 

>Method of Awhcfuon'

 

Target Pal I Perl State

 

Crop Growth Stale

 

wind Spear

 

Wind Duocuun

IT?" alu rc

 

 

 

Nance! fiPl‘I',"'°'
' It the whole field was nu covered. note area ire-ted on the Field Sketch.

 

 

 

 

 

65

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manure Applied.
Due Souceof No.0! Spreader Speed Spreader
Mantle Lamb med (mph) Setting
Manure incorporatedooahle)

 

'HWMIMwnmmcama-naudonmfieldfim.

Notes or Hurst Idol-notion

 

Date

Field Sketch

 

 

 

 

Figure 5.2. Pages from the larger Annual Record Book.

File Folder for reference.

year’s annual record book for reference during the planting season.

The Nutrient Planning table (Figure 5.5) is used to estimate the amount of addi-
tional nutrients that should be applied to the field, given a fertilizer recommendation
and then subtracting N credits and recent manure nutrient additions. The amount

of “additional fertilizer nutrients” needed should then be recorded in the upcoming

The Pesticide Use Information table (Figure 5.6), located on the back of the
folder, is used to record pesticide application information. This table provides a
history of pesticides applied to that field and makes it easier to check for possible
interactions or residue carryover for future crops. A table of nutrient removal values

for Michigan crops has also been included on the back pannel of the Individual Field

66

 

Table 1. Historic Soil Test Summary

 

Amour! of Nutrients

Dale of Name of Soil
Soil Test Labo- mph
[1)

(lb/acre) ‘

K

CI

wmlnwmdPA-rdm0morwenrol'mdxby:DP,0,oZJ-DPMDKpoI.2-DK

Line
Recommendation

Rate
Yes

orproc anagram-man.wmdmmmmmwmmenlwrm-

Mkronutricnu. sulfur.
or organic

Dolomitic
No

 

matter ”

ltyouoalrorlabor-raymuralr-uianemlanlnmcwtomwn-Iu'ptytngmenh-byllc..mII-Naae[Intuit-ohm

Ger-entry rail to. la nicer-mun (I. 0. Fe. Mn. Mo. 21:). alt-n5). or (tunic matter. are “magnum In nan-n It yur are mum la

 

Table 2. Nitrogen Credits (lb/acre) for Nutrient Planning

 

Woman..- Maw-rd tbPSN'I'
Wudfiqfl(l)htqwt(lr-m.o-fl.will-Quail)
Hun-qdnuwdflbupmc-mm“ Thu-hung
wuusummmmunlnqmmmuw.
I-CI‘l-lunfir-ofilNr-u-‘IfindlMI'rWI-n'n-tqn‘
erNuwthdhrq-uaNtmfimtfl-qflfi
high-turn.“ I... lane-cl! union—ho- pun-Ovu- ll‘ —‘_

 

 

 

 

 

 

bond- ruuudu‘uhu‘vun-lunencumnugn-ruQUJ hilt
KHQWknllul-I‘ol I... film, I0m|l~ll~vlnrnq -hr‘lflhm

Anson-u (Mun-memo I'l- unflinr-IetpMGM
Ie-arduc—thumnl Th- rod nun-nun anti-Duluth
haul prolific-top“.- gnu-quan- Iru-utu-unre-roulluu-Ucd’
Whflmhqmmdq—nmhhfl

Mpmducul—n-flq Ud‘fltwb-‘Ouhtflu
Q—Ihbdl-omtyhuupuhgnn Iowhgdn-hJuh-fihfl
”NY-~01!-Inher-“firfinl-Indopofl'n‘vflbo'dld
fibIOMd‘budIt-Ihodflnud

Thrfllflt-bwr-u-uurhrmulhnfiu'mlflII—d
m—tua-gumrlqcadmdug-mJ—crIc-hulll.
hmdtrfilthrIfivmxm-numnuhwacwlfiufi
”n.s-sluttmmm-blhpot-mdm-Q
“COCO-UH“.

&

 

‘ - . - _ a -4 h
vw-v

“hHIITucoa-uhrml.

mumnuoz

oummumuNmrrmwm-rucmbeub
rotated tor mmmmefi cum: to Tahlczlrorhenghrl Phat
the PSNT cred" drecriyinrhe"N OMI' column In Table 3.

altmePSN'Trrrrlrr-moaamnerhopmanrstarpmo-
legume Na mt: applauuorul mdrccud rhea cram: rn Tablel‘uo
menu!) Toulrhaeaedumdphcerhenhelnrhe'NCer'cohnnin
Table 3.

folder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘ later. I OOH ‘hucr'd NINOIMDI.
”who Croft.” H "r the.

" Inn-l autumn-oi..." Insult-.10.!
panned-W l lug rebut-tort"...
Mu. ISU CI! fill-u VQII. 'l’ubd I-II
Inge-.20. gun-r -fln‘fl One N at.

 

 

 

Yea m2:- Hare“ Snuwdglem $1 {a the
hevr’arr 00p N'itt’cz’IN
7 LT“
Alfalfa
100 G stand 100
30 % um ll)
60 $ and 75
40 i and 00
20 § and SO
Ckwen lid
Irratool Tretotl
1m $ and an
.0 i and 35
so i and I)
- 40 $ and d)
20 G fluid 35
Seyfert) 30 ’
5*— a, —-——— —<
an”: ...,_,. °

 

 

credit

 

‘ 7‘. and. ad, tor a. grin. (on rage,
nth-dru- hrrllofiruq-Wno

has MIN-C38 We [9" ‘
IIUI‘I (r (”a mu)

 

 

 

 

Figure 5.4. Nitrogen Credits for Nutrient Planning table in Individual

Figure 5.3. Historic Soil Test Summary table in Individual Field File folder.

Field File

67

 

L Table 3. Nutrient Planning J

 

Fertilizer Recornmenbtiou’ N Mun-e Nutrients Applied 1’ Additional Fertil'uer Nutrients
(IN-ac) C It“ ~ (tuners) Neededbyrheoopuwacre):

(Ihhac) Avail. N N

 

‘ mmudnummtaaopmus-MfumWWWuMummmmmeawbhmmn»
brieyieldgorl.re..rne‘lirprxredYw.mmmuwmudlmwwrwuflfll—GSMWBSSOA‘EMAI
MSUFR (I compare: prop-m)

" NluogarrecorrmmrhumsanhereducedbymemnoterdrmredNmumbkhabthMIWDyMMMpu-muluwflu
(PSNT). Record the amount of N man here and recur the rccanrnended N me by on amour:

t 'nreamounrot'l-hrmNunamApphod‘rrecek-hrodlydmngMMchmwmo-M-Immmwmm
olecteoinrhclleld

3 "mews: rppliedlortrneldmrbtrrcl memrolnrruiaruaddedl.e.mre Nutrients Applied’) hornbe‘Fertlliechecanrnendadom'rocalcnhtelbe
additional amour! of fertilizer run-rem needed. It the N cred! it! I legume Mot previous rmnure rpplr‘eauau have been determined (Table 2). me reconnrended
Nmemeemedbyrhermoumoiuurcredr.ltrPSNTtobneJhendiraedlrhouldbeuedmphceotmemdkpuneNcram.Ilflmuern‘N
clears“ orno more was rpplrcd. men the mm of 'Aodnml Feruiur Nutrient Needed' will he the mac n the ‘Fetrllrut Want

Figure 5.5. Nutrient Planning table in Individual Field File folder.

 

l Table 4. Pesticide Use Information J

 

Chemical Applied Rule pet Method of Target Name of
(Trade Name and Formulation) Acre Pest '

 

" 12.5156 of need. ir-ecr. Immune or decree
" ”Notes“ could include information rrrdr as weather. wind cannons. crop my. peer clue. etc.

Figure 5.6. Pesticide Use Information table in Individual Field File folder

 

68

Manure Management Sheets

A livestock producer can use the manure management sheets (MMS) to help
determine the amount of manure nutrients that have been applied to the field. The
first sheet (MMS #1) is used to provide a quick estimate of a farm nutrient balance.
On one side of the sheet (Part A.) a farmer can add-up his annual manure nutrient
production based on the number of animals present of the farm (Figure 5.7). The
other side (Part B.) has space to add-up the annual crop nutrient removal using the
tables of nutrient removal values for crops found on the field file folder (Figure 5.8).
Subtracting the crop nutrient removal from the manure nutrients produced gives a
rough nutrient balance for the farm (Part C.). This estimate can be used to find
out if a potential for environmental pollution exists. If more manure nutrients are
produced than the crops can use, then excess nutrients might be released into the
environment.

Using the other manure management sheets (MMS) requires a bit of work by
the user. A manure analysis should be on hand, and the capacities of the spreaders
used need to be determined. In lieu of manure spreader calibration, a farmer may
keep track of the amount of manure being applied to a field by counting the number
of spreader loads and using the spreader capacities to estimate the actual quantity
applied. By knowing the total amount of manure applied (i.e. tons or gallons) and
ther area covered (i.e. acres) a reasonable estimate of the amount of nutrients applied
(i.e. tons/ acre or gallons/ acre) can be obtained. MMS #2 (Figure 5.9) can be used
to record manure analysis information, and the amount of organic N and first year
available organic N can be calculated in the last two columns. Table A at the bottom
of MMS #2 contains average manure nutrient values (for use when no manure analysis
is available), and mineralization factors to estimate mineralizable available organic N

using the equations provided.

69

 

[ Manure Mangement Sheet '1 J

Nutrient Budget for a Livestock Farm Part A. I'att-de dun Aunt-l M Nam-t Production

Buchwapmotmlnuchdmemm.MnhflymmbymemmmpkmfmTualtheranh-togathena'tn-
nunvohnedmreandthenn'ra‘munarmnndnntnanapathoedpayearcnmetaeth.uoeddn‘.rnodruet.leedaahamwmemeuor-
mww.nmtmummmamuuw

Puma d Nutriem hm pa Yea
AVG"! . . ' "
N. I o! Mme "MCI Nitrogen (N) Hie-pint: ([50,) Nun
Inc-tack cubic teet 0! ml volume the pa total I: per total the per total

Hated meper ye- prodoced yen pa procured year per produced year per podnced
' eternal " aramal " alum! “ animal ’°

16
)0
6|

l
n
n
I

. 50'
and Lulu

 

' Average nun“ ct hated honaedon the lam than; I! m. ltara'mah le mt hand it: the lbll l2-nxnnh poled. n-luply thenunba ol I'I‘mah unmthe
number at rnclttha the animals are hum-d at the farm. then and: by I: to get the “Avenue Ntlmber ol Live-wet tinned Annually'.
‘° Numhen adapted Iran MWPS-l 8. "Live-lock Wane Pacilttiea Handheok.‘ 20d Ed . WIS.

Figure 5.7. Manure Management Sheet #1, Part A. Nutrient Budget for a Livestock
Farmer.

 

I Manure Mnnament Sheet ll 1

Nutrient Budget for a Livestock Farm an n. nut-nu are. Annnnl Nntrtut am by erae

financed Quantum ot Nutrietna Removed by the "muted °
Nitrogen 1N) Flu-prune 050,) have 1 MO)

Ihpected Total Yield Tout lb N Tout lb P,0, Tout lb x,o
Yield (Y) la field E N pr Removed lb Pp, per lemma I! K30 tr! Renamed
Acre (A - Y) Utnt 0! Yield flan Field Ural 0! Yield from field UIIII 0‘ Yield Plan Held

 

PartC. man- Nntrtetn BalmlbrlJveatodI-hm

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mature Nntrlerna Produced 00 Total N : Total I50, : Total Kp x

Nutrtent Removal by Crflarveet 7 Total N : Total ['10, : Total K10 l

Faun Nutrient Balance 8 N Balance: [’10, Balance : Kp Balance :

‘ ‘(hhfi._.ndl.'IO‘H‘flmf—O...“.w~~ I Mth'flnmle—dbyOnnN-nn‘tn-hfl-n line-n. hnbeed'butecb
ylefllnrenrndotdtn-dtu.AIY)..tetndl.',0.dl,0unlat~heulnfl meat-nu "unduenpm,~nm-a-Mmm.em~~~
d’lelmint-fimwdyw‘vht-hmtnfl‘hm h-l“~¢-'OI~IIII'I*DMIIIH.'"tM-lfiuUC-
Ia-d‘ei-n-hbuldfimn ”Joelmb-eehe-yenre-n.CWeII-uonlenteenleehwam

" Uuhu—ndaall,',0.-dl,0n.dnud.--m'e-MA) page-afl- -

l Unfi-l”dl.',0,dl,0mdMdlefib’wfitll m

Figure 5.8. Manure Management Sheet #1, Part B. and C. Nutrient Budget for a
Livestcok Farmer.

70

MMS #3 (Figure 5.10) is used to record spreader capacities, and then calculating
the amount of nutrients that would be applied with one spreader load of manure.
The nutrient content of manures than might be spread is obtained from MMS #2
and used to calculate the total quantity of manure nutrients in each load. MMS #4
(Figure 5.11), is used to record the actual number of loads of manure applied and
then helps to calculate the amount of manure nutrients applied to a particular field.
The number of loads applied is obtained from the Annual Record Book. A copy of
MMS #4 can be kept in the Field File of each field receiving manure. The “Total
Manure Nutrients Applied” is divided by the acres covered to calculate the “Manure
Nutrients Applied (lb/ acre)” which is recorded in Table 3 of the Field File (Fig-
ure 5.5). The field sketch areas on Sheet #4 can be used to record where manure has

been applied, if the whole field did not receive manure.

Enhanced Recordkeeping Sheets

If a producer would like to keep more detailed information beyond the recom-
mended level, the enhanced recordkeeping sheets (Figure 5.12—5.14) can be used. The
information collected on these sheets comes from the Annual Record Book and may
be used to develop a historical record of crops and varieties grown and yields ob-
tained over time, as well as quantities and types of fertilizers and lime applied. This

information could enhance the management and planning for crop production.

Benefits

The paper RKS provides a way to document the management practices used by
the producer. For Michigan producers it provides a simple system to do recordkeeping
as recommended in the Right-to-Farm GAAMP.

This paper RKS can help producers evaluate farming practices and provide docu-

mentation when trying new or different farming approaches. The RKS can also help

71

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ Manure Management Sheet .2 I
Manure Analysis Information Farm
Manure Analysis Results
Manure Sanpling Calculated Values
Information ‘ check( /) for Nitrogen "
(lb/1.0m gal) or (lb/wet ton) correct units
Source of 95 Dry lwet H.000 Organic Available
Date ID Manure Matter Total N NH4-N P205 K20 ton gal N Organic N

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘ Record date of the manure analysis report, select ID from Table A below. and indicate where the manure
came from. ex.. free stall barn. famwing houae.
” Calculations:
Organic N a Total N - Nth-N
Available Organic N 2 Organic N x Mineralization Factor (see Table A)

Nutrient Content

Manure Manure Mineralization NIL-N T otalN Total Lola] unite

ID Manure Factor
without
with

without
tlid with

with

without litter
with litter

 

MWPS- l8. “Ludod Wate Facilities “tweak.“ 2nd Ed. I985.

Figure 5.9. Manure Management Sheet #2. Manure Analysis Information.

72

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ Mmure Mm“ Street .3 ]
Quantities of Manure Nutrients per Spreader Load Farm
Chart *1 ‘ andty: __ Chart “2 ‘ (hotly:
MantleAnalya'n lbolNutrients perLoad " Mantle Analysis botNutrieataperLoad “
Some of Available Scare of Available
Rate Manure NIL-N Organic N P30, K30 Date Manure NIL-N Organic N P205 K30
A A
B B
C C
D D
E E
‘ Spreader: ° We:
Chart “3 ‘ CapncIy: __ Chart #4 ° Capachy:
MnuneAnalysis botNutrientapaLoad" ManineAaalyaia Itot'NuuiernspaLoad“
Snare of Available Soinee of Available
Date Manure NIL-N Organic N P205 K30 Date Mantle NIL-N Organic N P205 K20
A A
B B
C C
D D
E E

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

' ly-ue-n-‘u-o-apdquedyha—ad-hn-u'uuenlulhe'nebha‘e'qflkmflwi"hvlh-he-ta-aduwi”“.lnna
haunfialqer'peuneelflJflfi”Ath'druedta'asq torrent-,m-Onmdun-n.demnluhtwulqz‘huutors-apnederlad

" lama-talent“ ‘haI-nh 01-“ I‘veheandhna-n Dflylh'fiflh'Nu. H,P.O.adl.o‘.lra- lanue law-sullnnInUi'uaderethDOeI—l-fimd
Minn-mandated.Fern-steJlPIOpaalha-Wbd-flldlpuau'nadulaathehand’abtahn-laruu—nbuenhHum-seen
“Heath. Wedlm‘snld

Figure 5.10. Manure Management Sheet #3. Quantities of Manure Nutrients per
Spreader Load.

increase the awareness of all nutrient sources on the farm and develop a better under-
standing of the whole farm. nutrient balance. Balancing nutrient inputs and outflows
reduces the chances that the farm will have a negative impact on the environment.
With the paper RKS and computer based systems, producers now have several
options and levels of recordkeeping available. Therefore, the farmer can choose the

system most appropriate for his operation.

72

 

L Manure Management Sheet 03 ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quantities of Manure Nutrients per Spreader Load Farm
0 o
Charm 3'33: cum «2 33$?
MM Analys'n lb olNutrients per Load °° Mm Analysis I» or Nutrients per Load “
Sotlce of Available Sauce of Available
Date Manure N lL-N 0ng N P203 K20 Date Manure NIL-N Organic N P305 K20
A A
B B
C C
D D
E E
cum «3 omi: Chart «4 ."'c.,...“',fl‘
MauleAaalysis botNtnrieuaperLoad“ MantleAnalysis liolNuuientsperLoad“
Sotnee of Available Satnee of Avaihble
Date Mantae NIL-N Organic N P205 K20 Date Manure NIL-N Organic N P205 K20
A A
B B
C C
D D
E E

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

' I’d—mh-mwafimmfihapwb’n-ol'neeneuluIts-paths‘eut‘nfifwh"bgd~uh¢fieu~uh~‘aafiefled~ lltba
bautldnlmtn'rtpudetase.ASA!Iran-d"alt-earn“rumination-rude“dhnmdtunhquz'hh-rue-"settled

“ latent, aerate-laud 'badanh (lg—it. It‘uau and Dana-es and". u..- tee’rttt. at. 7,0, and l,0‘,t- lance I..." ”Ole-e- manate-set rqai'CM—hflgmd
each-manipulate“ Fora-pthllopell-opuderbd- “Intricate-predated.Unfinenfl—ehnMfi-unbunhla-eflwmn
“meant-h dem'wu.

Figure 5.10. Manure Management Sheet #3. Quantities of Manure Nutrients per
Spreader Load.

increase the awareness of all nutrient sources on the farm and develop a better under-
standing of the whole farm nutrient balance. Balancing nutrient inputs and outflows
reduces the chances that the farm will have a negative impact on the environment.
With the paper RKS and computer based systems, producers now have several
options and levels of recordkeeping available. Therefore, the farmer can choose the

system most appropriate for his operation.

73

 

L Maw-names J

Worksheet to Estimate the Quantity of Manure Nutrients Applied Field ID:
Acres

Application of Days Mamie P? I: ( )
Period Loads Source of Before Spreads Total
(Mo/Y r) Manure Chan 0 Avail N?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

° Th“In“.~M‘beuflh-hhmhodb‘adwwu-Ifl‘dmmbd‘MMIw-UMQ

" Hannah-“laud“.fidufivhflfil‘vhfikflv-mwmv._-.~~m~umpwd~mmhuuhmIn...
Mafia-quantum““heburlmaul-Harm“.clean-n...”mwvmflmhw-wdmwmmtfin

i ra-“rununi-ai-u'acmim-nurmumm-waunu-mu“almanac-numutual-aur-rpaamumunmruu'aan
I‘Nwtrrdlpe. W' W. ISU (1‘ WI luflm ”Inhmmu'le

Figure 5.11. Manure Management Sheet #4. Worksheet to Estimate the Quantity of
Manure Nutrients Applied.

74

 

[ W mumps... sun In ]

Lime and Fertilizer N, P205, K20 Applications Field ID:

Amount of Nmrienta Applied by
Fertilizer (lb/acre) Lime Applied

Type of Fertilizer Fertilizer Rate M
Date Used’ (lb/acre) Method of P a...) mu

 

' U... ad... fill-an ll, .1 grain curl - “0‘. .Q I. 00“.“.
" u , Daniel. indent. I‘M-Ind, a.
I hunk-.m,-d a.

Figure 5.12. Enhanced Recordkeeping Sheet #1. Lime and Fertilizer N, P205, K20
apphcafions.

75

 

L wwmsuan

Micronutrient and Sulfur Fertilizer Applications Field ID:

Fertilizer Amount of Nutrients Applied (lb/rre)

TY" 0‘ Fertilizer RI“ 1* h m. h 3‘- n..- h

Uaed’ (lblacre) Method at s a 0 Fe Mn Mo

 

° wad. u-tu.or “Cl- IN, d ‘rdr ’- upfiw-mteo-g nah- O-UJ‘ o 8 In . l & cl.
" Huafil“.e~uflwfinhb«h‘o~u.

Zn

Figure 5.13. Enhanced Recordkeeping Sheet #2. Micronutrient and Sulfur Fertiliza-

tion Applications.

 

[ mmmmn

Crop History Information Field ID:

Seeding Yield per Acre

Rate or
Plant

Population Tillage Used Elpecttd Harvested

 

Figure 5.14. Enhanced Recordkeeping Sheet #3. Crop History Information.

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