Value of Poultry Manure Nutrients for Crop Production Antonio Mallarino and John Sawyer Department of Agronomy
Nutrients for Crop Production Corn almost always needs N. P and K are needed for low-testing soils and to maintain optimum levels. Manure can be used to supply N, P, K, and other nutrients. It may also improve physical soil properties by supplying organic matter. But excessive or badly applied manure can impair water quality.
Issues for Manure Nutrients Use Nutrient concentration variability. N-P-K ratios and crop needs. Manure nutrient availability shortly after application. Expensive storage and handling, difficulties for uniform application. Soil-test variability in manured fields. Producer's doubts about its value. State/federal regulations for its use.
N & P Concentration of Solid Manures 80 60 40 N P205 Table Values in Pm 1811 20 0 Swine grow finish Dairy & Beef Layers Broilers Turkey A. Rieck-Heinz
Poultry Manure Nutrients No organic K, all soluble inorganic. Variable proportion of inorganic and organic N, P, and S. Organic forms must be mineralized to be absorbed. Mineralization rates vary with the handling and application methods, climate, and field conditions. Nutrient availability immediately after application is difficult to predict.
Ammonium - Organic N in Manures Swine Pit Swine Lagoon Beef Feedlot Liquid Beef Composted Poultry 0 20 40 60 80 100 % Distribution Ammonium Organic
Manure Nitrogen Availability Guidelines for 1st-year N availability compared with fertilizer (Pm 1811): - beef and dairy: 30 to 40% - poultry: 65% - swine: 100% N volatilization: - incorporation within 24 hrs 0.95 - incorporation after 24 hrs 0.80 - no incorporation at all 0.70
Phosphorus in Animal Manures 40 to 95% inorganic P, simple to complex compounds, highest values are for liquid swine manure. Phytase enzyme feeding may reduce total P by 25 to 35%. P water solubility varies a lot but isn t a good index of availability. Iowa: 60% availability in low-testing soils and 100% for maintenance.
Poultry Manure Nutrients Utilization Project Antonio Mallarino John Sawyer Daniel Kaiser Dorivar Ruiz-Diaz David Wittry Brett Allen Mazhar Haq Daniel Barker 18 producers' fields 2004, 2005, and 2006 14 counties Layers, turkeys, broilers
Poultry Manure Field Resehararch Reps 1 2 3 Manure strips 120 2 0 1 0 1 2 3 manure rates applied to strips using farmer's or applicator's equipment. 4 N fertilizer rates and 4 P fertilizer rates to small plots. Uniform K rate and N or P rates as appropriate across P or N small plots. Measured manure nutrients, early corn growth, grain, and soil-test values after harvest.
Manure Total N Concentration Manure Nitrogen (lb N / ton) 120 100 80 60 40 20 PM 1811 Tested Values Range 0 Broilers Layers Turkey
Manure Total P Concentration 120 PM 1811 Manure P (lb P 2 O 5 / ton) 100 80 60 40 20 Tested Values Range 0 Broilers Layers Turkey
Poultry Manure Nutrient Variation Individual Sample Difference From Site Average (lb/ton) 40 30 20 10 0-10 -20-30 -40 Total-N Total-P Total-K Poultry Manure Sample Analyses (As-Is Basis) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 All Site Average N: 63 lb N/ton P: 63 lb P 2 O 5 /ton K: 41 lb K 2 O/ton (18 sites, 108 samples) Average Site Analysis (lb N, P 2 O 5, or K 2 O/ton)
Corn Response to Poultry Manure 220 200 7 to 68 bu/acre Response. Average 41 bu/acre No manure Low manure High manure Corn Yield (bu/acre) 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 2004 2005 2006
Yields and Manure or Fertilizer N 80 Averages Across All Responsive Sites Yield Response (bu/acre) 60 40 20 0 Manure high Manure low No manure Average Manure-N Rates Low : 111 lb N/acre (44-172) High: 225 lb N/acre (104-336) High Uniform P and K Rates Applied 0 50 100 150 N Fertilizer Rate (lb N/acre)
Canopy Greenness with SPAD Meter 14 Averages Across All Responsive Sites Canopy Greenness Reading 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Manure high Manure low No manure Average Manure-N Rates Low : 111 lb N/acre (44-172) High: 225 lb N/acre (104-336) High Uniform P and K Rates Applied 0 50 100 150 N Fertilizer Rate (lb N/acre)
Late Spring Soil Nitrate Test 100 Corn Yield Response (bu/acre) 80 60 40 20 A good test only to tell when when no extra N is needed No manure Low manure rate High manure rate 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Soil Nitrate-N (ppm)
Poultry Manure N and Timing Corn Grain Yield (bu/acre) 210 200 190 180 170 160 150 140 130 120 Egg Layers Manure Northern Research Farm 3-year Averages Control 82 lb Manure N Winter Spring 164 lb Manure N Spring Winter 135 lb N Spring Urea 110 100 Holmes and Rueber, ISU
Recent Research: Poultry Manure N The N availability compared with fertilizer N is on average 50 to 60%. N volatilization: - Incorp. within 24 hrs 0.95-0.99 - Delayed or no incorp. 0.70-0.80 Long-term manure application increases soil organic matter and may increase N mineralization rates and N supply for crops.
Soil P Buildup After Harvest Average Buildup: Low Rate = 14 ppm High Rate = 30 ppm Soil P Buildup (ppm) 70 60 50 40 30 20 Low manure rate High manure rate Low : 136 lb P 2 O 5 /acre (90-198) High: 258 lb P 2 O 5 /acre (168-346) Low: 2.0 ton/acre (1.5-2.3) High: 3.8 ton/acre (2.4-4.6) 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 2004 2005 2006
Poultry Manure as a P Source 25 Average Across Fields with Yield Response to Fertilizer or Manure P Corn Yield Response (bu/acre) 20 15 10 5 0 a a c High Manure Low Manure No Manure a a b a a b b Manure and Manure-P Rates Low : 136 lb P 2 O 5 /acre (90-198) High: 258 lb P 2 O 5 /acre (168-346) Low: 2.0 ton/acre (1.5-2.3) High: 3.8 ton/acre (2.4-4.6) Uniform N and K Fertilizer Applied 0 50 100 150 P Fertilizer Rate (lb P 2 O 5 /acre)
Poultry Manure P and Early Growth 4.4 Averages Across All Fields Corn Early Growth (g/plant) 4.2 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.0 2.8 High Manure Low Manure No Manure 2.6 0 50 100 150 P Fertilizer Rate (lb P 2 O 5 /acre)
Summary: Poultry Manure P The P availability is higher than we thought: is 90 to 100%. Uncertainty on poultry manure P availability isn't as important as for N because much P is applied even by applying ½ of the N needed by corn. Major issues with poultry manure P are soil P buildup and uniformity of application for wet manures.
Manure N-P Ratios and Crop Needs N-based manure application often results in soil P build-up over time. Corn-soybean rotation: - Dairy & beef: small or no P buildup - Swine: small or no P buildup, may be short of P when phytase is used. - Poultry: large P buildup, larger for egg layers, less with phytase. Corn after corn: very large buildup.
N-Based Egg Layers Manure Corn-Soybean Rotation P Need and Applied P Egg layers manure assuming 35 lb of N and 80 lb of P 2 0 5 / ton: Needs N-Based Applied Crop N P 2 0 5 Manure P 2 0 5 180 bu Corn 150 lb 68 lb 4.3 ton 344 lb 60 bu Beans 0 lb 48 lb none 0 lb Total: 116 lb 344 lb Total P by applying just 1/2 of N need (75 lb) 172 lb Large P build up, enough for 3 years
N-Based Egg Layers Manure Corn & Soybean K Needs and Applied K Egg layers manure assuming 35 lb of N and 50 lb of K 2 0 / ton: Needs N-Based Applied Crop N K 2 0 Manure K 2 0 180 bu Corn 150 lb 54 lb 4.3 ton 215 lb 60 bu Beans 0 lb 90 lb none 0 lb Total: 144 lb 215 lb Total K by applying just 1/2 of N need (75 lb) 107 lb Insufficient K (75%) for the rotation
Maximizing Manure N Use Efficiency Use manure analysis but be aware of high variability. Mineralize the most of organic N: - fall application allows more time but puts inorganic nitrate-n at greater risk of loss Minimize ammonium volatilization: - immediate incorporation into the soil In-season tests for additional N: - late-spring soil nitrate and emerging tools such as aerial photos and sensors.
Maximizing Manure P & K Use Use manure and soil analyses but be aware of high variability. Full N-based poultry manure rates apply excess P and K (for 2 or 3 crops), look at P Index over time. Phytase feeding reduces manure P. Good to balance nutrient content and allows for higher manure application rates and more use of manure N.
Nutrient Availability in Practice Manures are heterogeneous materials often difficult to handle. - high nutrient variability, difficult application of uniform rates, high soil-test variability in manured soils These factors introduce much more uncertainty than for fertilizers and may reduce the usually assumed efficiency of manure nutrients.