LONG-TERM AND RESIDUAL EFFECTS OF CATTLE MANURE APPLICATION ON DISTRIBUTION OF P IN SOIL AGGREGATES

Increasing use of animal manures in Saskatchewan requires information on the effect of manure addition on the availability of soil K, Ca and Mg and their concentrations in plant tissue. To address these issues, we examined the effects of repeated application of liquid swine and solid cattle manure at low and high rates on extractable K, Ca and Mg in soils from three different long-term field trials in Saskatchewan, and on plant K, Ca and Mg concentrations in cereal straw grown on the soils. After 5 to 7 yr of manure application, extractable potassium in the soils was significantly increased, while extractable Ca and Mg tended to remain similar, or was decreased with swine manure addition. In the cereal straw, concentrations of K, Ca, and Mg were all increased by repeated swine manure application, such that there was no significant increase in the K/(Ca + Mg) ratio. However, the K/(Ca + Mg) ratio in the cereal straw grown on soil amended with the high rate of cattle manure was increased. These findings suggest that increased risk of tetany potential from manure application would mainly be associated with excessive application rates of cattle manure in these soils, but should be monitored in feeds grown on all manured soils.Key words:Soil extractable K, Ca, Mg and Na; cereal K, Ca and Mg concentrations, K/(Ca + Mg) ratio, tetany potential, urea, swine manure, cattle manure

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The effect on earthworm abundance and selected soil properties after 14 years of solid cattle manure and NPKMg fertilizer application

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss96-042 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 76 (3) ◽

pp. 351-355 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Bernard Estevez ◽

Adrien N’Dayegamiye ◽

Daniel Coderre

Keyword(s):

Biological Activity ◽

Structural Stability ◽

N Mineralization ◽

Mineral Fertilizer ◽

Fertilizer Application ◽

Cattle Manure ◽

Manure Application ◽

Water Stable Aggregates ◽

Earthworm Populations

Long-term manure application could increase soil earthworm abundance in cultivated soils. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of 14 yr (1977–1991) of manure and NPKMg fertilizer on earthworm populations, soil structural stability, N mineralization (NO3) and biological activity (CO2) on a Le Bras clay loam (Humic Gleysol) situated at St-Lambert, Quebec. The field experiment, in a split-plot design, consisted of two manure rates (0 Mg, 20 Mg ha−1) as principal treatments with secondary treatments receiving mineral fertilizer (NPKMg) and a control. These treatments were carried out over a 4-yr crop rotation of silage corn, (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and canola (Brassica campestris L.). Soil and earthworm sampling was done in fall 1991 under corn. Compared to mineral fertilizer treatment, long-term application of manure increased earthworm populations. However the interaction between the treatments of mineral fertilizer and of manure was not significant. Of the earthworms extracted by formalin and hand sorting, Aporrectodea genus was dominant in soil, representing 98–100% of the population. Several Allolobophora chlorotica and Lumbricus juveniles from the genus Lumbricus were found only in manured plots. Soil water stable aggregates and biological activity (CO2) were both increased by manure application. Mineral fertilizer application had no significant effect. A strong correlation was obtained only between earthworm abundance and biological activity (CO2). The results indicate that 14 yr application of solid cattle manure improved soil earthworm populations and diversity, biological activity (CO2) and structural stability compared to fertilizer treatments and the control. Key words: Earthworms, Aporrectodea turgida, manure, mineral fertilizer, organic matter, biological activity (CO2), N mineralization potential (NO3), water-stable aggregates

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