scholarly journals Comparison of Raw Dairy Manure Slurry and Anaerobically Digested Slurry as N Sources for Grass Forage Production

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia E. Saunders ◽  
Ann-Marie Fortuna ◽  
Joe H. Harrison ◽  
Elizabeth Whitefield ◽  
Craig G. Cogger ◽  
...  

We conducted a 3-year field study to determine how raw dairy slurry and anaerobically digested slurry (dairy slurry and food waste) applied via broadcast and subsurface deposition to reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) affected forage biomass, N uptake, apparent nitrogen recovery (ANR), and soil nitrate concentrations relative to urea. Annual N applications ranged from 600 kg N ha−1in 2009 to 300 g N ha−1in 2011. Forage yield and N uptake were similar across slurry treatments. Soil nitrate concentrations were greatest at the beginning of the fall leaching season, and did not differ among slurry treatments or application methods. Urea-fertilized plots had the highest soil nitrate concentrations but did not consistently have greatest forage biomass. ANR for the slurry treatments ranged from 35 to 70% when calculations were based on ammonium-N concentration, compared with 31 to 65% for urea. Slurry ANR calculated on a total N basis was lower (15 to 40%) due to lower availability of the organic N in the slurries. No consistent differences in soil microbial biomass or other biological indicators were observed. Anaerobically digested slurry supported equal forage production and similar N use efficiency when compared to raw dairy slurry.

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Zebarth ◽  
J. W. Paul

Spring soil nitrate and ammonium dynamics in south coastal British Columbia soils were examined with respect to the potential to develop a soil nitrate test for silage corn (Zea mays, L.). Soil nitrate and ammonium contents were measured to 90 cm depth in two soils from April to July of two growing seasons. Treatments included a control, spring application of either 300 or 600 kg total N ha−1 as liquid dairy manure, or 200 kg N ha−1 as inorganic fertilizer. Significant amounts of ammonium were present until late May following manure and until mid-June following fertilizer application, requiring simultaneous determination of both nitrate and ammonium concentrations to assess soil inorganic N contents during this period. Most of the changes in soil nitrate over time occurred in the top 30 cm, suggesting that sampling to 30 cm depth would be sufficient in most cases for a soil nitrate test in this region. Most of the increase in soil inorganic N associated with the spring application of manure occurred by 1 June. A soil nitrate test in early to mid-June when the corn is at the six leaf stage appeared to be most suitable for use in south coastal British Columbia to determine if additional fertilizer N is required. A sample taken at this time will measure soil nitrate contents just before the period of rapid corn N uptake, after most of the additional inorganic N associated with spring manure application is already present in the soil as nitrate, and after nitrification of the manure ammonium has occurred. Key words: N recovery, preplant nitrate test, pre-sidedress soil nitrate test


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 11311-11335 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Gioseffi ◽  
A. de Neergaard ◽  
J. K. Schjoerring

Abstract. Soil-borne amino acids may constitute a nitrogen (N) source for plants in various terrestrial ecosystems but their importance for total N nutrition is unclear, particularly in nutrient-rich arable soils. One reason for this uncertainty is lack of information on how the absorption of amino acids by plant roots is affected by the simultaneous presence of inorganic N forms. The objective of the present study was to study absorption of glycine (Gly) and glutamine (Gln) by wheat roots and their interactions with nitrate (NO3–) and (NH4+) during uptake. The underlying hypothesis was that amino acids, when present in nutrient solution together with inorganic N, may lead to down-regulation of the inorganic N uptake. Amino acids were enriched with double-labelled 15N and 13C, while NO3– and NH4+ acquisition was determined by their rate of removal from the nutrient solution surrounding the roots. The uptake rates of NO3– and NH4+ did not differ from each other and were about twice as high as the uptake rate of organic N when the different N forms were supplied separately in concentrations of 2 mM. Nevertheless, replacement of 50 % of the inorganic N with organic N was able to restore the N uptake to the same level as that in the presence of only inorganic N. Co-provision of NO3– did not affect glycine uptake, while the presence of glycine down-regulated NO3– uptake. The ratio between 13C and 15N were lower in shoots than in roots and also lower than the theoretical values, reflecting higher C losses via respiratory processes compared to N losses. It is concluded that organic N can constitute a significant N-source for wheat plants and that there is an interaction between the uptake of inorganic and organic nitrogen.


2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Bittman ◽  
B. J. Zebarth ◽  
C. G. Kowalenko ◽  
D. E. Hunt

This study compared the response of harvests taken in May, June, August and September-October in terms of crop responses (yield, N uptake, and concentrations of crude protein and nitrate) to N fertilizer and residual soil nitrate and ammonium. Three trials were conducted in south coastal British Columbia in 1990–1992 to evaluate the response of an established sward of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) to a range of N fertilizer rates. Both yields and daily crop growth rates were highest in cut 1, lowest in cut 4 and intermediate in cuts 2 and 3. For all four cuts, 95 and 90% of maximum yield was attained at about 136 and 82 kg ha-1 of applied N, respectively. Crop N supply from non-fertilizer sources ranged from 36 to 90 kg N ha-1, of which about 52% was attributed to nitrate present in the soil prior to growth and about 48% was N released from the soil, translocated from roots or deposited from the atmosphere. At 95% of maximum yield, crude protein concentrations ranged from 147 g kg-1 in the higher yielding cut 1 to 189 g kg-1 in cuts 2 and 4, while at 90% of maximum yield concentrations were 10 g kg-1 lower in each cut. Plant nitrate concentrations were close to levels that are toxic to cattle for the 95% target yield, but relatively safe at the 90% yield. The crop removed about 50 kg ha-1 more N when fertilized for 95% of maximum yield than for 90%, which translates to over 300 kg ha-1 more crude protein. High relative yield leaves behind more soil nitrate after harvest. The results suggest that the first cut should be managed for 95% of maximum yield with about 130 kg N ha-1. Cuts 2 and 3 should be managed for 90% of maximum yield, to avoid high plant nitrate concentrations, with 100–110 kg N ha-1. Cut 4 should be given no more than 50 kg N ha-1 for less than 90% of maximum yield because of the risk of residual soil nitrates. This study shows for the first time the benefits and disadvantages of applying N at different rates for each harvest over the growing season. Key words: Plant nitrate, nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen recovery, Dactylis glomerata, relative yield, maximum economic yield


2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Karamanos ◽  
F. C. Stevenson

Karamanos, R. E. and Stevenson, F. C. 2013. Nitrogen fertilizer product and timing alternatives exist for forage production in the Peace region of Alberta. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 151–160. Four different N sources [ammonium nitrate (NIT), urea (UR), polymer-coated urea (PCU), and N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide-treated urea (AGR)] were applied to stands of pure meadow bromegrass (Bromus beibersteinii L.) or a 50:50 smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis L.)–alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) mixture in late fall and early spring at four N rates (0, 60, 80 and 100 kg N ha−1) over a 3-yr (2003–2005) period. The N treatments generally increased forage responses, but the response net revenue to N treatment was rarely positive and at times was negative, especially for PCU. On average, PCU resulted in lower yield and protein concentration, lesser N efficiency, and lesser profit relative to other forms of N. This difference was more pronounced in the spring and was less notable at Rycroft, the location with the bromegrass–alfalfa mixture. Also, greater N fertilizer rates increased the yield, protein concentration, total N uptake, and profit for all fertilizer forms. The exceptions to the preceding were N fertilizer rate did not affect forage responses for PCU and at the location with the brome-alfalfa mixture. Urea or AGR provided satisfactory agronomic alternatives to ammonium nitrate when applied in early spring at sufficient rates.


2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco André Grohskopf ◽  
Paulo Cezar Cassol ◽  
Juliano Corulli Correa ◽  
Maria Sueli Heberle Mafra ◽  
Jonas Panisson

The application of pig slurry may have a different effect on nitrogen dynamics in soil compared to mineral fertilization. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the different forms of organic N in a Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico (Typic Hapludox) and their relationship to N uptake by crops in response to 10 years of annual application of pig slurry and mineral fertilizer. The treatments were application rates of 0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 m3 ha-1 of pig slurry, in addition to mineral fertilizer, organized in a randomized block design with four replications. The N contents were determined in the plant tissue and in the forms of total N and acid hydrolyzed fractions: ammonium-N, hexosamine-N, α-amino-N, amide-N, and unidentified-N. Annual application of pig slurry or mineral fertilizer increased the total-N content in the 0-10 cm depth layer. The main fractions of organic N in the soil were α-amino-N when pig slurry was applied and unidentified-N in the case of mineral fertilizers. Pig slurry increased the N fractions considered as labile: α-amino-N, ammonium-N, and amide-N. The increase in these labile organic N fractions in the soil through pig slurry application allows greater N uptake by the maize and oat crops in a no-tillage system.


2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Gordon ◽  
G. Patterson ◽  
T. Harz ◽  
V. Rodd ◽  
J. MacLeod

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of performing soil aeration either before or after spreading liquid manure in forage production systems. The experiments included eight trials performed in 1996 using a non-interfering diffusion method to determine ammonia (NH3) flux emissions from both aerated and control plots. For all eight trials, the manure application rate was 75 355 L ha−1. The average NH3 loss for the aerated treatment was 67.3 kg ha−1 while the loss for the control plots was 63.0 kg ha−1. Although differences in the NH3 loss between treatments were low, substantial variations were observed between individual trials depending on the prevailing meteorological conditions.To further evaluate the effects of soil aeration, 11 trials were carried out on Nova Scotia dairy farms in 1996 and 1997 to identify yield effects. Manure application rates ranged from 18 000 to 64 000 L ha−1. The average forage yield on aerated treatments was 9.4% below control treatments (i.e., manure without aeration). Of the 11 trials, 9 resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) reduced yield with soil aeration. Key words: Liquid manure, ammonia volatilisation, soil aeration


Soil Research ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 575 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Russell ◽  
I. R. P. Fillery

The rate of decomposition of 15N-labelled lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) stubble and the use of mineralised 15N by wheat were determined in field experiments on a deep loamy sand previously cropped to lupin. In one experiment, leaf, stem, and pod (pod-valve) components were applied separately to mini-plots that were either left unplanted or subsequently planted to wheat. In the second experiment, leaf and stem components, each of either low or high N concentration, were applied separately to mini-plots which were subsequently planted to wheat. Soil was recovered in layers to a maximum depth of 1 m and subsequently analysed for 15N in NH + 4 , NO-3 , and total N. The net mineralisation of stubble 15N was estimated from the decrease in soil organic 15N (total 15N – inorganic 15N), and the uptake of 15N by wheat was measured periodically. All treatments were characterised by the high retention of lupin stubble 15N in the soil organic matter. Between 9 and 34% of stem and pod 15N, and 19–49% of leaf 15N, was mineralised within a 10-month period. From these data the annual net mineralisation of a typical lupin stubble was estimated at 25–42 kg N/ha, an N benefit similar to that estimated from agronomic trials. Wheat uptake of lupin-stubble 15N ranged from 9 to 27%. Of the stubble components, only the leaf contained sufficient quantities of mineralisable N to be an important source of N for wheat. At wheat maturity in the first experiment, losses of stubble 15N ranged from 13% (leaf) to 7% (stem). In the second experiment, losses of 15N were only observed from the high N treatments (leaf 8%, stem 15·5%). Stubble component chemistry appeared to affect net mineralisation and plant uptake differently. Across both experiments, annual net mineralisation best correlated (R = 0·69) with the N concentration of the stubble components. Wheat N uptake was strongly positively correlated with polysaccharide content (R = 0·89) but negatively correlated with lignin content (R = – 0·79). Although large quantities (58 and 98 kg N/ha) of soil-derived inorganic N were found in the root-zone (–1·0 m) of wheat sown after lupins, and attributed to the decomposition of lupin root systems and surface residues prior to the establishment of each experiment, it is concluded that the short-term decomposition of lupin stubble 15N results in a modest release of inorganic N. Consequently, the primary value of lupin stubble in the N economy of lupin : cereal rotations is to replenish the soil organic N reserve.


2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 1477-1487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J Kelty ◽  
Fabián D Menalled ◽  
Maggie M Carlton

Pelletized biosolids from municipal wastewater treatment were applied to a thinned red pine plantation to determine if there were treatment levels that could produce a fertilization growth response without resulting in unacceptable nitrate leaching. The pellets (total nutrient concentrations of 4.4% N, 1.4% P, 0.2% K) were applied at four levels (0, 200, 400, 800 kg/ha total N). Only 26% of labile organic N in the pellets was mineralized in the first year after application. Foliar N increased with increasing application rate, but other nutrients were unchanged. Red pine basal area growth was unchanged with low and medium levels, but decreased to 50% of control plots with the highest level. A decrease in foliar K/N ratio resulting from high N uptake with little additional K is hypothesized as the cause for the growth decline. The highest treatment level resulted in lysimeter nitrate-N concentrations increasing to 2 mg/L in the first year and 9 mg/L in the second, returning to control levels in the third; no increase occurred in other treatments. These results contrast with those found with liquid sludge applications, in which nearly all N mineralization and the highest nitrate leaching rates occurred in the first year. The slower release of inorganic N from pellets over 2 years may allow higher total N application rates without causing high nitrate leaching.


1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 521-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. GIROUX ◽  
T. SEN TRAN

The objective of this study was to compare several methods of estimating the availability of soil nitrogen to plants. Total soil N, organic matter content, mineralized N during a 2 wk incubation at 35 °C, organic N in 6 N HC1, 0.01 M NaHCO3 and 1 N KCl extracts, and finally mineral N extracted by 2 N KCl were evaluated and contrasted with N uptake by sugar beets cultivated on 19 soils in a greenhouse experiment. The relative yield or plant N uptake gave the highest correlation coefficients when both mineral and organic N fractions in soil extract were considered. The incubation methods gave the best correlation coefficient with relative yield (R2 = 0.85**). N contents in NaHCO3 extract were more correlated with relative yield or N uptake than total N, organic matter contents or N extracted by 6 N HCl or 1 N KCl. The UV absorbance values obtained at 205 nm with 0.01 M NaHCO3 extract were also well correlated with relative yield (R2 = 0.78**) and plant N uptake (R2 = 0.66**). At this wavelength, as well as at 220 nm, the absorbance was affected by mineral and organic N contents in the extract. However, at 260 nm, the UV absorbance was only related to organic N in the extract; consequently these absorbance values were less correlated with relative yield (R2 = 0.49**) or N uptake (R2 = 0.27*). Furthermore, the absorbance measured at 205 nm was too sensitive to NO3-N and organic N concentration and this relationship was not linear in the high-N concentration range. The UV absorbance at 220 nm in the 0.01M NaHCO3 extract seemed to be a promising method to evaluate the availability of soil N. Key words: Soil nitrogen, incubation, ultraviolet absorbance, hydrolyzable nitrogen


2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-181
Author(s):  
Mehdi Sharifi ◽  
Scott Baker ◽  
Leila Hojabri ◽  
Monireh Hajiaghaei-Kamrani

The co-product of anaerobic digestion, digestate, is nitrogen (N) rich; however, the forms and accessibility of this N by the crops have not been fully explored. This study aimed to determine the mineralization parameters of digestate N and to assess its availability for annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). Four digestate rates of 0 (control), 38, 75, and 150 mg N kg−1 soil (equal to 0, 90, 180, and 360 kg total N ha−1) were applied to a silty clay loam soil in a completely randomized block design with four replications in a greenhouse study. A 100 d aerobic incubation experiment was also conducted with 0 and 150 mg digestate N kg−1 rates at 25 °C. Digestate feedstock included cattle manure (28%), hay (15%), and silage corn (Zea mays L.; 57%). Total plant biomass and N uptake increased linearly with digestate application rate with average apparent N recovery of 37%. Potentially mineralizable N (N0) and mineralizable N rate constant (k) were not significantly different in digestate and control treatments; however, a flush of digestate organic N (30 mg N kg−1) released right after mixing the digestate with soil. Evidences of N immobilization with digestate application were observed in greenhouse study. Majority of plant-available digestate N was in form of NH4+-N; therefore, NH4+-N can be used for estimation of available digestate N for crops. Results need to be validated for specific feedstock and soil properties under field conditions. Further research is needed to assess how long-term build-up of digestate organic N may impact the N availability for crops.


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