Abstract
The southeast US produces a tremendous number of broiler chickens (Gallus gallus), which in turn produce massive quantities of litter (manure and bedding materials). In the Southeast, litter is most often disposed of via land application to pastures, however, the ultimate fate of much of the applied nitrogen (N) is not known. We have constructed N budgets for three sites across the southeastern U.S. in an effort to determine how much of the applied N is useful for plant production and how much is left to be absorbed by the environment. Study sites were located in the Coastal Plain (Alabama), Piedmont (Georgia), and Cumberland Plateau (Tennessee) Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA) of the southeastern US. Litter was applied in the Spring of two consecutive years at a rate to supply 70 kg of available N ha−1. The total amount of N applied ranged from 103 to 252 kg N ha−1 depending on site and year. Nitrogen fluxes monitored in this study were broiler litter N, ammonia (NH3) volatilization, denitrification, plant uptake, and leaching. Plant uptake represented the largest flux of applied N, averaging 43% of applied N. Losses due to NH3 volatilization and denitrification combined were only 6% of applied N on average. Loss of N due to NO3-N leaching appeared to be significant only at the Coastal Plain site where NO3-N concentrations in the groundwater peaked at 38 mg N l−1. We believe the majority of excess N shown in these budgets is likely accounted for by leaching losses and soil accumulation. Regardless of these assumptions and low gaseous losses, it is apparent that on average, 57% of applied N is destined for a fate other than plant uptake. The results of this study indicate that land-application of broiler litter at currently recommended rates has the potential for negative impacts on the environment of the southeastern U.S. in the long-term.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams PL, Daniel TC, Edwards DR, Nichols DJ, Pote DH & Scott HD (1994) Poultry litter and manure contributions to nitrate leaching through the vadose zone. Soil Sci Soc Am J 58: 1206–1211
Aulakh M, Doran J & Mosier A (1992) Soil denitrification – significance, measurement, and effects of management. In: Stewart B (ed) Adv Soil Sci, pp 2–57. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag
Beauchamp EG, Bergström DW & Burton DL (1996) Denitrification and nitrous oxide production in soil fallowed or under alfalfa or grass. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 27: 87–99
Berg P, Klemedtsson L & Rosswall T (1982) Inhibitory effect of low partial pressures of acetylene on nitrification. Soil Biol Biochem 14: 301–303
Brinson S, Cabrera M & Tyson S (1994) Ammonia volatilization from surface-applied, fresh and composted poultry litter. Plant and Soil 167: 213–218
Cabrera ML & Chiang SC (1994) Water content effect on denitrification and ammoniavolatilization in poultry litter. Soil Sci Soc Am J 58: 811–816
Cabrera M, Chiang S, Merka W, Thompson S & Pancorbo O (1993) Nitrogen transformations in surface-applied poultry litter: effect of litter physical characteristics. Soil Sci Soc Am J 57: 1519–1525
Chang C, Cho CM, & Janzen HH (1998) Nitrous oxide emission from long-term manured soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 62: 677–682
Chang C & Janzen H (1996) Long-term fate of nitrogen from annual feedlot manure applications. J Environ Qual 25: 785–790
Colbourn P & Dowdell R (1984) Denitrification in field soils. Plant Soil 76: 213–226
Cope JT, Evans CE & Williams HC (1981) Soil-test fertilizer recommendations for Alabama crops. Alabama Agric Exp Stn Circ251
Duxbury JM (1986) Advantages of the acetylene method of measuring denitrification. In: Hauck RD & Weaver RW (eds) Field Measurement of Dinitrogen Fixation and Denitrification, pp 73–91. SSSA special publication No. 18. Madison, WI: Soil Science Society of America
Estavillo J, Rodriguez M, Domingo M, Muñoz-Rueda A & Gonzalez-Murua C (1994) Denitrification losses from a natural grassland in the Basque country under organic and inorganic fertilization. Plant Soil 162: 19–29
Hanson PJ & Lindberg SE (1991) Dry deposition of reactive nitrogen compounds: a review of leaf, canopy and non-foliar measurements. Atmos Environ 25A: 1615–1634
Hoveland CS, Evans EM & Mays DA (1970) Cool-season perennial grass species for forage in Alabama. Auburn Univ Agric Exp Stn Bull 397
Keeney DR (1986) Critique of the acetylene blockage technique for field measurement of denitrification. In: Hauck RD & Weaver RW (eds) FieldMeasurement of Dinitrogen Fixation and Denitrification, pp 103–115. SSSA special publication No. 18. Madison, WI: Soil Science Society of America
Kingery W, Wood C, Delaney D, Williams J, Mullins G & van Santen E (1993) Implications of long-term land application of poultry litter on tall fescue pastures. J Prod Agri 6: 390–395
Kirchmann H (1985) Losses, plant uptake and utilisation of manure nitrogen during a production cycle. Acta Agri Scandi Suppl 24
Kirchmann H (1990) Nitrogen interactions and crop uptake from fresh and composted 15N-labelled poultry manure. J Soil Sci 41: 379–385
Lessard R, Rochette P, Gregorich EG, Pattey E & Desjardins RL (1996) Nitrous oxide fluxes from manure-amended soil under maize. J Environ Qual 25: 1371–1377
Liebhardt WC, Golt C & Tupin J (1979) Nitrate and ammonium concentrations of ground water resulting from poultry litter manure applications. J Environ Qual 8: 211–215
Lowrance R, Johnson Jr. JC, Newton GL & Williams RG (1998) Denitrification from soils of a year-round forage production system fertilized with liquid dairy manure. J Environ Qual 27: 1504–1511
Lucero D, Martens D, McKenna J & Starner D (1995) Poultry litter effects on unmanaged pasture yield, nitrogen and phosphorus uptakes, and botanical composition. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 26: 861–881
Malone JP, Stevens RJ & Laughlin RJ (1998) Combining the 15N and acetylene inhibition techniques to examine the effect of acetylene on denitrification. Soil Biol Biochem 30: 31–37
Marshall SB, Wood CW, Braun LC, Cabrera ML, Mullen MD & Guertal EA (1998) Ammonia volatilization from tall fescue pastures fertilized with broiler litter. J Environ Qual 27: 1125–1129
Matches AG (1979) Management. In: Buckner RC & Bush LP (eds) Tall Fescue, pp 171–200. Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy
Moal J, Martinez J, Guiziou F & Coste C (1995) Ammonia volatilization following surface-applied pig and cattle slurry in France. J Agric Sci 125: 245–252
Nathan MV & Malzer GL (1994) Dynamics of ammonia volatilization from turkey manureand urea applied to soil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 58: 985–990
National Atmospheric Deposition Program (1995) Wet deposition in the United States – 1995. Federal acid precip task force Washington, DC
Ritter W & Chirnside A (1987) Influence of agricultural practices on nitrates in the water table aquifer. Biol Wastes 19: 165–178
Rolston DE (1986) Limitations of the acetylene blockage technique for field measurement of denitrification. In: Hauck RD & Weaver RW (eds) Field Measurement of Dinitrogen Fixation and Denitrification, pp 93–101. SSSA special publication No. 18. Madison, WI: Soil Science Society of America
Ryden JC (1982) Effects of acetylene on nitrification and denitrification in two soils during incubation with ammonium nitrate. J Soil Sci 33: 263–270
Ryden JC (1983) Denitrification loss from a grassland soil in the field receiving different rates of nitrogen as ammonium nitrate. J Soil Sci 34: 355–365
Schjoerring J, Sommer S & Ferm M (1992) A simple passive sampler for measuring ammonia emission in the field. Water Air Soil Pollut 62: 13–24
Scott HD, Mauromoustakos A & Gilmour JT (1995) Fate of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in broiler litter applied to tall fescue. Arkansas Agric Exp Stn Bull 947. Univ of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
Sharpe RR, Harper LA, Giddens JE & Langdale GW (1988) Nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen budget for conservation tilled wheat. Soil Sci Soc Am J 52: 1394–1398
Sharpley A N, Smith S & Bain W (1993) Nitrogen and phosphorus fate from long-term poultry litter applications to Oklahoma soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 57: 1131–1137
Sims GK, Ellsworth TR & Mulvaney RL (1995) Microscale determination of inorganic nitrogen in water and soil extracts. Commun in Soil Sci and Plant Anal 26: 303–316
Smith C, Freney J, Chalk P, Galbally I, McKenney D & Cai G (1988) Fate of urea nitrogen applied in solution in furrows to sunflowers growing on a red-brown earth: transformations, losses and plant uptake. Austral J Agri Res 39: 793–806
Soil Conservation Service (1981) Land resources regions and major land resources areas of the US. USDA-SCS Agric Handb 296. US Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC
Stevens R & Logan H 1987 Determination of the volatilization of ammonia from surface applied cattle slurry by the micrometeorological mass balance method. J Agric Sci Camb 109: 205–207
Thornton FC, Shurpali NJ, Bock BR & Reddy KC (1998) N2O and NO emissions from poultry litter and urea applications to bermuda grass. Atmos Environ 32: 1623–1630
Tiedje JM (1988) Ecology of denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. In: Zehnder AJB (ed) Biology of Anaerobic Microorganisms, pp 179–244. New York: John Wiley & Sons
Tiedje JM, Simkins S & Groffman PM (1989) Perspectives on measurement of denitrification in the field including recommended protocols for acetylene based methods. In: Clarholm M and Bergström L (eds) Ecology of Arable Land, pp 217–240. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
USDA (1994) Livestock, dairy, and poultry statistics and outlook. Econ Res Serv USDA Washington, DC
USDA (1998) Poultry: production and value – supplement (PBHBB) 1997 summary. NASS Washington, DC
USDA/USEPA (1979) Animal waste utilization on cropland and pastureland: A manual for evaluating agronomic and environmental effects. USDA, Washington, DC, 135 pp
USEPA (1975) Water programs: national interior primary drinking water regulations. Federal Register 40: 248
Whitehead D & Bristow AW (1990) Transformations of nitrogen following the application of 15N-labelled cattle urine to an established grass sward. J Appl Ecol 27: 667–678
Wilhoit JH, Bannon JS & Ling Q (1993) Development and evaluation of a drop applicator for poultry litter. ASAE Paper No 93–4023. Am Soc Agric Eng, St. Joseph, MO
Wilkinson S (1979) Plant Nutrient and Economic Value of Animal Manures. J Anim Sci 48: 121–133
Wood BH, Wood CW, Yoo KH, Yoon KS & Delaney DP (1996) Nutrient accumulation and nitrate leaching under broiler litter amended corn fields. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 27: 2875–2894
Wood CW (1992) Broiler litter as a fertilizer: benefits and environmental concerns. In: Proc National Poultry Waste Management Symp, pp 304–312. Birmingham, Auburn University AL
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marshall, S.B., Mullen, M.D., Cabrera, M.L. et al. Nitrogen budget for fescue pastures fertilized with broiler litter in Major Land Resource Areas of the southeastern US. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 59, 75–83 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009890723324
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009890723324