Solid and Liquid Cattle Manure Application in a Subarctic Soil: Bromegrass and Oat Production and Soil Properties

• Published in: Agronomy Journal
• Main Authors: Zhang, M., Gavlak, R., Mitchell, A., Sparrow, S.
• Other Authors: USDA-CSREES
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2006
• Subjects: Subarctic; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/agronj2006.0045; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.2134%2Fagronj2006.0045; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2134/agronj2006.0045; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.2134/agronj2006.0045

An experiment was conducted in subarctic Alaska from 1999 to 2001 to determine the effect of liquid and solid cattle ( Bos taurus ) manure application rates on smooth bromegrass ( Bromus inermis Leyss.) and oat ( Avena sativa L.) biomass production, nutrient uptake, and soil properties. One‐time manure application of 100 and 200 kg N ha −1 was made in May 1999 in comparison with annual fertilizer application of 50, 100, and 200 kg N ha −1 . In the first year, liquid manure at 100 and 200 kg N ha −1 generated 3036 and 4292 kg ha −1 smooth bromegrass biomass, respectively, statistically ( p ≥ 0.05) similar to that of fertilizer application (3654 kg ha −1 ) at 200 kg N ha −1 but greater ( p ≤ 0.05) than control (1572 kg ha −1 ). Similar results were found with oat. The 200 kg N ha −1 liquid manure application continued to benefit crop growth in the second and third years. Solid manure did not influence biomass production of either crop in most crop/year combinations. Cumulatively, in 3 yr, smooth bromegrass recovered 59% of nitrogen from liquid manure, compared with 37% by oat. Soil Mehlich 3–P accumulation was found in some liquid and solid manure treatments for both crops. High soil exchangeable K was found in 1999 after liquid manure application but declined over time. Our results suggest that 100 kg N ha −1 liquid manure can replace nitrogen fertilizer at a similar rate. Liquid cattle manure was better than solid cattle manure in promoting bromegrass and oat production.