WASTE MANAGEMENT Soil Properties as Influenced by Phosphorus- and Nitrogen-Based Manure and Compost Applications

posting has some disadvantages that include nutrient and C loss during composting, the cost of land, equipManure or compost application based on N needs of corn (Zea ment, and labor required for composting, and odor assomays L.) may result in soil accumulation of P, N, and other ions, ciated with composting. since the manure or compost N/P ratio is usually smaller than the corn N/P uptake ratio. This study was conducted from 1992 to 1996 Manure application in excess of crop requirements to evaluate the effects of annual or biennial application of Nand can cause a significant buildup of P, N, and salt in soil. P-based composted and noncomposted beef cattle (Bos taurus ) feedAfter 18 yr of manure application, surface soil cation lot manure on soil properties. Fertilized and unfertilized checks were exchange capacity, total organic C, and total N increased also included. Soil surface (0–15 cm) pH significantly increased with with increasing rate of manure application (Gao and N-based manure (MN) or compost application (CN), but decreased Chang, 1996). Schlegel (1992) found that soil P, K, and with NH4–N fertilizer application as compared with the check. Soil organic matter increased with increasing rate of combulk density was unaffected by manure or compost application. After posted beef cattle feedlot manure applied from 1987 4 yr of manure and compost applications, soil surface (0–15 cm) C to 1990, while increasing rates of synthetic N fertilizer and N concentrations and quantities were greater for Nthan P-based application decreased soil P and K, but had no effect management systems. About 25% of applied manure C and 36% of applied compost C remained in the soil after 4 yr of application, on soil organic matter content. In this study, soil nitrate indicating greater C sequestration with composted than noncomposted levels were unaffected by compost application but inmanure. No significant difference was observed between fertilizer and creased with chemical fertilizer application. In another check plots for soil total C or N. Soil properties in the 15to 30study, eleven annual applications of cattle feedlot macm increment were unaffected by the applied treatments except soil nure increased soil organic matter, total N, NO3, total electrical conductivity (EC). Residual soil NO3 to a depth of 1.2 m was P, available P, soluble Na, Ca Mg, Cl, SO4, HCO3, greater for inorganic fertilizer than manure and compost treatments in and Zn (Chang et al., 1991). About 1 Mg ha 1 NO3–N drier years. Soil property changes were greater for the annual or accumulated at the recommended application rate of biennial N-based than P-based manure or compost applications, re30 Mg ha 1 yr 1 after 11 yr of application. Davis et al. flecting the differences in application amounts. (1997) showed that residual soil NO3–N after heavy manure application was greater in heavy-textured soils than sandy soils. Chang and Janzen (1996) found that B cattle feeding is concentrated in the Central losses of N through leaching and volatilization were less and Southern Great Plains. At any one time, there for rainfed than irrigated treatments when annual beef are at least 10 million head of beef cattle on feed in the cattle feedlot manure was applied. The proportion of United States (USDA, 1997) generating manure that manure N mineralized was independent of manure rate contains 529 900 Mg N, 157 000 Mg P, and 482 000 Mg K and irrigation, and during 20 yr of manure application, each year, based on manure N, P, and K concentrations ≈56% of manure N was mineralized. (Overcash et al., 1983). In addition to nutrients, beef Soil pH may be influenced by manure application. cattle feedlot manure also contains ≈15% C that can be Eghball (1999) found that application of beef cattle used to improve soil physical and chemical properties. feedlot manure or compost increased the soil surface Carbon in manure is likely to have far greater value (0–15 cm) pH while N application as NH4NO3 signifithan the nutrients it contains if applied to a low organic cantly reduced the pH (from 6.4 to 5.6). The increase matter or eroded soil. in soil pH with manure and compost application was Composting manure is a useful method of producing attributed to a beef cattle diet that contains ≈15 g CaCO3 a stabilized product that can be stored or spread with kg 1. Manure and compost effects on soil pH depends little odor or fly-breeding potential. The other advanon the initial soil pH level. Chang et al. (1991) reported tages of composting include killing pathogens and weed that the EC and sodium absorption ratio of soil inseeds, and improving handling characteristics of manure creased and soil pH decreased with increasing rate of by reducing manure volume and weight. However, commanure application (soil pH in the 0–15 cm was 7.8 and manure had a mean pH of 7.3). In another study, manUSDA-ARS, Dep. of Agron. and Hortic., Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583. Joint contribution of USDA-ARS and Univ. of Abbreviations: CN, compost application for corn N needs; CP, comNebraska Agric. Res. Div., Lincoln, NE, as paper no. 12996. Received post for corn P needs; EC, electrical conductivity; MN, manure applica29 Mar. 2001. *Corresponding author ([email protected]). tion for corn N needs; MN2Y, manure for corn N needs for 2 yr; MP, manure application for corn P needs. Published in Agron. J. 94:128–135 (2002).