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Managing soil nutrient buildup by rotating crops and fertilizers following repeated poultry litter applications
Author(s) -
Tewolde Haile,
Buehring Normie,
Feng Gary,
Way Thomas R.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.1002/saj2.20184
Subject(s) - poultry litter , nutrient , agronomy , crop rotation , fertilizer , nutrient management , gossypium hirsutum , human fertilization , environmental science , soil fertility , crop , litter , biology , soil water , ecology , soil science
Applying poultry litter (PL) to meet a crop's P need is the most recommended PL management practice but may not be the most ideal. In this study, alternative management strategies that included the rotations of crops and fertilizers were tested. Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), corn ( Zea mays L.), and soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] were grown in rotation and fertilized with five fertility treatments, which included an unfertilized control, a standard fertilization with conventional synthetic fertilizers (Std), P‐based PL application every year for 5 yr (P5L), N‐based PL application every year for 5 yr (N5L), and N‐based PL application each of the first 2 yr and a synthetic N application at the same rate as the Std in the last 3 yr (N2L). The level of residual soil mineral elements was assessed after 5 yr of imposing these treatments. The results showed that, relative to the Std, the N5L treatment elevated extractable soil P, Cu, and Zn by >100% and soil K and Mg by ≈90%. After 5 yr, soil nutrient levels in the N2L treatment were comparable to the P5L treatment, which did not lead to any nutrient buildup. Rotating crops was not a reliable practice for purposes of managing soil nutrient buildup. The results overall show that applying PL at a relatively high rate to meet the N need of cotton for a few years and suspending the application for 2–3 yr during which only synthetic N fertilizer is applied offers an effective and sustainable PL management strategy in row crop production systems.