Composted Cattle Manure as a Nitrogen Source for Sugar Beet Production

Core Ideas Composted cattle manure has no detrimental effect on sugar beet root yield or sugar quality. Composted cattle manure is a potential nitrogen source for sugar beet production Besides a proper N rate, crop stand, and previous crop are also important to maximize beet yield and quality.Nitrogen management is key to achieving profitable sugar beet ( Beta vulgaris L.) yield and quality. When commercial fertilizer prices increase significantly, producers often consider alternatives, including fresh or composted manure. A 3‐yr field trial was conducted in western Nebraska to evaluate the effects of different rates of composted beef ( Bos taurus L.) manure (CManure), and urea on sugar beet yield, sucrose content, and quality. Sugar beet followed maize ( Zea mays L.) in 2009 and 2010 and dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in 2011. Agronomic efficiency (AE) of N applied as CManure or urea was also evaluated in this study. There was a trend for reduced AE with increasing rate of N input. Beet yield response to composted manure rates plateaued at 23.0 Mg ha −1 (in 2009–2010) and 13.9 Mg ha −1 (in 2011) with corresponding fresh beet yields of 62.2 and 77.9 Mg ha −1 . Composted manure treatments at application rates of 18 and 36 Mg ha −1 statistically matched what urea rates of 67 and 134 kg N ha −1 achieved in terms of beet yield. These findings found no adverse effect of composted manure in beet production and underscore the potential of solely depending on composted manure to meet N requirement in beet production.