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Dairy Cattle Manure—Its Effect on Rye and Millet Forage Yield and Quality
Author(s) -
Lund Z. F.,
Doss B. D.,
Lowry F. E.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1975.00472425000400020012x
Subject(s) - loam , secale , agronomy , pennisetum , manure , forage , soil water , environmental science , biology , soil science
Land spreading of dairy manure is an effective means of disposal, but maximum rates that can safely be utilized must be determined. Fresh dairy cattle manure was incorporated into two soils at five rates for 3 years. The Dothan loamy sand and the Lucedale sandy loam were double‐cropped with millet and rye. In general, yields of millet and rye forage were lower on the mineral fertilizer check and the 22.5 metric tons/ha rate of manure than on tolerance levels of 2% in both millet ( Pennisetum americanum (L.) [K. Schum] var. ‘Gahi‐1’) and rye ( Secale cereale L.) forage grown on all treatments on Dothan soil and in millet on Lucedale soil when manure rates exceeded 90 metric tons/ha. Rye forage produced on all treatments on both soils had K/(Ca + Mg) ratios above the tolerance level of 2.2. Millet at the two lower rates of manure application and the check plots on the Dothan soil had K/(Ca + Mg) ratios below the tolerance level. The high ratios were more closely associated with organic nitrogen than with nitrate in millet, but the reverse was true with rye.