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Goat Urine and Limestone Affect Nitrogen and Cation Distributions in an Acidic Grassland
Author(s) -
Ritchey K. Dale,
Boyer Douglas G.,
Turner Kenneth E.,
Snuffer J. Diane
Publication year - 2008
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 - 10.2136/sssaj2007.0129
Subject(s) - leaching (pedology) , leachate , chemistry , urine , lime , nitrogen , zoology , environmental chemistry , soil water , transpiration , agronomy , environmental science , geology , soil science , photosynthesis , biology , paleontology , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Prior surface application of limestone may influence soil changes resulting from high rates of urine deposition occurring where goats ( Capra aegagrus hircus L.) congregate. A quantity of limestone equivalent to 0 and 6720 kg ha −1 was surface applied to vegetated 45‐cm‐deep columns of a Typic Hapludult soil collected from an abandoned Fescue spp. grassland in southern West Virginia. Eighteen weeks after lime application, one, two, or three applications of urine supplying a total of 36, 98, or 177 g m −2 of N, respectively, were made. One and two applications of urine increased vegetative growth and decreased the amount of water leaching through the column, but the third addition damaged plants. The three‐addition treatment reduced the amount of N taken up by the plants, decreased transpiration, increased leachate volume, and resulted in a 12‐fold increase in the amount of N leached from the columns compared with the one‐application treatment. Leachate Ca, Mg, and K were increased by urine. Soil pH and extractable Ca and Mg were decreased by urine and increased by limestone, and extractable Al was increased by urine and decreased by limestone applications. Net amounts of N recovered as NH 3 gas released to the atmosphere, N taken up into aboveground plant material, NH 4 + and NO 3 − extracted from soil, and NH 4 + and NO 3 − in drainage water ranged from 49 to 77% of the amount added. Surface application of limestone alleviated some of the detrimental effects of high rates of urine addition by increasing levels of pH, Ca, and Mg and reducing Al as deep as 28 cm in the profile.