Bill Jokela, Sid Bosworth, Jeff Carter, Paul Pfluke,
John Rankin, and John Aleong bill.jokela@uvm.edujeff.carter@uvm.edu
Duration: 1995 - 1997
Traditionally,
the only option available for application of liquid manure on grassland
has been to broadcast on the surface. This generally results in large losses
of nitrogen via ammonia volatilization, leading to low utilization of manure
N. An improved method is the trailing foot or sliding shoe, in which manure
is delivered through a series of tubes attached to metal shoes which ride
along the surface of the ground. The intent is to place the manure in a
band close to the ground below the grass canopy, providing less surface
exposure and some wind protection and preventing contamination of foliage
with slurry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the availability
of nutrients, especially N, from liquid dairy manure applied by different
methods (surface application vs. subcanopy banding).
The study was conducted at two sites: a) Shelburne
Farms (orchardgrass on a well drained Galway silt loam) and b) UVM farm
(reed canarygrass on a moderately well drained Vergennes clay). All manure
treatments were applied with a commercial slurry tank spreader equipped
with different options for various application techniques. Preliminary
results showed that ammonia losses were greatest within the first few hours
after application. Losses were also greatest with the high application
rates (5000 - 6000 gal/acre) verses low rates (2500 - 3000 gal/acre). Banding
manure with a sliding foot applicator reduced ammonia losses by about 25%
at the low manure rate and close to 50% at the high rate. Most of the difference
occurred in the first few hours after spreading. Overall, the best yield
response was from the higher rates of chemical fertilizer, followed by
liquid manure; but in 1997, the high rate of banded manure yielded as well
as the high fertilizer N treatment. The highest crude protein concentrations
were associated with the higher fertilizer N treatments and higher liquid
manure rates. The trailing foot technique shows potential to increase manure
N use efficiency and reduce odor. The results are helping us to make better
estimates of N availability from manure and to recommend better management
practices.
This site is maintained by Sid.Bosworth@uvm.edu, Plant & Soil Science Department, University of Vermont.
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Last modified May 26 2004 12:55 PM