Effects of Broiler Litter Management Practices on Phosphorus, Copper, Zinc, Manganese, and Arsenic Concentrations in Maryland Coastal Plain Soils

Abstract

The objective of this research was to assess the long-term effects of broiler litter applications on soil phosphorus (P), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and arsenic (As) concentrations in Chesapeake Bay watershed Coastal Plain soils. Litter and soil samples were collected from 10 farms with more than 40 years of broiler production and from wooded sites adjacent to fields and were analyzed for P and metal contents. Averaged over farms, total P and metal concentrations in the litter were 12.8 g kg 21 P and 332, 350, 334, and 2.93 mg kg 21 Cu, Zn, Mn, and As, respectively. Surface (0 -15 cm) soil pH values were greater than (5.7-6.4) the 0-to 15-cm depth at wooded sites (3.5-4.3). Surface soil Bray 1 P values (149-796 mg kg 21 ) in amended fields were greater than wooded sites (4.4-17 mg kg 21 ). The 1N nitric acid (HNO 3 )-extractable metal concentrations were higher in amended soils than in wooded areas and were 7.7-32, 5.7-26, 12.3-71, and 0.6-3.0 mg kg 21 for Cu, Zn, Mn, and As, respectively, compared to 0.76-14, 4.6 -22, 1.6 -70, and 0.14-0.59 mg kg 21 for the same metals, respectively, in wooded areas. Results from this study demonstrated that long-term broiler litter applications have altered the chemical properties of the Coastal Plain soils of the Maryland Eastern Shore. Metal concentrations were low in the surface layer of amended fields and typically decreased with depth. Phosphorus 1193 additions rather than metals are most likely to contribute to the degradation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Nutrients and Bacteria in Common Contiguous Mississippi Soils with and without Broiler Litter Fertilization

“…Mean levels of total C, total N, NH 4 + –N, M3‐Na, M3‐Fe, M3‐Zn, WE‐Na, WE‐Fe, and WE‐Zn did not differ significantly between L+ and L– soil samples. Results were consistent with earlier reports of soil P accumulation from repeated litter applications (Kingery et al, 1994; Moore and Edwards, 2007; Codling et al, 2008) and supported the hypothesis that a high P level could indicate a history of litter applications and its corollary that a low P level was an indication that litter had not been applied.…”

“…In paired comparisons (L+ and L–), pH was higher for L+ for 19 of 20 soil pairs, and the mean difference (L+ minus L–) was 0.66 units. Increased pH has also been reported for similar paired soil comparisons in earlier studies from Alabama (Kingery et al, 1994), Oklahoma (Sharpley et al, 1993), and Maryland (Codling et al, 2008). Higher soil pH due to litter application has also been reported from controlled litter treatment studies in North Carolina (Crane et al, 1980) and Georgia (Gascho and Hubbard, 2006).…”

“…I n the United States and Canada , litter from confined poultry feeding operations is periodically removed from growing houses and recycled as land‐applied fertilizer (Moore et al, 1998; Gascho and Hubbard, 2006; Codling et al, 2008; Kang et al, 2008; Harmel et al, 2009; Furtula et al, 2010). In Mississippi, this poultry byproduct derives primarily from broiler ( Gallus gallus domesticus ) production (Kidd et al, 2007).…”

Effects of different organic materials on forage yield and quality of silage maize (Zea mays L.)

“…In addition to its effect on crop yield, different authors (Kingery et al, 1994;Whittington, 2007;Codling, 2008) suggested that the application of organic materials based on the N requirements of crops has unfavorable effects on soil fertility and the environment due to the accumulation of soil phosphorus and metal ions.…”

Metals in Soil and Runoff from a Piedmont Hay Field Amended with Broiler Litter and Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum

“…We had hypothesized that addition of FGDG would reduce As in runoff, similar to what has been observed for P after coapplication of FGDG with BL (Moore and Miller, 1994; Watts and Torbert, 2009; Endale et al, 2014; Torbert and Watts, 2014; Watts and Torbert, 2016). This was not observed, possibly because phosphate in BL can cause displacement of arsenate from adsorbents in surface soil, promoting runoff or leaching of arsenate from BL (Adeli et al, 2007; Codling et al, 2008; Chaney, 2012). Although arsenical use in broiler feed has stopped due to regulatory change and BL should no longer add appreciable As to soils, legacy levels of As in soils may still pose a threat to surface and ground waters.…”