Spring barley yield and nitrogen recovery after application of peat manure and pig slurry

Abstract

The effectiveness of peat manure, manufactured of pig slurry and moderately humified Sphagnum peat (slurry:peat ca. 1:1.5 v/v), as nitrogen (N) source for spring barley was investigated in a four-year field experiment on a clay loam soil in south-western Finland. Pig slurry, NPK fertilizer and plain peat were used as references. Manures were incorporated before sowing or surface-applied after sowing in spring at an ammoniacal N rate of 54-106 kg ha -1 with or without supplementary NPK fertilizer (40 kg N ha -1). Soil moisture conditions were varied by different irrigation treatments. Peat manure produced 5-15% higher grain yields than pig slurry, with the largest difference after surface application. Incorporation was more important for slurry than for peat manure in increasing N uptake and yield. Soil moisture deficit in spring and early summer limited the availability of manure N. Part of the manure N that was not available in the early growing period was apparently taken up by the crop later. Consequently, N concentration tended to be higher with lower yields, and differences in the recovery of manure N were smaller than the differences in grain yield. Supplementation of manures with inorganic fertilizer N increased yield by 37%, on average, and improved the N recovery.

Ammonia volatilization, nitrogen in soil, and growth of barley after application of peat manure and pig slurry

“…The experiment had four replications. The details of the experiment are reported by Mattila (2006). Weather data ( Fig.…”

“…In Finland, a country with large peat resources, peat has been used traditionally as a bedding material for domestic animals on some farms. A new way to use peat is to mix it with animal slurry to enable the storing of manure in a solid form, when the storage capacity for slurry is insufficient (Mattila 2006).…”

“…The effectiveness of peat manure as N source for spring barley was investigated in a large field experiment (Mattila 2006). Differences in NH 3 volatilization and in the behaviour of manure N in the soil were possible factors leading to the 5-15% higher grain yields obtained with peat manure compared with slurry.…”

Manure injection and rye double cropping increased nutrient recovery and forage production

“…Shallow disk injection is a manure application method used in no‐till systems to incorporate manure into the soil with minimal soil disturbance. Although injection manure methods require specialized equipment and are slower than broadcasting manure (Johnson, Kleinman, Beegle, Elliott, & Saporito, 2011), manure injection may increase N availability to plants because of manure N conservation and placement near roots (Mattila, 2006). In previous studies, shallow injection of swine ( Sus scrofa domesticus L.) slurry immediately before crop seeding increased N agronomic efficiency and apparent N recovery (ANR) of corn and wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) compared to broadcast manure in a Brazilian no‐till production system (Gonzatto et al., 2017).…”

Crop Yield and Nitrous Oxide Emissions following Swine Manure Application: A Meta‐Analysis

“…1). Surface application can reduce corn yields by up to 14% (Mattila, 2006) because of increased N loss through ammonia volatilization, which reduces overall N agronomic efficiency (Gonzatto et al, 2017). The benefits from injection may be dependent on time of application, as Safley et al (1980) reported that yield increases were higher in late winter than in fall or midwinter.…”