The Effect of Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) on Crop Yields, Nitrogen Content and Uptake, and Soil Mineral Nitrogen Balance

Abstract

A long-term (six year) field experiment was conducted in Poland to evaluate the effect of meat and bone meal (MBM), applied without or with mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizer, on crop yields, N content and uptake by plants, and soil mineral N balance. Five treatments were compared: MBM applied at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 Mg ha−1, inorganic NPK, and zero-fert check. Mineral N accounted for 100% of the total N rate (158 kg ha−1) in the NPK treatment and 50%, 25%, and 0% in MBM treatments. The yield of silage maize supplied with MBM was comparable with that of plants fertilized with NPK at 74 Mg ha−1 herbage (30% DM) over two years on average. The yields of winter wheat and winter oilseed rape were highest in the NPK treatment (8.9 Mg ha−1 grain and 3.14 Mg ha−1 seeds on average). The addition of 25% and 50% of mineral N to MBM had no influence on the yields of the tested crops. The N content of plants fertilized with MBM was satisfactory (higher than in the zero-fert treatment), and considerable differences were found between years of the study within crop species. Soil mineral N content was determined by N uptake by plants rather than the proportion of mineral N in the total N rate. Nitrogen utilization by plants was highest in the NPK treatment (58%) and in the treatment where mineral N accounted for 50% of the total N rate (48%).

The Effect of Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) on Phosphorus (P) Content and Uptake by Crops, and Soil Available P Balance in a Six-Year Field Experiment

“…The meat and bone meal was applied in a loose form and mixed with soil without additional processing. The MBM was low-risk (category 3) material obtained from SARIA Poland Ltd. (Sarval Plant in Długi Borek, NE Poland) [15].…”

“…At harvest, in each plot, yield was determined in terms of weight after threshing, and moisture content was measured. All treatments were described in detail by Nogalska and Załuszniewska [15].…”

“…High temperatures could support the growth of maize, which is a thermophilic species, and the release of nutrients from MBM, but uneven precipitation was not conducive to this process. A detailed description of weather conditions during the growing season of the three tested crops that were grown twice can be found in the work of Nogalska and Załuszniewska [15].…”

“…A lower concentration of a given nutrient in plants may result from the "dilution effect", observed during rapid crop yield growth [18]. The seed yield of winter oilseed rape was highest in the NPK treatment-1.8-fold higher on average than in the zero-fert treatment [15]. A smaller, yet considerable, difference in yields was observed in MBM treatments where the average seed yield of oilseed rape was 1.5-fold higher than in the zero-fert treatment.…”

“…This study is part of long-term research (a six-year field experiment) investigating the influence of MBM on yield components, the chemical composition of crops, and selected properties of soil. The results regarding the yield and quality of winter oilseed rape [13,14]; the yields and N content of silage maize, winter wheat, and oilseed rape; and soil N balance [15] have already been published.…”