Precision Injection of Dairy Sludge on Crop Yield and N and P Uptake in Juvenile and Mature No-Till Silage Corn
Starter mineral fertilizer is used by famers to provide phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) to emerging corn (<i>Zea mays</i>) plants. Recent studies have shown that dairy slurry can replace mineral fertilizer provided it is precisely positioned close to the corn rows. This 5-year study exam...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/2/370 |
| _version_ | 1797396083220938752 |
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| author | Derek E. Hunt Shabtai Bittman |
| author_facet | Derek E. Hunt Shabtai Bittman |
| author_sort | Derek E. Hunt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Starter mineral fertilizer is used by famers to provide phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) to emerging corn (<i>Zea mays</i>) plants. Recent studies have shown that dairy slurry can replace mineral fertilizer provided it is precisely positioned close to the corn rows. This 5-year study examined the multi-year effect of precision injected sludge, the thick fraction separated from dairy slurry, on growth and nutrient uptake at the 6-leaf stage and final harvest of no-till corn. The sludge was first injected 15 cm deep and the corn planted < 10 cm from the sludge furrow at least 3 days later. Sludge provided sufficient P for both early growth and full season growth. At final harvest with equivalent total N and P rates (32P 250N treatments), fertilizer and sludge had similar maximum yields (17.9 and 17.4 t ha<sup>−1</sup>, respectively) and P uptake (26 and 25 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>, respectively) but fertilizer had higher N uptake than sludge (200 and 162 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>). N uptake and recovery N use efficiency was greater for sludge than fertilizer based on equivalent min.-N which suggests crop benefits in the sludge other than min-N and P. The study shows that precisely injected dairy sludge can obviate the need for starter mineral fertilizer, and this may help to alleviate P surpluses on dairy farms. This practice also provides a use on dairy farms for the separated solids fraction remaining after the thin fraction is decanted and applied as the primary N source to grass. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:45:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ebc48bfae6bc4e9fbc30cc005af6b2b4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:45:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-ebc48bfae6bc4e9fbc30cc005af6b2b42023-12-11T17:35:59ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952021-02-0111237010.3390/agronomy11020370Precision Injection of Dairy Sludge on Crop Yield and N and P Uptake in Juvenile and Mature No-Till Silage CornDerek E. Hunt0Shabtai Bittman1Agassiz Research & Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agassiz, BC V0M1A0, CanadaAgassiz Research & Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agassiz, BC V0M1A0, CanadaStarter mineral fertilizer is used by famers to provide phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) to emerging corn (<i>Zea mays</i>) plants. Recent studies have shown that dairy slurry can replace mineral fertilizer provided it is precisely positioned close to the corn rows. This 5-year study examined the multi-year effect of precision injected sludge, the thick fraction separated from dairy slurry, on growth and nutrient uptake at the 6-leaf stage and final harvest of no-till corn. The sludge was first injected 15 cm deep and the corn planted < 10 cm from the sludge furrow at least 3 days later. Sludge provided sufficient P for both early growth and full season growth. At final harvest with equivalent total N and P rates (32P 250N treatments), fertilizer and sludge had similar maximum yields (17.9 and 17.4 t ha<sup>−1</sup>, respectively) and P uptake (26 and 25 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>, respectively) but fertilizer had higher N uptake than sludge (200 and 162 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>). N uptake and recovery N use efficiency was greater for sludge than fertilizer based on equivalent min.-N which suggests crop benefits in the sludge other than min-N and P. The study shows that precisely injected dairy sludge can obviate the need for starter mineral fertilizer, and this may help to alleviate P surpluses on dairy farms. This practice also provides a use on dairy farms for the separated solids fraction remaining after the thin fraction is decanted and applied as the primary N source to grass.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/2/370phosphorusnitrogencorn<i>Zea mays</i>manuredairy |
| spellingShingle | Derek E. Hunt Shabtai Bittman Precision Injection of Dairy Sludge on Crop Yield and N and P Uptake in Juvenile and Mature No-Till Silage Corn Agronomy phosphorus nitrogen corn <i>Zea mays</i> manure dairy |
| title | Precision Injection of Dairy Sludge on Crop Yield and N and P Uptake in Juvenile and Mature No-Till Silage Corn |
| title_full | Precision Injection of Dairy Sludge on Crop Yield and N and P Uptake in Juvenile and Mature No-Till Silage Corn |
| title_fullStr | Precision Injection of Dairy Sludge on Crop Yield and N and P Uptake in Juvenile and Mature No-Till Silage Corn |
| title_full_unstemmed | Precision Injection of Dairy Sludge on Crop Yield and N and P Uptake in Juvenile and Mature No-Till Silage Corn |
| title_short | Precision Injection of Dairy Sludge on Crop Yield and N and P Uptake in Juvenile and Mature No-Till Silage Corn |
| title_sort | precision injection of dairy sludge on crop yield and n and p uptake in juvenile and mature no till silage corn |
| topic | phosphorus nitrogen corn <i>Zea mays</i> manure dairy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/2/370 |
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