Morteza Mozaffari Soil Testing and Research Laboratory, Marianna Immediate and Residual Effects of Urea and Pelleted Poultry Manure on Corn and Soil in Arkansas

Mississippi River Delta Region of Arkansas (MRDRA) 600,000 acres

Pelleted Poultry Litter (PPL) $135/ton

Objectives Evaluate the immediate and residual effect of urea and PPL on: Corn grain yield Corn leaf N N recovery by corn grain Mehlich-3 extractable P and K

Research Protocol Duration: 3 yrs ( ) 2004 crop: corn Soil: Loring silt loam (Oxyaquic Fragiudalfs) Experimental design: RCB with four replications Plot size: 40’ by 12.6’, four rows wide Standard Zn, S, pest, and irrigation mgmt. P or K application: None Corn cultivar: main season RRBt Planting: 7April to 17 May Harvest: 28 Aug to 17 Sep Study site

Experimental Treatments N-source Total N rate (lb/acre) None Urea 50 Urea100 Urea150 Urea200 Urea250 Urea300 PPL PPL PPL PPL PPL

Soil:  Six cores/plot, 0-6”  Pre application 05, preplant 07  Mehlich-3 extractable nutrients, pH, OM, NO 3 -N Ear leaf:  20 leaves/plot at silk stage  Measured total N by Kjeldahl Corn grain:  Harvested the two center rows with a plot combine  Collected grain sample from each plot at harvest  Measured total N by Kjeldahl Soil and Plant Sampling and Analysis Protocols

Analysis of Variance: – to evaluate the annual effect of urea and one time application of PPL on soil and plant parameters – sites were analyzed separately Corn grain N recovery (GNR): Data Analysis ( Grain N uptake for that N rate – Grain N uptake at 0 N) GNR = (Total N applied by that N rate) X (100)

Today’s Talk I.Background II.Current status III.Future plans Results

Interpretative guidelines for nutrient levels in Arkansas (row crops) Soil test LevelPK ppm Very Low< 16< 61 Low Medium Optimum Above Optimum> 50> 175

Selected soil properties in 0-6” depth (spring 2005) Mehlich-3 extractable nutrients pHOMNO 3 -NKPCaCuZn % mg/kg Soil test K and P were above optimum

Effect of urea and residual N from PPL on corn grain yield in 2005 Grain yield (bu/acre) F E D BC AB AA EF D CD BC B Means with the same letter are not statistically different at P =0.1 N rate (lb/acre) N from urea applied in 2005N from PPL applied in 2005

Effect of urea and residual N from PPL on corn grain yield in 2006 N from urea applied in 2006N from PPL applied in 2005 Grain yield (bu/acre) EF AA B C D E I I IH GH FG N rate (lb/acre)

Effect of urea and residual N from PPL on corn grain yield in 2007 N rate (lb/acre) Grain yield (bu/acre) H D C BB AA FGG EFE FG N from urea applied in 2007N from PPL applied in 2005

Urea applied in 2006PPL applied in 2005 N rate (lb/acre) Effect of urea and PPL on leaf N Leaf N (%) MSD 0.1 =0.3 PPL applied in 2005Urea applied in 2007 MSD 0.1 =0.3

UreaPPL applied in 2005 N rate (lb/acre) Grain N recovery from urea and PPL GNR (%)

Effect of cropping and residual P from PPL on soil test P in the 0-6” depth in spring 2007 Urea applied in 2006PPL applied in 2005 N rate (lb/acre) Mehlich-3 P (ppm) E DEDCE DC CC B A DE E DCE Optimum soil test P

Effect of cropping and residual K from PPL on M-3 K in the 0-6” depth (spring 2007) Annual urea ratePPL, 2005 only Mehlich-3 K (ppm) E EDE BC BCD A BA DE ECD E DE UreaPPLControl Optimum soil test K N applied from each source (lb/acre)

Conclusions 400 lb N/acre from PPL did not produce yield significantly > –200 lb N/acre from urea in yr 1 – 50 lb N acre from urea in yrs 2 and 3 In the 2 nd and 3 rd year: – ear leaf N concentration in plants from zero N plots, PPL treated plots, and low urea plots were not significantly different Grain N recovery from PPL –yr 1: 14-29% –yr 2: 4-6% –yr 3: 2.5-5% PPL application elevated M-3 extractable P and K

Questions?

Effect of urea and residual N from PPL on N concentration in corn stover in 2006 Urea 2006PPL 2005 only N applied from each source (lb/acre) Stover N (g/kg) A A A B B B B B B B BB