Bob Woods Area Extension Agronomy Specialist Developing a Fertilizer Plan using Poultry Litter and Commercial Fertilizer Bob Woods Area Extension Agronomy Specialist

Plant absorption of Nitrogen. Fuel Tank Nutrient Plants absorb N from large volume of soil.

Crop absorption of immobile nutrients (P and K). Immobile nutrients can buildup to adequate levels (crankcase)

Nitrogen Requirement Crop to be grown Yield goal N requirement N needs = N requirement - Soil NO3-N Credits for subsurface and manure N

Fertilizer Recommendations Nitrogen Based on Yield Goals Introduced Forages – 50 lbs N/Ton Corn – 1.2 lbs N/Bushel Wheat – 2 lbs N/Bushel Phosphorus and Potassium based on % sufficiency – Recommendation is amount needed annually to achieve optimum yields

Bermudagrass Response to N N Rate 50 100 150 200 Expected Yield 1.0 1.8 2.8 3.4 3.9

3 ton yield goal 142 lbs N/A

Calibration Stamp 2002-2004 Ramped N Rich Strip 2005

In season environmental conditions Handheld Unit – Temporal Variability In season environmental conditions 6 handheld GreenSeeker™ units located in Extension Offices

Muskogee Co. NO3 lbs/A 2006 362 samples Range 1 - 408

Phosphorus Requirement Soil test P index (Mehlich 3 method) Percent sufficiency P requirement (P2O5 lbs/acre)

65 Full Mark on Dipstick Very low

250 Full Mark on Dipstick Low

Percent Sufficiency Phosphorus Index - 9 64% Sufficient Potassium Index - 143 84% Sufficient .64 X .84 = .54 54% Sufficient Would expect 54% of optimum yield if P and K are not applied.

Bermudagrass/Fertilizer Demo. Mayes Co Bermudagrass/Fertilizer Demo. Mayes Co. Fertilized May 12, Harvested August 5, 1997 Yield lb./a Nitrogen Rate

Muskogee County P index 2006 362 samples Range 2 - 2120

Muskogee County K Index 2006 362 samples Range 56 – 2301

Muskogee County pH 2006 362 samples Range 4.2 – 7.7

Muskogee County B.I. 2006 362 samples Range 5.9 – 7.2

Poultry Litter • Manure and bedding material - sawdust, wood shavings, rice hulls, etc. • Excellent low cost fertilizer • Returns soil nutrients and organic matter • Builds soil fertility and quality • Slowly releases nutrients • Liming effect Poultry litter consists of manure and bedding material Excellent low cost fertilizer if used properly Slowly releases nutrients which reduces the risk of nitrate leaching

Types of poultry litter • Breeder: High moisture - med. - low nutrient • Layer: High moisture – med. - low nutrient • Pullet: Low moisture – med. - low nutrient • Turkey: Low moisture – high nutrient • Broiler: Low moisture – high nutrient Too high of moisture content may require special handling/equipment. Unstable manure may heat up or produce flammable gases. Wet manure adds weight and therefore adds cost to hauling. However, too dry of a litter may be too dusty and abrasive to equipment.

Poultry Litter Nutrients Not all nutrients available to crop in 1st yr. Poultry litter N availability Year after application Surface application Soil Incorporation 1st year 50% 60% 2nd year 15% 3rd year 6% Plant nutrients in commercial fertilizers are mostly water soluble and readily available for plant uptake. Not all nutrients in manure are available in first year cause some are in organic form while others can be lost during application. Remaining N leftover is lost to denitrification, volatilization, leaching or remains tied up in organic matter. For E. OK soils, volatilization or remaining tied up in organic matter is most likely.

Litter Nitrogen Two forms: 1. Ammonium-N & nitrate-N (inorganic) - readily available first year if not lost (volatilized) - can be lost if spread in thin layer and left on field - retained if incorporated (injection, tillage, rainfall, etc.) 2. Organic - slowly released by bacterial action - ~ 50 - 60% available to crops first year Urea is most common commercial fertilizer. Ammonium nitrate hard to find. Urea can be lost

Litter Phosphorus and Potassium • Availability similar to commercial fertilizer - P & K in inorganic form • ~ 90% available 1st year of application • ~ 10% available for future years

Application Rate • Based on nutrient requirement of crop • Excess P may cause water contamination • Requires soil & litter tests and yield goal estimate • Develop a manure nutrient mgmt. plan • Supplement with commercial fertilizer if needed Application rates should be based on nutrient requirement of the crop. Too little nutrients will no provide sufficient crop nutrients and excess nutrients are a waste of resources resulting in soil P buildup which may cause contamination. Develop a manure nutrient plan that consumes manure nutrients (avoid slopes, saturated soils, riparian zones, buffer strips)

Important Points, Assumptions, and Disclaimer Nutrient content based on 67 poultry litter samples from NE OK and NW AR Samples Analyzed by the OSU Soil Water and Forage Analytical Lab Analyzed for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, Cu

Important Points, Assumptions, and Disclaimer Prices obtained on October 5, 2005 Not an Extensive Poll Nitrogen valued at 75% all other nutrients at 100% Actual Litter Value Should be Site Specific and Based on Deficiency as Determined by a Soil Test

Assumptions and Current Fertilizer Values 11/14/06 34 ¢ 22 ¢ Nitrogen (N) = 36¢ Phosphorus (P2O5) = 21¢/lb Potassium (K2O) = 22¢ Nitrogen use from litter – 50% year 1, 15% year 2, 12% year 3 Value all of the P and K contained in litter - IF needed!

Litter Composition and Value Average High Low Dry Matter Water Total N NO3-N NH4-N P2O5 K2O Total lbs 1480 520 62 1.2 8.7 63 54 $ 16.70 11.97 12.42 41.09 lbs 1776 233 102 8.8 15.5 87 73 $ 27.54 16.53 16.79 60.86 lbs 767 1224 22 .07 3.8 27 31 $ 5.94 5.13 7.13 18.20

Litter Composition and Value Average High Low Ca Mg CaCO3 NPK Total Lbs 58 13.2 200 $ 2.20 41.09 43.29 lbs 201 15.8 568 $ 6.25 60.86 67.11 lbs 31 4.4 95 $ 1.04 18.20 19.24

Litter Composition and Value Average High Low Mg S Fe Zn Cu Lbs 13.2 13.6 .78 .9 1.14 $ 2.77 2.58 10.72 9.72 17.44 Lbs 15.8 24.8 7.8 2 $ 3.31 4.71 107.25 21.60 30.60 lbs 4.4 5.6 .33 .43 .12 $ .92 1.06 4.54 4.64 1.84

Interactive Website for Detemining Fertilizer Value Oklahoma State University - Soil, Water and Forage Analytical Laboratory