1. Organic Systems: Building Soil Fertility and Improving Soil Quality Craig Cogger, Doug Collins, Andy Bary WSU Puyallup Dan Sullivan and Eric Gale Oregon State University

2. Overview Estimating plant- available N release from organic amendments  Field and laboratory research Nutrient management effects on soil quality

3. Organic amendments in field and laboratory nitrogen research

4. Amendment decomposition in soil

5. Plant Available N C:N = 9 C:N = 27 C:N = 20 C:N = 7 C:N = 16

6. Amendment C:N vs. plant-available N (field)

7. Sample calculations How much of this fertilizer should I apply? How do these two fertilizers compare? What’s the cheapest source of available N, P, K, etc.? Does this program match my fertilizer recommendation? ORGANIC FERTILIZER CALCULATOR http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu

8. Basis for Organic Fertilizer Calculator http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu

9. “Organic Fertilizer Calculator" estimates of plant-available N (PAN) Fresh Amendment total N ExampleFresh Amendment C:N PAN 28 days PAN full season % dry wt.Approx.% of total N 1 Solid manure w/bedding 35< 00 2 Dairy solids 18015 4 Broiler litter 93045 6+ Specialty products less than 6 6075

10. Organic Systems Research – started 2003 Nutrient ManagementWeed Ecology and Management Soil Quality Crop Yield and Quality Economics of Crop Production Insect Predators and Pests

11. Soil Amendments Chicken (Broiler) litter: low C application (CKN) (1.8-2.7 dt/ac) Mixed on-farm compost: high C application (OFC) (13-17 dt/acre)

12. Cover Crops Relay planted Legume (RLY) Post-Harvest Cereal & legume (PH) Short-term Grass-legume Pasture (LEY)

13. Measurements: Soil Quality Bulk Density Infiltration Particulate OM Enzyme activity Nematodes Collembola Compaction Aggregation of particles Nitrogen cycling Microbial community structure

14. Soil pH, K, and OM 2006 pHExch. KOM mg/kgg/kg Ley6.2 a229 b38 Fall5.9 b370 a41 Relay6.0 b375 a42 Low C5.8 b247 b37 b High C6.3 a402 a44 a CC x amd*** **

15. Bulk density affected by amendment

16. Infiltration affected by amendment and rotation

17. Particulate Organic Matter (POM) C affected by amendment

18. Dehydrogenase as an indicator of biological activity

19. A soil nematode community Aporcelaimellus- predator; 1.9 mm Cephalobidae- bacterivore; 0.5 mm Aphlenchoides- fungivore; 0.3mm Rhabditidae; bacterivore 0.1mm

20. ** 05 06 07

21. ** * * Nematode ecological indices

22. Summary Amendment had significant effects on bulk density, infiltration, dehydrogenase, nematodes, and organic C Nematodes more numerous following broiler litter (low C), but more diverse following compost (high C) Cover crop has had rotational effects; other effects are still evolving.