Poultry Litter and Pig slurry Applications in an Integrated Crop-Livestock System

Abstract

ABSTRACT Organic fertilizers derived from poultry litter and pig slurry are alternatives to mineral fertilizers in increasing soil nutrient availability. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil response, through characterization of organic C and available N, P, and K contents, and corn yield response to increasing amounts of poultry litter, pig slurry, and mineral fertilizers in an integrated crop-livestock production system (ICL) from 2011 to 2013. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks in a 4 × 3 + 1 factorial arrangement with four replicates. The treatments consisted of four types of fertilizer, two organic (poultry litter and pig slurry) and two mineral, balanced with the same amounts of N, P and K as the organic fertilizers, one of which corresponded to the levels in the pig slurry (M1) and the other to the levels in the poultry litter (M2) in combination with three .increasing application rates of N (100, 200, and 300 kg ha-1 N) and control without fertilizer. For two years after implementing the ICL system, the application of the different rates of N using organic (pig slurry and poultry litter) or mineral (M1 and M2) fertilizers increased corn yields and K and P availability in the soil; these results were accompanied by small changes in organic C and total N content. There are similar efficiencies between the treatments pairs (pig slurry/M1 and poultry litter/M2).

Keywords

• mineral fertilizers
• organic carbon
• nitrogen