Abstract
The utilization of nitrogen (N) from cattle slurry following injection into grassland, was assessed in 4 field experiments at different sites for 3–5 years. In two experiments, surface application of slurry was included; all slurry applications were made in the spring. In each experiment three rates of slurry application were used, the maximum rates were 40tha-1 yr-1 and 80 or 90t ha-1yr-1 for the surface-spread and injected treatments, respectively. In all experiments 0, 200, 400 or 600 kg fertilizer N ha-1 yr-1 was applied, both in combination with the slurry applications or alone.
Averaged over all experiments the mean apparent recoveries of N (ANRs) from surface-spread slurry, injected slurry and the lowest rate of fertilizer N were 23%, 49% and 90%, respectively. The corresponding mean apparent efficiencies of N (ANEs) were 6.0, 11.5 and 27.4 kg dry matter (DM) per kg N applied. In the experiments enabling direct comparison with surface spreading, injection consistently resulted in higher ANR and ANE values; the average increases were 2.3 fold and 1.9 fold, respectively. Injection had a relatively greater effect on N uptake than on DM yield; causes and consequences of this are discussed.
The ANRs and ANEs for each method of slurry application differed between sites and years, but were unaffected by slurry application rate. A lag phase of several weeks was observed in N uptake and DM yield responses following the spring injection of slurry. The largest responses occurred in the second of 5–7 cuts; the lag phase was more apparent in DM yield than in N uptake.
Analysis of the responses to combined applications of slurry and mineral fertilizer N, revealed that effects of slurry and fertilizer N on both N uptake and DM yield were additive up to optimal levels of N supply. At higher rates of N supply, fertilizer N could not fully replace the effect of slurry on N uptake and DM yield, indicating a specific effect of slurry.
Herbage from two experiments was examined for nitrate content. Herbage from the plots receiving injected slurry at rates of 80–90 t ha-1 without fertilizer N contained excessive nitrate in the second cut. For the other treatments, accumulation of nitrate in herbage occurred when total N uptake exceeded 400–475 kg N ha-1yr-1. These results suggest that herbage nitrate contents should be considered when determining (i) maximum application rates for injected slurry when used without fertilizer N and (ii) optimal fertilizer N rates to be used with injected slurry.
The high recovery of available slurry N indicated that injection of slurry in spring considerably reduced the losses of N associated with both surface spreading and applications made well before the start of the growing season.
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Van Der Meer, H.G., Thompson, R.B., Snijders, P.J.M., Geurink, J.H. (1987). Utilization of nitrogen from injected and surface-spread cattle slurry applied to grassland. In: Van Der Meer, H.G., Unwin, R.J., Van Dijk, T.A., Ennik, G.C. (eds) Animal Manure on Grassland and Fodder Crops. Fertilizer or Waste?. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 30. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3659-1_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3659-1_4
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