Impact of Phosphorus from Dairy Manure and Commercial Fertilizer on Perennial Grass Forage Production |
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| Authors: | E A Mikhailova J H Cherney D J R Cherney |
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| Institution: | Authors' addresses: Dr E. A. Mikhailova and Dr J. H. Cherney (corresponding author;e-mail: ), Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, 503 Bradfield Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA;Dr D. J. R. Cherney, Department of Animal Science, 327 Morrison Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4801, USA |
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| Abstract: | Increased recovery and recycling of manure phosphorus (P) by crops on dairy farms is needed to minimize environmental problems. The main objective of this study was to compare P utilization by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae Schreb.) from dairy manure or inorganic fertilizer. The study was conducted from 1994 to 2000 at the Cornell University Baker Farm, Willsboro, NY, on a somewhat poorly drained Kingsbury clay (very–fine, illitic, mesic Aeric Epiaqualfs). The design was a split‐plot in a randomized complete block with two manure rates (16 800 and 33 600 kg ha?1) and one nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate (84 kg N ha?1 at spring greenup and 56 kg N ha?1 prior to each regrowth harvest) as the main plots and grass species as subplots replicated six times. Fertilizer P Ca(H2PO4)2] was applied to the fertilizer treatment in 1995 and 1996 at 11 kg P ha?1 year?1. Orchardgrass P removal averaged 21 % higher than tall fescue P removal for the spring harvest, but orchardgrass averaged 24 % lower P removal than tall fescue removal for all regrowth harvests from 1995–99. Phosphorus herbage concentration in the fertilizer treatment was in the range of 1.9–2.7 g P kg?1 compared with 2.2–5.3 g P kg?1 in the manure treatments. Seasonal P removal ranged from as low as 9.2 kg P ha?1 to as high as 48.5 kg P ha?1. Morgan extractable soil P in the top 0–0.20 m remained high through 1999, with 29.1 kg P ha?1 at the highest manure rate in tall fescue compared with 8.4 kg P ha?1 measured in 1993 prior to the experiment. In 2000, soil P at the highest manure rate in tall fescue dropped to 10.1 kg P ha?1, following cessation of manure application in 1998. Intensively managed harvested orchardgrass and tall fescue have the potential to remove large quantities of manure P. |
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| Keywords: | nutrient recovery orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L ) tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae Shreb) |
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