Reviewed Article

This article was downloaded by: [University of Chicago Library]
On: 11 November 2014, At: 03:49

Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered
office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Compost Science & Utilization

Publication details, including instructions for authors and
subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ucsu20
Yields and Nutrient Budgets Under

Composts, Raw Dairy Manure and Mineral
Fertilizer
a a b
Carolyn R. Reider , Wendy R. Herdman , Laurie E. Drinkwater &
c
Rhonda Janke
a
Rodale Institute, Kutztown, Pennsylvania
b
Cornell University, Department of Horticulture, Ithaca, New York
c
Kansas State University, Department of Horticulture, Manhattan,
Kansas
Published online: 23 Jul 2013.
To cite this article: Carolyn R. Reider, Wendy R. Herdman, Laurie E. Drinkwater & Rhonda Janke
(2000) Yields and Nutrient Budgets Under Composts, Raw Dairy Manure and Mineral Fertilizer, Compost
Science & Utilization, 8:4, 328-339, DOI: 10.1080/1065657X.2000.10702006
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1065657X.2000.10702006
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the
“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,
our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to
the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions
and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,
and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content
should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources
of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,
proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or
howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising
out of the use of the Content.
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any
substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,
systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &
Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-
and-conditions
Compost Science & Utilization, (2000), Vol. 8, No. 4, 328-339
Yields and Nutrient Budgets Under Composts,

Raw Dairy Manure and Mineral Fertilizer
Carolyn R. Reider1, Wendy R. Herdman1,
Laurie E. Drinkwater2 and Rhonda Janke3
1. Rodale Institute, Kutztown, Pennsylvania
2. Cornell University, Department of Horticulture, Ithaca, New York
3. Kansas State University, Department of Horticulture,
Manhattan, Kansas
Composts made from rural and urban residues are increasingly available. Farmers
wishing to use these materials need to know how they will perform as crop nutri-
Downloaded by [University of Chicago Library] at 03:49 11 November 2014
ent sources. The objectives of this field experiment were to evaluate compost as an
N source, and to track the effects of compost application on NPK budgets. Four
composts of various feedstocks, maturity, and nutrient content were compared to
raw dairy manure (RDM) and conventional mineral fertilizer (CNV). A 3-year ro-
tation of corn (Zea mays L.), bell pepper (Capsicum annum), and small grain was es-
tablished, with all crops present every year. Treatments were applied on an N-
equivalent basis, using a 40% availability factor for compost and 50% for RDM.
Yields from compost-amended corn were comparable to RDM and CNV by the sec-
ond year. Pepper, a less N-demanding crop, had no significant yield differences
among treatments for the three years. The manure-based compost treatments had
the highest P and K surplus after three years, showing that loading levels of these
nutrients need consideration when using compost to satisfy crop N needs. Rota-
tions can be designed to extract more P and K, but more practical for the long-term
would be reducing compost additions and substituting an additional N source
such as a legume.
Introduction
The ability of compost and manure to improve and restore soil health is widely ac-
cepted (Dick and McCoy 1993; Hornick 1988), but farmers and researchers desiring to use
compost as the primary crop nutrient source are faced with an array of estimated N-avail-
ability factors ranging from 10-50% (Anonymous 1998-99; Warman and Havard 1996).
In previous experiments (1990 and 1991), we demonstrated that first year addi-
tions of broiler litter/leaf compost of 232-306 kg/ha total N resulted in corn yield
that was not significantly different from corn receiving mineral fertilizer at the rate
of 146 kg/ha Reider, et al. 1991; Reider, et al. 1992). Those experiments looked at only
one kind of compost applied to one crop, and we felt an expanded long-term trial
comparing several types of compost applied to different crops in a field setting was
the logical next step.
In 1993, we initiated a compost utilization experiment to compare four differ-
ent composts to raw dairy manure and mineral fertilizer in a three-year rotation of
grain and vegetables. The overall objective of this on-going field trial is to develop
integrated best management practices for using composted wastes that will main-
tain crop yield and lead to improved soil tilth and fertility. We are reporting here
on results from the first rotation cycle. Our objectives for these transition years were
to examine how first-time compost additions affect crop yields and to track the cu-
mulative affect of compost on nutrient budgets. We plan to continue the experiment
for three full cycles (9 years).
328 Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000

Yields and Nutrient Budgets under Composts, Raw Dairy Manure and Mineral Fertilizer
Materials And Methods

Site Description
The 2.0-ha study site is at the Rodale Institute Experimental Farm in Berks Coun-
ty, Pennsylvania (40°32’ N lat, 75° 43’ W long). Soil type is predominately Berks shaly
silt loam (Typic Dystrochrepts) with some Fogelsville silt loam (Utic Hapludalfs) pre-
sent in lesser amounts. The site was in an organic corn: soybean (Glycine max [L.]
Merr.): small grain: legume forage rotation from 1970 to 1990. Moderate rates of ma-
nure were applied during corn years. In 1990, the site was divided into four strips. Two
of the strips were planted in corn, and two in soybean. Corn and soybean were rotat-
ed in 1991. We used 1992 as a uniformity year, and to block the experiment. Sorghum
Sudan grass (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) was planted in the spring, and it was
chopped and removed twice during the growing season to improve the uniformity of
the field. Blocking was based on percent soil organic matter and shale fragment con-
tent of the plow layer (0- to 20-cm), and sorghum Sudan grass height, biomass, and
chlorophyll content (estimated with a Minolta, SPAD 502 chlorophyll meter).
Treatment Descriptions and Experimental Design

The six fertilizer treatments are described in Table 1. Our priorities in choosing the
four compost treatments were: 1) to use materials that are readily available to farmers
in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and 2) to test composts with differing final nutrient con-
tents, C:N ratios, and maturity levels. The conventional mineral fertilizer treatment
(CNV) treatment acts as the control. Raw dairy manure (RDM) was included so we had
one composted vs. raw manure comparison.
TABLE 1.
Treatment names and descriptions
Age At
Name Description Spreading
Conventional mineral fertilizer 30-30-10 dry starter and UAN1 liquid sidedress was applied to corn –
(CNV) UAN liquid (pre-plant and sidedress) to spinach and pepper
UAN liquid was applied pre-plant to oat
Raw dairy manure (RDM) fresh dairy manure and bedding 1 day
(bedding was straw, newspaper, or chopped corn stalks)
Dairy manure and leaf compost 1 part dairy manure and bedding: 4 parts leaves (by volume) 6-8 month
(DMLC) (bedding was straw, newspaper, or chopped corn stalks)
Broiler litter and leaf compost 1 part broiler litter: 3 parts leaves (by volume) 6-8 month
(BLLC) (broiler litter contains chicken manure and coarse sawdust bedding)
Controlled microbial compost farm animal manure and bedding, clay loam, rock powder, 10-14 week
(CMC) microbial inoculant, and finished compost from a previous batch
Yard clippings compost + N2 compost ingredients: leaves, grass, and chipped brush 6-8 month
(YCC+N) N: UAN liquid (pre-plant or sidedress depending on crop)
1. UAN: Urea and ammonium nitrate non-pressure solution containing 28-32% N.

2. The compost was applied at the same t/ha dry wt. as the BLLC, and the difference from N-target for each crop was
made up with UAN liquid.
The 3-year crop rotation of corn: small grain/sorghum Sudan grass: vegetable was
established in the spring of 1993. The research plots were set up so that each of the six
fertilizer treatments had three different crop-entry-points (Table 2). Each treatment x
crop-entry-point comparison is replicated four times in a split-plot, randomized block
Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000 329

Carolyn R. Reider, Wendy R. Herdman, Laurie E. Drinkwater and Rhonda Janke
TABLE 2.
Crop rotation by entry point (1993-1995)
Entry
Point 1993 1994 1995
#1 Corn Pepper Winter wheat/SSG1

#2 Spring oat/SSG Corn Pepper
#3 Spinach2/Pepper Winter wheat/SSG Corn
1. SSG: sorghum Sudan grass. The SSG served as a N-catch crop after small grain harvest.
2. Spinach was dropped from the rotation after 1993 because it perfomed poorly.
design. There are twenty-four 21.3- x 18.3-m main plots (6 fertilizer treatments x 4 repli-
cations), with three 21.3- x 6.1-m subplots (crop-entry-point) in each. The inclusion of
three entry points allows each crop in the rotation to be present each year so that cli-
mate x treatment interactions can be determined. Crop choices were based on eco-
nomic value, nutrient demand, popularity, and importance as a livestock feed. Corn is
a good benchmark crop because of its high N demand. Vegetables are now often grown
in rotation with field crops, and vegetable growers, in general, might also be more like-
ly to use purchased compost as a soil amendment. We originally planned for a spring
vegetable (spinach [Spinacia oleracea]) followed by a summer vegetable (green pepper),
but the spinach performed poorly and was dropped from the rotation after one year.
Because the experiment was initiated in the spring, oat (Avena sativa) was the small
grain in 1993. In subsequent years the small grain was winter wheat (Triticum aestivum
L.). Including a winter annual grain in rotation with summer row crops can help to
break weed cycles and also captures the residual N remaining after harvest of the sum-
mer crop. The sorghum Sudan grass was planted in the summer after small grain har-
vest to serve as an N-scavenging cover crop.
Nitrogen Target Rates

The N-target rates were calculated to provide similar amounts of available-N to all
treatments (Table 3). The 50% N-availability factor for raw dairy manure, and carry-
over N in subsequent years was based on Penn State guidelines for fresh manure in-
corporated the day of application (Anonymous 1993-1994). We based the 40% N-avail-
ability factor for compost on previous work at the Rodale Institute that compared
different rates of broiler litter/leaf compost on corn Reider, et al.1991; Reider, et al.
1992).
TABLE 3.
Nitrogen target application rates
Percent
Corn Pepper Spinach Oat Assumed
Total -N Total -N Total -N Total -N Available
Nitrogen Type (kg/ha) (kg/ha) (kg/ha) (kg/ha) (%)
Conventional mineral fertilizer 1461 1122 1122 843 100

Raw dairy manure 292 224 224 168 504
Compost 364 280 280 211 405
1. Applied as 34 kg/ha starter fertilizer and 112 kg/ha sidedress.

2. Applied as 56 kg/ha pre-plant and 56 kg/ha sidedress.
3. Entire amount was applied pre-plant.
4. Based on Penn State guidelines (Anonymous 1993-94): 50% available the first year, 12% the second, and 5% the third.
5. Based on previous work at the Rodale Institute (Janke and Reider, submitted; Reider, et al., 1991; Reider, et al., 1992)

The fertilizer rates for the different crops were based on The Pennsylvania State
University’s guidelines (Anonymous 1993-1994; Anonymous 1993) and historic yield
goals for the farm. The small grain in the rotation was intended to be a nutrient scav-
enger, surviving on leftover nutrients from previous amendment applications, but oat
in 1993 received fertilizer because soil N-levels were probably drawn down consider-
ably by the removal of the sorghum Sudan grass in 1992.
Compost and Manure Production, Sampling, and Application

All the composts were produced annually. The dairy manure leaf compost
(DMLC) and the broiler litter leaf compost (BLLC) were produced on-site. We used a
tractor and manure spreader to form the windrows, and a tractor-mounted front-end
loader for turning. The controlled microbial compost (CMC) was produced by farm-
ers in neighboring Lancaster County, Pennsylvania following the process developed
by Siegfried and Uta Luebke of Austria (Diver 1998). This rapid composting method
requires a specialized compost turner, compost fleece, and various monitoring instru-
ments. The yard clippings compost (YCC) was supplied by a local municipal com-
posting facility. Externally produced composts were delivered 2-4 weeks before
spreading. The raw dairy manure (RDM) was hauled in on the day-of-spreading from
the same local dairy farm that provided the manure for the DMLC.
The composts were tested for total N one to two weeks prior to spreading to cal-
culate application rates. The RDM was tested pre-spread in 1993, but after that, RDM
spreading rates were calculated from means of previous years analyses. All the mate-
rials were sampled again on the day-of-spreading and analyzed for N, P, K, and or-
ganic C to calculate nutrients actually applied. At least 15 grab samples were taken on
each occasion and bulked by compost/manure type. Materials were kept refrigerated
until sending via overnight delivery to the lab. The test results are shown in Table 4.
TABLE 4.
Average compost and manure analyses (1993-1995)
Organic
Moisture TKN P K Carbon C:N
Amendment (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) Ratio
Raw dairy manure (RDM) 80.59 3.93 0.73 1.90 50.00 13

Dairy manure and leaf compost (DMLC) 62.51 1.59 0.52 0.87 29.95 19
Broiler litter and leaf compost (BLLC) 55.48 2.15 1.12 1.34 27.02 13
Controlled microbial compost (CMC) 42.44 0.88 0.44 1.04 15.04 18
Yard clippings compost (YCC) 61.11 1.53 0.29 0.40 28.34 19
The manure and composts were surface-applied with a tractor and manure spread-
er and plowed in on the day of application. Actual dry matter application rates varied
by treatment according to the N-content of the material, with more dry matter applied
for composts low in N and less for those higher in N. The average yearly spreading dry
weights for 1993 to 1995 on corn and pepper were 7.5 t/ha for RDM, 27 for DMLC, 14
for BLLC, 47.5 for CMC, and 14.5 for YCC. We confirmed application rates in 1993 by
metering the spreader for each amendment, and measuring actual deposition with tarps
placed in the plots, and in 1994 and 1995 by weighing the materials in the manure spread-
er using wheel-weight scales before spreading. Nitrogen application rates were close to

target in 1993 and 1995, but in 1994 we over-applied the RDM, DMLC, and CMC, and
under-applied the BLLC because of a lab mix-up. The YCC was not affected.
Plot Management and Data Collection

Field operations for all crops are outlined in Table 5. Weed biomass in corn was
determined from two 0.5-m2 cuts/plot taken in mid-August. Corn yields were deter-
mined by mechanically harvesting the four center rows of each plot, and small grain
yields from a single pass (2.4-m wide) of the combine down the centerline of the plot.
Combine-mounted scales recorded weight by plot. Grab samples of harvested grain
were collected for moisture determination and nutrient content. Exact row lengths
were measured after harvest.
TABLE 5.
Field operations
Spreading1 Distance
And/Or Planting Planting2 Between Rows/ Weed3 Harvest4
Crop Year Cultivar Tillage Date Date Rate Rows Plot Control Date
Corn 1993 Pioneer 3394 04-12 May 13 May 64 000 k/ha 77 cm 8 3x 28 Oct
1994 Pioneer 3241 26-28 Apr 05 May 64 000 k/ha 77 cm 8 6x 31 Oct
1995 Pioneer 3394 18-20 Apr 09 May 64 000 k/ha 77 cm 8 4x 11 Oct
Spinach 1993 Tyee 15-20 Apr 21 Apr 13 kg/ha 38 cm 12 1x 08 Jun
Pepper 1993 Bell Tower 10-14 Jun 14-15 Jun 29 000 p/ha 77 cm 8 5x 03 Aug
1994 Bell Tower 11-13 May 09 Jun 29 000 p/ha 77 cm 8 5x 01 Aug
1995 Bell Tower 22-25 May 07-08 Jun 29 000 p/ha 77 cm 8 6x 07 Aug
Oat 1993 Ogle 15-20 Apr 20 Apr 90 kg/ha 18 cm 34 0 28 Jul

Wheat 1994 Cardinal 01Oct 11 Oct 168 kg/ha 18 cm 34 0 11 Jul
1995 Madison 06 Oct 11 Oct 168 kg/ha 18 cm 34 0 12 Jul
SSG5 1993 Sudax 03 Aug 03 Aug 45 kg/ha 18 cm 34 0 27 Oct
1994 HT999SS 26 Jul 26 Jul 45 kg/ha 18 cm 34 0 11 Nov
1995 Greentreat III 27 Jul 28 Jul 45 kg/ha 18 cm 34 0 29 Sep
1. Amendments were spread and tilled in the same day. Primary tillage was moldboard plow, except chisel plow for
sorghum Sudan grass, and field cultivator for 1993 pepper
2. Planting rate shown as kernels/hectare for corn, plants/ha for pepper, and kg/seed/ha for spinach, oat, wheat, and
sorghum Sudan grass.
3. Denotes number of times the crop was cultivated. Implements were rotory hoe and tractor-mounted cultivator for
corn, and tractor-mounted cultivator and manual hoe for pepper.
4. The date corn and small grains were harvested, when the sorghum Sudan grass mowed, and the date of first pepper
picking for the season.
5. SSG: sorghum Sudan grass.
Oat straw production was estimated from bale weights. Bale cores were taken for
moisture determination and nutrient analysis. Wheat whole-plant biomass was esti-
mated from two 0.5-m2 cuts/plot taken before grain harvest. Wheat stubble left in the
field after straw harvest was estimated from two 0.5-m2 cuts/plot. Wheat straw pro-
duction was calculated by subtracting the combine-harvested grain yield and the
straw stubble from the whole plant biomass.
The sorghum Sudan grass catchcrop following small grain was mowed in the fall
after killing frost and left in the field over winter, except in 1995, when it was chopped
and removed to establish a legume green manure. Two 0.5-m2 biomass cuts/plot were
taken prior to mowing to estimate nutrients removed.

Pepper transplants were grown at a local commercial greenhouse and were me-
chanically transplanted. The pepper plots were irrigated with overhead irrigation if
rain did not equal at least 12.7 mm/week. Pepper fruit were harvested once a week,
for five weeks, starting in early August. Data areas were centrally located within each
8-row plot, and were 7.6-m long x 4-rows wide. All fruit of marketable size (at least 10-
cm long) were harvested each week, and separated into marketable and non-mar-
ketable (insect damaged, diseased, or severely misshapen) categories. Fresh weight of
culls and marketable fruit was recorded. Pepper fruit moisture and nutrient content
were estimated from 10 randomly chosen marketable fruit/plot.
Soil total N and C, and extractable P and K were measured in October 1992 to doc-
ument initial levels, and again in November 1995 to measure changes. Ten cores (2.5-
cm diameter x 20-cm deep) from each plot were combined, air-dried, and passed
through a 2.0-mm screen.
Analytical Methods
Compost and Manure
Compost and manure analyses were performed by A&L Labs in Richmond, Vir-
ginia. Nitrogen was determined by Kjeldahl digestion (EPA method 351.3), P was ana-
lyzed colorimetrically, K by atomic absorption, and total organic C by loss-on-ignition.
Soil
Soil C and N were analyzed at Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pennsyl-
vania, with a Leco 2000-CN combustion analyzer (Leco Corporation, St. Joseph, Michi-
gan). Extractable P and K were determined using the Mehlich 3 test (Wolf and Beegle
1991) by The Agricultural Analytical Services Lab, The Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, Pennsylvania.
Plant Material
Plant moisture was determined gravimetrically by drying the samples at 60°C in
forced-air ovens until constant weight was maintained. Dried samples were ground
through a 2.0-mm screen and were analyzed at The Agricultural Analytical Services
Lab, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania. Tissue N con-
centrations were determined by Kjeldahl digestion (Isaac and Johnson 1976), and P and
K were determined by methods of Dahlquist and Knoll (1978).
Nutrient Budgets
The nutrient budgets were constructed as a simple running balance sheet; where an-
nual were NPK outputs were subtracted from the annual NPK inputs. Outputs included
the harvested portions of the crops (corn, oat, and wheat grain, oat and wheat straw, pep-
per fruit, and the one-time removal of sorghum Sudan grass). Inputs included mineral fer-
tilizer, compost, manure, and maintenance applications of K2SO4 to the CNV and YCC+N.
Input from manure and compost was based on the day-of-spreading lab analyses. The
amount of NPK exported was calculated by multiplying plant dry weight by plant per-
cent NPK. Nitrogen input from precipitation, seeds, or soil N-mineralization, and NPK
output by denitrification, runoff, leaching, or erosion were not included in the calculations.

Statistical Analysis
Statistical analyses were performed with Statistica software (Statsoft, Tulsa, Okla-
homa, USA). Analysis of variance was performed, and Scheffes test was used when
treatment effect was significant at the P<0.05 level.
Results and Discussion

Corn
The CNV and RDM had higher corn yields and grain N in 1993 (Figure 1, Table 6).
Corn has the highest N requirement of any crop, and it is often difficult to maintain yields
during the transition from conventional methods (Kramer, et al. 1992; Liebhardt, et al.
1989). Although the compost treatments in this experiment did not go through a transi-
tion in the traditional sense (the site was organically managed for the prior 20 years), N
fertility was lowered with the removal of the sorghum Sudan grass in 1992 (see: Materi-
als and Methods, Site Description). Grain-N concentrations and yields (data pooled for
all years) showed a significant correlation (Pearson correlation, r= 0.81, p<0.0001) and
suggest that N limitation reduced yields. Pierre et al. (1977) also found the grain %N: yield
relationship to be a practical way for estimating N sufficiency. The RDM had the highest
yields and grain N for all years, though the difference was not always significant. The
good performance of the RDM shows the reliability of the N-availability guidelines for
that material, and underscores the need for similar guidelines for composted manure.
In addition to the probabili-
ty that N was limiting in the
compost treatments, other
factors adding to the overall
lower corn yield in 1993 were:
1) low plant populations (42
000 plants/ha vs. target of 59
000 after normal losses), 2)
higher than average weed
pressure (2676 kg/ha dry
weight vs. 585 kg/ha in 1994,
and 153 kg/ha in 1995), and
3) dry conditions during peri-
ods critical to corn growth. By
the second year (1994), yields
and grain N under compost-
amended corn improved, and
were comparable to the CNV
and the RDM in most cases.
The higher corn yields in 1994
Figure 1. Corn grain yield 1993-1995. ANOVA was run separately for for RDM, DMLC, and CMC
each year. Pairwise comparisons were run with Scheffes test, columns compared to the BLLC were
within the same year with different letters were significantly different at
the 0.05 level. Means and standard errors are shown. Berks County aver- probably because that year
age grain yield is based on data from the Pennsylvania Agricultural Sta- N-applications exceeded tar-
tistics Service (Statistical summary and annual report. 1994-1995, 1995-
1996, and 1996-1997). get rates for those treatments,
while the BLLC was under-
applied. In 1995, grain yield under compost again compared favorably to the CNV,
but not always to the RDM.

TABLE 6.
Nitrogen concentration of grains 1993-1995
Corn Small Grain1
Treatment 1993 19942 1995 1993 1994 1995
% (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)
Conventional mineral fertilizer (CNV) 0.97 ab3 1.28 ab 1.12 bc 2.12 1.73 1.52 ab
Raw dairy manure (RDM) 1.16 a 1.43 a 1.37 a 2.08 1.66 1.74 a
Dairy manure leaf compost (DMLC) 0.87 b 1.34 ab 1.02 c 1.93 1.58 1.58 ab
Broiler litter leaf compost (BLLC) 0.89 b 1.15 b 1.03 c 2.03 1.55 1.43 b
Controlled microbial compost (CMC) 0.92 b 1.27 ab 1.25 ab 1.91 1.69 1.57 ab
Yard clippings compost + N (YCC+N) 0.94 b 1.22 b 1.12 bc 2.11 1.56 1.47 b
1. The small grain was oat in 1993 and wheat in 1994 and 1995.
2. The corn variety was different in 1994 (see: Table 5. Field operations).
3. Numbers within the same column followed by the same letter are not differ significantly at the 5% level according to
Scheffe’s Test.
Small Grain
Oat yield and grain N were not significantly different among treatments in 1993
(Figure 2, Table 6), with no correlation between yield and grain N. Wheat yields and grain
N in plots following compost
and manure applications were
equal to, or higher than, the
CNV in 1994 and 1995, except
for the BLLC (Figure 2, Table
6). The correlation between
yield and grain N was weak
(Pearson correlation, r=0.30,
p<0.05). This trend for small
grain yields is not surprising,
considering that oat received
fertilizer amendments, while
wheat (including the CNV), re-
lied totally on residual N,
which was probably increas-
ing in the treatments receiving
organic amendments. The
range in wheat yields among
the compost treatments proba-
bly stems from historic differ-
ences in material spreading
rates on crops preceding Figure 2. Small grain yield 1993-1995. ANOVA was run separately for
each year. Pairwise comparisons were run with Scheffes test, columns
wheat in the rotation, which in within the same year with different letters were significantly different at
turn resulted in differences in the 0.05 level. Means and standard errors are shown. Berks County aver-
age grain yield is based on data from the Pennsylvania Agricultural Sta-
mineralizable N from labile tistics Service (Statistical summary and annual report. 1994-1995, 1995-
soil organic matter. 1996, and 1996-1997).
Pepper
Pepper yields were above average in 1993 and 1994, and poor in 1995 (11,200
kg/ha is the average yield across U.S. according to Lorenz and Maynard 1988),

with no differences among

treatments for any year
(Figure 3). Pepper is a warm-
season crop that is particu-
larly susceptible to weather
extremes (DeWitt and
Bosland 1993). In 1995, un-
usually high temperatures
during flowering (several
days over 29.4 EC) caused
poor fruit set and very low
yields in all treatments (Fig-
ure 3). The overall lack of

treatment differences sug-
gests that N-mineralization
kept pace with crop needs
for pepper, which is a less
Figure 3. Marketable pepper fruit yield 1993-1995, expressed as total nutrient demanding crop
marketable fruit from five sequential harvests. No effect of treatment on
yield was found in any year. Means and standard errors are shown.
than corn.
Nutrient Budgets and Temporal Changes in Soil N, P, K, and C

The cumulative nutrient budgets shown in Table 7 are a simple way to quantify
the flow of nutrients in and out of a farming system, and are helpful in explaining the
temporal changes in soil N, P, K, and C shown in Table 8. While these tables hold no
real surprises, they do show how cumulative applications of compost at rates sufficient
to supply crop N-needs can result in nutrient imbalances. This was especially true of
the animal manure-based composts, which tended to be higher in P and K relative to
N (Table 4). The CMC, which had low N and very high K, had the highest K inputs
and the most surplus K at the end of the three years (Table 7). Soil K levels also in-
creased significantly from 1992 to 1995 for all manure-based composts and the RDM,
with the greatest change occurring in the CMC (Table 8). This is in contrast to the
YCC+N, where K was added to keep levels within the recommended range. All com-
posts containing animal manure resulted in higher P input (Table 7), although soil P
did not change significantly for any treatment from 1992 to 1995 (Table 8).
The BLLC was the only compost that did not have an increase in soil C (Table 8),
probably because the BLLC had lower overall material loading rates due to its higher
N content (Table 4), and because it was under-applied in 1994 when the DMLC and
CMC were over-applied. The difference between the BLLC and YCC, which had very
similar loading rates, probably stems from the different C:N ratios of the materials and
from the quality of the carbon applied.
The cumulative N budget (Table 7) shows an excess of N in all treatments. We can
only speculate as to the fate of this N. Some was recycled through plant biomass and
returned to the soil, and some was lost through leaching, runoff, erosion, or volatiliza-
tion. The DMLC was the only treatment to show a significant net increase in soil N,
while the CNV had a net loss (Table 8). The significant loss in soil N for the CNV, and
the decrease in soil C, though not yet significant, suggest that we are depleting soil or-
ganic matter in that treatment. In contrast, the increased levels of soil C, which were
significant in three of the four compost treatments, suggest that those treatments are
increasing soil organic matter levels.

TABLE 7.
Cumulative N, P, and K budgets by treatment with entry points averaged (1993-1995)
Nutrient Input1 Nutrient Output2 Nutrient Surplus3
Treatment kg/ha kg/ha kg/ha
Nitrogen
Conventional mineral fertilizer (CNV) 297 201 96
Raw dairy manure (RDM) 742 238 505
Dairy manure and leaf compost (DMLC) 1046 181 865
Broiler litter and leaf compost (BLLC) 755 141 614
Controlled microbial compost (CMC) 993 197 795
Yard clippings compost + N (YCC+N) 656 172 485
Phosphorus
Conventional mineral fertilizer (CNV) 34 45 (11)

Potassium
Conventional mineral fertilizer (CNV) 2614 120 141
1. Input equals the total cumulative kg/ha applied/plot from fertilizer amendments during the three years.
2. Output equals the total cumulative kg/ha exported/plot as harvested crops during the three years.
3. Surplus equals the total input minus the total output.
4. Input includes starter fertilizer on corn and maintenance applications of K @ 140 kg/ha in 1993 & 1994.
5. Input is from compost and a maintenance application of K @ 140 kg/ha in 1994.
TABLE 8.
Temporal changes in soil N, P, K, and C from Oct. 1992 to Nov. 1995,
with entry points averaged
Total N1 Extractable P2 Extractable K2 Total C1
Treatment 1992 1995 1992 1995 1992 1995 1992 1995
kg/ha
Conventional mineral fertilizer (CNV) 4119 3763**** 313 309ns 150 182ns 38 084 36 276ns
Raw dairy manure (RDM) 4244 4074ns 340 361ns 157 206* 38 671 38 652ns
Dairy manure leaf compost (DMLC) 4148 4573* 315 370ns 174 230** 38 787 46 750**
Broiler litter leaf compost (BLLC) 3900 3941ns 262 341ns 120 199*** 33 745 35 919ns
Controlled microbial compost (CMC) 4444 4675ns 391 437ns 127 350**** 40 714 46 135**
Yard clippings compost + N (YCC+N) 4186 4190ns 305 305ns 171 194ns 38 872 42 376***
ANOVAS were done by replication and treatment with year and replication as main effect.
Significant change from 1992 to 1995 noted as follows: ns: not significant, * p <0.05, ** p <0.01, *** p <0.001, **** p <0.0001.
1. Calculated using bulk density measurements of the plow layer (0-20 cm depth) and discounting the weight of rock
fragments over 2mm.
2. Calculated based on the assumption that the plow layer contains 2,000,000 lbs of dry soil per acre.
Conclusions
A relatively short transition effect was evident in this experiment resulting in low-
er corn grain yields during the first year. By the third year, improved soil fertility in

most of the compost treatments resulted in corn grain yields that were comparable to,
or greater than, the mineral fertilizer treatment.
Because of the relatively high P and K contents of composts containing animal ma-
nure, long-term use as the sole source of soil fertility is not recommended except on
highly degraded soils. Rotations can be designed to extract greater amounts of P and
K, however, inclusion of an additional N source such as a legume (in an organic sys-
tem), or N-fertilizer (in non-organic systems), is probably a more practical long-term
solution. In this experiment, we changed the rotation in year-four by adding a legu-
minous green manure N-source for corn, thus reducing compost additions to once
every three years. Sustainable management of soil fertility in systems receiving com-
posts should consider nutrient composition of the compost relative to expected crop
exports of nutrients. Composts with high P or K contents should be applied based on
P and K rather than N requirements.

During the next six years of this experiment we will increase soil sampling in order
to estimate mineralization of the various organic amendments and evaluate several soil
biological and physical characteristics. This increased understanding of the relationship
between compost characteristics, timing of N transformations, and plant N assimilation
will aid in developing appropriate recommendations for future compost use.
Acknowledgments
This project is supported in part by funds from the USDA-ARS. Special thanks go
to the Rodale Institute operations staff for their expertise and perseverance, and to Gail
Gumbert 1993 and 1994 project technician.
References
Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware.
Anonymous, 1993. Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations for 1993, Pennsylva-
nia State Cooperative Extension, Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station, The Penn-
sylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.
Anonymous, 1993-1994. The Agronomy Guide, Department of Agronomy, College of Agricul-
tural Sciences-Cooperative Extension, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park,
Pennsylvania.
Anonymous, 1998-1999. The Agronomy Guide, Department of Agronomy, College of Agricul-
tural Sciences-Cooperative Extension, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park,
Pennsylvania.
Dahlquist, R.L. and J.W. Knoll. 1978. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrome-
ter: analysis of biological materials and major, trace and ultra-trace elements. Applied Spec-
troscopy, 39 (1): 1-29.
DeWitt, D. and P. Bosland. The Growing Season. In: The Pepper Garden, Ten Speed Press, Berke-
ley, California.
Dick, W.A. and E.L. McCoy. 1993. Enhancing soil fertility by addition of compost. pp. 623-644.
In: Science and Engineering of composting: Design, Environmental, Microbial and Utilization
Aspects. ISBN 0-936645-15-6.
Diver, S. 1998. Controlled Microbial Compost & Humus Management, Agronomy Technical
Notes, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Hornick, S.B. 1988. Use of organic amendments to increase the productivity of sand and gravel
spoils: Effect on yield and composition of sweet corn. American Journal of Alternate Agricul-
ture, Vol.3 #4, Fall 1988.
Isaac, R.A. and W.C. Johnson. 1976. Determination of total nitrogen in plant tissue using a block
digestor. J. AOAC, 59: 98-100.
Kashmanian, R.M. and R.F. Rynk. 1998. Creating positive incentives for farm composting. Amer-
ican Journal of Alternative Agriculture, Volume 13, Number 1, 1998 p.40-45.

Kramer D., A. Macey, E. White, R. Cope and J. Coulson. 1992. Organic field crop handbook.
Canadian Organic Growers, Inc., Ottawa, Ontario. ISBN: 0-9695851-0-1.
Liebhardt, W.C., R.W. Andrews, M.N. Culick, R.R. Harwood, R.R. Janke, J.K. Radke and S.L.
Rieger-Schwartz, 1989. Crop production during conversion from conventional to low-input
methods. Agronomy Journal., 81:150-159.
Lorenz, O.A. and D.N. Maynard. 1988. Part 8, Harvesting and Storage. p. 335. In: Knotts hand-
book for vegetable growers, third edition.
Maryland Department of Agriculture. 1998. Marylands nutrient management law and how it
affects you. Maryland Department of Agriculture, Office of Resource Conservation.
MDA303-98.
Natural Business. 1996. September, 1996. 4:2.
Northeast Organic Farming Association, New Jersey Chapter (NOFA-NJ). 1998. Soil fertility and
plant nutrition. p. 14-16. In: NOFA-NJ 1998 organic certification standards & procedures.
Pennsylvania Bulletin. 1997. Title 25. Volume 27, Number 26. Part III. State Conservation Com-
mission Nutrient Management Regulations.

Pierre, W.H., L. Dumenil, V.D. Jolley, J.R. Webb and W.D. Shrader. 1977. Relationship between
corn yield, expressed as a percentage of maximum, and the N percentage in the grain.
Agronomy Journal, 69:215-226.
Reider, C., R. Janke and J. Moyer. 1991. Compost utilization for field crop production. Rodale
Institute Research Center technical report RRC/RU-91/1. Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
Reider, C, C. Oshins, A. Pronk, R. Janke and J. Moyer. 1992. Compost utilization for field crop pro-
duction: Part II. Rodale Institute Research Center technical report. Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
Statistical Summary and Annual Report for 1994-1995, Pennsylvania Agricultural Statistics Ser-
vice, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Warman, P.R. and K.A. Havard, 1996. Yield, vitamin and mineral content of four vegetables
grown with either composted manure or conventional fertilizer. Journal of Vegetable Crop
Production, Vol.2(1) 1996.
Wolf, A.M. and D.B. Beegle. 1991. Recommended soil tests for macronutrients: phosphorus,
potassium, calcium, and magnesium. p. 25-34. In: J. Thomas Sims and A. Wolf (eds.) Rec-
ommended Soil Testing Procedures for the Northeastern United States. Northeast Regional Bul-
letin #493.

Reviewed Article

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Reviewed Article

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

This article was downloaded by: [University of Chicago Library]

On: 11 November 2014, At: 03:49

Compost Science & Utilization

Yields and Nutrient Budgets Under

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1065657X.2000.10702006

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Yields and Nutrient Budgets Under Composts,

328 Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000

Materials And Methods

Treatment Descriptions and Experimental Design

1. UAN: Urea and ammonium nitrate non-pressure solution containing 28-32% N.

Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000 329

#1 Corn Pepper Winter wheat/SSG1

Nitrogen Target Rates

Conventional mineral fertilizer 1461 1122 1122 843 100

1. Applied as 34 kg/ha starter fertilizer and 112 kg/ha sidedress.

330 Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000

Compost and Manure Production, Sampling, and Application

Raw dairy manure (RDM) 80.59 3.93 0.73 1.90 50.00 13

Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000 331

Plot Management and Data Collection

Oat 1993 Ogle 15-20 Apr 20 Apr 90 kg/ha 18 cm 34 0 28 Jul

332 Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000

through a 2.0-mm screen.

Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000 333

Results and Discussion

334 Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000

Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000 335

with no differences among

ure 3). The overall lack of

Nutrient Budgets and Temporal Changes in Soil N, P, K, and C

336 Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000

Conventional mineral fertilizer (CNV) 34 45 (11)

Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000 337

P and K rather than N requirements.

338 Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000

mission Nutrient Management Regulations.

Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2000 339

You might also like