Determination of Poultry Litter's Nitrogen-Fertilizer Value for Winter Wheat Production
Nitrogen (N) availability in poultry litter (PL) applied in the fall as a nutrient source for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has not been adequately characterized. Our objective was to determine a potentially available N (PAN) coefficient based on the inorganic-N fertilizer equivalence (FEQ) of fall-applied PL to winter wheat via field and laboratory research. Wheat grown at six site-years received 0, 84 and 168 kg N ha-1 as PL applied preplant and/or at-planting. The FEQ of PL-N was based on growth and yield responses of wheat fertilized with 22 to 191 kg N ha-1 applied in late winter as a urea-ammonium sulfate blend (UASB) which was used to calculate PAN. Tiller number, aboveground N uptake, and grain yield responses to UASB-N were characterized using linear and quadratic models. Soil amended with PL or urea was incubated at 5, 15, and 25°C to supplement field research results. Wheat receiving PL-N produced N uptake and yields that were 11 to 43 kg N ha-1 and 297 to 1474 kg ha-1 greater (p
Biological sciences, Agronomy and Crop Sciences
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