Effect of treatment and application technique of cattle slurry on its utilization by ley: II. Recovery of nitrogen and composition of herbage yield
2003
Mattila, P.K. | Joki-Tokola, E. | Tanni, R.
The effect of slurry treatment and application technique on the utilization of nitrogen and on the composition of herbage was investigated on ley in a 3-year field experiment on clay loam in southwestern Finland and on fine sand and Carex peat in northern Finland. Untreated, aerated or separated slurry (liquid fraction) was applied on ley after the first cut by broad cast spreading, band spreading or injection into the ground. The application rate of slurry was 33 to 62 Mg ha(−1) and that of ammoniacal nitrogen about 80 kg ha(−1.) The highest recovery of applied nitrogen was achieved with injection. The apparent recovery of the ammoniacal nitrogen of injected slurry varied from 23% to 50%, whereas that of broadcast and band-spread slurries was from 16% to 33% and 17% to 38%,respectively. However, injection did not result in any higher dry matter yield than the other application techniques, because it damaged the grass sward. Separation seemed to somewhat increase the recovery of slurry nitrogen, except on peat soil, but the effect was significant for the apparent recovery of applied total nitrogen on clay loam in one year, only. Supplementing slurry with 50 kg ha(−1) of inorganic fertilizer nitrogen on clay loam increased both dry matter yield and nitrogen recovery by about one third. Large amounts of potassium applied in cattle slurry raised the potassium content and lowered the contents of magnesium and sodium in herbage on peat soil. The reduction in calcium content was not significant. On clay loam, which had a higher potassium content than the peat, the general effect of potassium applied in slurry was weaker, but injection led to a higher potassium content and lower contents of calcium and magnesium in herbage than surface applications.
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