Effect of fall-applied manure practices on runoff, sediment, and nutrient surface transport from silage corn in south coastal British Columbia
2002
Van Vliet, L.J.P. | Zebarth, B.J. | Derksen, G.
Runoff from manured cropland during the wet fall and winter season, when 70% of the annual rainfall occurs, is a surface water quality concern in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia. This study compares different fall-manure application strategies on runoff and contaminant transport from silage corn (Zea mays) land. The treatments were (i) a control, which did not receive manure in the fall; (ii) manure broadcast in the fall on corn stubble; and (iii) manure broadcast in the fall on corn stubble with an established relay crop. Runoff, solids, and nutrients loads from natural precipitation were measured on replicated experimental plots (0.0125 ha) from 1996 to 1998. Fall-applied manure on 3–5% sloping silage cornland without a relay crop resulted in a high risk to surface water quality, due to high suspended solid loads of between 7 and 14 Mg ha-1 yr-1 and high nutrient transport with mean annual total Kjeldahl N (TKN) P, and K loads of 98, 21, and 63 kg ha-1, respectively. Compared with no relay crop, intercropping silage corn with a relay crop of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) reduced the mean annual runoff and suspended solid load by 53 and 74%, respectively, TKN load by 56%, P load by 42%, K load by 31%, and Cu load by 57%. Even though total nutrient loads were lower with the relay crop treatment, all fall manure treatments including the relay crop resulted in nutrient loads above guidelines for the first three runoff events immediately following application.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by National Agricultural Library