Comparison of broiler litter, broiler litter ash with reagent grade materials as sources of plant
nutrients. (4039)
Authors:
Z. Adams* - Auburn University J. Adams - Auburn University W. Wood - Auburn University
Abstract:
Broiler chicken production is a major agricultural industry in the southeastern United States that produces millions of Mg of waste in the form of broiler litter (manure and bedding). Broiler litter is often used as a fertilizer for forages and row crops. The use of broiler litter as a fuel to produce electricity is a new use that is currently taking place in Europe. The byproduct of power generation is broiler ash which has the potential to be a fertilizer with a relatively high concentration of P and K. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to compare broiler litter and broiler ash as a source of P and K to reagent grade materials using ryegrass and followed by sorghum-sudangrass on a very fine sandy loam soil. There were two harvests on each forage. Forage yields, heights, and nutrient concentrations were determined. The ryegrass study showed no significance difference between reagent grade materials and broiler litter or broiler ash for the first harvest. The second ryegrass harvest showed that reagent grade nutrients had greater yield than both boiler litter treatments and one of the broiler ash treatments. Broiler litter and broiler ash treatments had greater yields than reagent grade treatments for the first cutting of sudangrass. It appears that broiler ash may be a good source of P and K for plants.
Speaker Information: Zachry Adams, Auburn University, 263 Funchess Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849; Phone: 334-844-3911; E-mail: [email protected]
Session Information: Tuesday, November 2, 2004, 8:00 AM-12:00 PM Presentation Start: 8:00 AM (Poster Board Number: 2639)
Keywords: Soil Fertility; Broiler Litter; Broiler Litter Ash; Ryegrass Sudan grass system