Short-term effects of a heavy dairy manure application on soil chemical and biological indicators in an irrigated semiarid cropping system

Dungan, R.S. and Acosta-Martinez, V. and Lehman, R.M. and Manter, D.K. and Mikha, M.M. and Reardon, C.L. and Tarkalson, D.D. and Veum, K.S. and Weyers, S.L. and White, Jr., P.M. (2024) Short-term effects of a heavy dairy manure application on soil chemical and biological indicators in an irrigated semiarid cropping system. Agronomy Journal. 117(1):1-19. 9 December 2024. Available: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21737

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Abstract

Intensive dairy production in semiarid southern Idaho, USA, is often associated with the annual application of manure to cropland soils. However, a one-time heavy application of manure could alternatively be used as a means to improve soil fertility and health for many years or even decades, circumventing the need for frequent applications. To determine if this practice would negatively affect soil health in the short-term, we monitored biological and chemical properties for two years after incorporation of dairy manure solids at a rate of 103 Mg/ha (dry wt.). Soil properties measured were pH, electrical conductivity, extractable nitrogen (N) and phosphorus, total carbon (C) and N, enzyme activities, mineralizable N, soil organic C, soil protein, active C, ammonia oxidation potential, and particulate organic matter. Manure (with and without synthetic fertilizer) was found to significantly affect biological and chemical indicators in both topsoil (0-15 cm) and subsoil (15-30 cm), but the responses were greatest in the subsoil. This can be attributed to the fact that manure was incorporated to approximately 30 cm via moldboard plow. All indicators responded positively to manure, except in the case of pH, which decreased slightly in the subsoil in the first year after application. Principal components analysis of soil biological and chemical properties, across all years and depths, showed that the first two components explained 62% and 8.5% of the variance. While soil properties were not adversely affected by manure, silage corn yields in year one were significantly lower in manured plots, though in year two, barley grain yields were statistically similar among manure and fertilizer plots. Despite lower corn yields, a single heavy application of dairy manure can likely be recommended as a management strategy, but long-term affects on soil health do require evaluation.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	1802
Subjects:	Manure Soil > Chemistry Soil
Depositing User:	Users 6 not found.
Date Deposited:	15 Jan 2025 18:31
Last Modified:	15 Jan 2025 18:31
Item ID:	1846
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/1846