Effect of long-term beef manure application on soil test phosphorus, organic carbon, and winter wheat yield

ABSTRACT

In this study, 24 years (1990–2013) of data from a long-term experiment, in Stillwater, Oklahoma (OK), were used to determine the effect of beef manure on soil test phosphorus (STP), soil organic carbon (SOC), and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield. Beef manure was applied every 4 years at a rate of 269 kg nitrogen (N) ha⁻¹, while inorganic fertilizers were applied annually at 67 kg N ha⁻¹, 14.6 kg phosphorus (P) ha⁻¹, and 27.8 kg potassium (K) ha⁻¹ for N, P, and K, respectively. Averaged across years, application of beef manure, and inorganic P maintained STP above 38 mg kg⁻¹ of Mehlich-3 extractable P, a level that is far beyond crop requirements. A more rapid decline in SOC was observed in the check plot compared to the manure-treated plot. This study shows that the application of animal manure is a viable option to maintaining SOC levels, while also optimizing grain yield.

KEYWORDS:

• manure application
• soil organic matter
• soil test phosphorus