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As fertilizer prices rise, many producers may be considering poultry litter. One expert weighs in on what you should know.

Ginger Rowsey, Senior writer

February 11, 2021

4 Min Read
cr20140509_chickens300-web.jpeg
Five-week-old broilers inside a poultry house. MSU AgCommunications

With fuel and commercial fertilizer prices trending upwards, many producers may be looking for less costly sources of N, P and K this spring, such as poultry litter. 

Shawn Hawkins, an associate professor with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture who specializes in animal waste management has done extensive research on the effectiveness of poultry litter as a fertilizer source for corn crops in the Midsouth. He agrees that poultry litter is a suitable alternative fertilizer for corn, especially for operations making split applications of nitrogen. 

“One of the challenges of litter is the nitrogen availability. Only about half the nitrogen we can measure in litter is readily available to the crop,” Hawkins said. “However, the nitrogen needed at corn planting is relatively low.”  

“When you look at the nitrogen uptake curve for corn, we’re only taking about 25 pounds per acre between planting and the V6 growth stage. We can easily supply all of that with litter at planting, and almost certainly do it at reduced costs considering the full nutrient value of litter.”  

While Hawkins’ research has shown poultry litter to be a good starter fertilizer for corn, he cautions that litter should be used in combination with a split application of commercial nitrogen fertilizer. 

“Litter simply can’t supply all the nitrogen required to produce a high-yielding corn crop,” Hawkins said. “That’s why we recommend that if you apply litter at planting, you should sidedress with a commercial nitrogen fertilizer at the V6 stage.” 

Poultry litter benefits 

Affordability may be the most obvious benefit to poultry litter. Hawkins said he’s seen prices vary greatly — anywhere from $15 to $60 a ton — but in most cases it’s worth the cost.  

Another benefit is convenience. While nitrogen availability may vary in poultry litter, phosphorous and potassium are readily available. In a corn/soybean rotation, producers would be applying two or even three years’ worth of P and K at corn planting, potentially eliminating a trip over the field. 

It’s important to keep in mind that litter also provides a broad array of mineral nutrients. 

“Litter can be a good source of secondary plant nutrients such as sulfur and micronutrients such as zinc, copper, and even boron, all of which contribute value to litter,” Hawkins said. "Sulfur deficiency is becoming an increasingly significant factor in corn yields in some areas of our state. That’s due to regulations that control sulfur emissions from power plants. We used to get sulfur free from the air, and now we don’t as much, so litter is a good alternative source of sulfur that can improve corn yield." 

“Basically, anything that’s in a plant holistically will be in the poultry litter because corn and soybeans are fed to poultry. Somewhere around 65% of what we feed to poultry is corn and 25% is soybeans. We can recycle everything we’re pulling out of the ground in corn and soybean production by recycling the litter back to the ground and replacing those plant nutrients.” 

Rates 

For those looking to use litter as an alternative fertilizer source, Hawkins said it is critical to use moderate application rates.  

“A 3-ton rate per acre of corn at planting is a good recommendation,” Hawkins said. “This should supply adequate starter nitrogen (about 80 lbs/a), and in addition, we can replace probably two years of grain phosphorus and potassium removal in a corn and soybean rotation.” 

Hawkins cautions that producers should keep in mind that “the more you put on the more risk you have for nutrient loss to the environment.” 

While finding available poultry litter may be a challenge for some locations, Hawkins advises a spring application targeted 1 – 4 weeks prior to planting corn to allow some breakdown of the litter to begin prior to planting. 

“I think it’s a better practice to limit the time between application and your crop nutrient demand,” Hawkins said. “That also helps reduce nutrient losses, versus, for example, a fall application of litter after the prior year harvest.” 

Research 

In addition to corn, Hawkins has evaluated the effectiveness of poultry litter in other crops. In cotton test plots results showed that, as with corn, it’s best not to rely on litter to provide all the nitrogen needed to produce a crop. 

His research has also looked at whether there are benefits to soybean in a corn and soybean rotation. 

“We want to know if any of that nitrogen from prior poultry litter applications could still be hanging around in the soil? And, if it is available while soybeans are nodulating, does that give us a bit of a yield bump?” Hawkins continued, “We haven’t been able to show that yet, but we will continue to evaluate the possibility.”  

Other considerations 

Of course, Hawkins recommends testing soil prior to applications. Also, since litter management varies from farm to farm, producers should plan to have litter samples analyzed, as well, or ask for an analysis from the poultry producer. 

When applying litter, applicators are advised to maintain a 100-foot setback from any streams or ditches to avoid runoff and contamination. That distance can be reduced to 35 feet if the sensitive areas are protected by some type of vegetated buffer. 

Finally, this is poultry litter and it is going to smell bad when you apply it. No way around that.  

More information from UTIA on poultry litter management is available online.  

 

About the Author(s)

Ginger Rowsey

Senior writer

Ginger Rowsey joined Farm Press in 2020, bringing more than a decade of experience in agricultural communications. Her previous experiences include working in marketing and communications with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. She also worked as a local television news anchor with the ABC affiliate in Jackson, Tennessee.

Rowsey grew up on a small beef cattle farm in Lebanon, Tennessee. She holds a degree in Communications from Middle Tennessee State University and an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Martin. She now resides in West Tennessee with her husband and two daughters.

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