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Fertilizer, Tillage, and Dairy Manure Contributions to Nitrate and Herbicide Leaching
Journal of Environmental Quality (2005)
  • C. S. Stoddard
  • John H. Grove, University of Kentucky
  • Mark S. Coyne, University of Kentucky
  • William O. Thom, University of Kentucky
Abstract
Few studies have examined the water quality impact of manure use in no-tillage systems. A lysimeter study in continuous corn (Zea mays L.) was performed on Maury silt loam (fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Paleudalf) to evaluate the effect(s) of tillage (no-till [NT] and chisel-disk [CD]), nitrogen fertilizer rate (0 and 168 kg N ha−1), and dairy manure application timing (none, spring, fall, or fall plus spring) on NO3–N, atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine), and alachlor [2-chloro-2′-6′-diethyl-N-(methoxymethyl)acetanilide] concentrations in leachate collected at a 90-cm depth. Herbicides were highest immediately after application, declining to less than 4 μg L−1 in about two months. Manure and manure timing by tillage interactions had little effect on leachate herbicides; rather, the data suggest that macropores rapidly transmitted atrazine and alachlor through the soil. Tillage usually did not significantly affect leachate NO3–N, but no-tillage tended to cause higher NO3–N. Manuring caused higher NO3–N concentrations; spring manuring had more impact than fall, but fall manure contained about 78% of the N found in spring manure. Nitrate under spring “only fertilizer” treatment exceeded 10 mg L−138% of the time, compared with 15% for spring only manure treatment. After three years, manured soil leachate NO3–N exceeded that for soil receiving only N fertilizer. Soil profile (90 cm) NO3–N after corn harvest exceeding 22 kg N ha−1 was associated with winter leachate NO3–N greater than 10 mg N L−1 Manure can be used effectively in conservation tillage systems on this and similar soils. Accounting for all N inputs, including previous manure applications, will be important.
Keywords
  • Fertilizer,
  • Tillage,
  • Manure,
  • Nitrate,
  • Herbicide Leaching
Publication Date
July, 2005
Publisher Statement
The copyright holder has granted the permission for posting the article here.
Citation Information
C. S. Stoddard, John H. Grove, Mark S. Coyne and William O. Thom. "Fertilizer, Tillage, and Dairy Manure Contributions to Nitrate and Herbicide Leaching" Journal of Environmental Quality Vol. 34 Iss. 4 (2005)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/markcoyne/17/