HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Olson, B. M. Articles by Atkins, R. P. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Olson, B. M. Articles by Atkins, R. P. Agricola Articles by Olson, B. M. Articles by Atkins, R. P. Related Collections Nitrogen Nutrient Management Animal Waste Ground Water Quality Irrigation

TECHNICAL REPORTS

Ground Water Quality

Nitrate Leaching in Two Irrigated Soils with Different Rates of Cattle Manure

^a Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, 100, 5401– 1 Ave. South, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, T1J 4V6
^b Agricultural Technology Centre, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, 3000 College Dr. South, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, T1K 1L6

^* Corresponding author (rod.bennett{at}gov.ab.ca).

Received for publication December 15, 2008. Manure applied to irrigated land may potentially contaminate groundwater with NO₃–N. An 8-yr field experiment was conducted in southern Alberta, Canada, to determine the effects of different rates of manure on NO₃–N accumulation in two irrigated soil types and NO₃–N leaching to shallow groundwater. An annual cereal silage was grown at each site and irrigation was based on soil moisture depletion. Treatments included a control, nitrogen fertilizer (NF) at 180 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1, and four rates of cattle (Bos taurus) manure (20, 40, 60, and 120 Mg ha^–1 yr^–1, wet-weight basis). Annual manure applications for 8 yr resulted in NO₃–N accumulation in the soil profile at both sites. For every megagram of total N added from manure, NO₃–N in the 0- to 1.5-m layer increased by about 50 kg ha^–1 at the coarse-textured (CT) site and by about 100 kg ha^–1 at the medium-textured (MT) site. Silage yield for all of the manure treatments was similar to yield for the NF treatment after the first 3 to 4 yr of annual manure applications. The greatest manure rate and NF treatments significantly increased NO₃–N concentrations in groundwater at the CT site. Groundwater NO₃–N concentrations were not adversely affected by manure or NF applications at the MT site. An annual cattle manure application rate of 20 Mg ha^–1 provided sufficient N for irrigated cereal silage production and minimized NO₃–N leaching in a medium-textured soil.

Abbreviations: CT, coarse-textured • MT, medium-textured • NF, nitrogen fertilizer • 20M, 20 Mg ha^–1 manure • 40M, 40 Mg ha^–1 manure • 60M, 60 Mg ha^–1 manure • 120M, 120 Mg ha^–1 manure