2022 article
Poultry litter and nitrogen fertilizer effects on productivity and nutritive value of crabgrass
Sosinski, S., Castillo, M. S., Kulesza, S., & Leon, R. (2022, September 7). CROP SCIENCE.
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
2. Zero Hunger
(Web of Science)
14. Life Below Water
(OpenAlex)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: September 19, 2022
AbstractCrabgrass (Digitaria spp.) is deemed as a productive and nutritious warm‐season annual forage for livestock in the U.S. transition zone. However, there is limited information about nitrogen (N) source and rate effects on productivity and nutritive value of crabgrass in North Carolina. Herbage accumulation (HA), N removal, crude protein (CP), total digestible nutrients (TDN), and tissue nitrate (NO3−) concentrations were evaluated for 2 yr (2020 and 2021) in two physiographic regions (Piedmont and Coastal Plain). Treatments were five rates of chemical N fertilizer (up to 480 kg N ha−1), five rates of plant‐available N from broiler poultry litter (up to 472 and 399 kg N ha−1 in 2020 and 2021, respectively), and one control (zero N). Overall crabgrass responses were not different between N sources. At Coastal Plain, HA increased from 4,990 kg dry matter (DM) ha−1 and plateaued at 7,136 kg DM ha−1 at an agronomic optimum N rate (AONR) of 198 (SE = 49) kg N ha−1. At Piedmont, HA responses were erratic, estimation of an AONR was not possible, and HA values were approximately half or less to those at Coastal Plain. Removal of N was linearly associated with HA. Increasing N rate had a marginal positive effect on CP (ranged from 126 to 154 g kg−1) and no effect on TDN (averaged 626 g kg−1). Tissue NO3− values were below the toxic threshold for feeding livestock. Poultry litter is an effective N source for crabgrass. Nitrogen rate effects were more apparent on crabgrass’ productivity; nutritive value was generally high regardless of N rate and source.