A comparison of chemical fertiliser and separated liquid pig manure as the sole nitrogen source for winter wheat production.

Gráinne Meade & Tom Mc Cabe

University College Dublin,Lyons Research Farm, Newcastle, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Presentation Outline

• Background• Hypothesis• Materials and Methods• Results • Conclusion

Wheat Production

Animal Feed

Pig Production

Manure Disposal

Background

Background

• Improved manure spreading technologies

and

• Improved manure treatment technologies

Land application of pig manure at advanced

winter wheat growth stages may now be viable

Hypothesis

Can liquid pig manure be used as an alternative to chemical fertiliser as a

nitrogen source for winter wheat production?

Materials and Methods

• 2 experimental sites• 3 N treatments– Untreated zero N control– Separated liquid pig manure (LPM)– Inorganic N fertiliser (CF)

• 3 manure application timings– G.S 31 (1st node)– G.S 33 (3rd node)– G.S 39 (flag leaf emergence)

Materials and Methods

• N rate 120 kgN/ha

• Liquid Pig Manure (LPM)

• 4% N, 0.08% P, 2% DM

• Band spread at a rate of 30 m3/ha

• Inorganic N (CF) – 27% N

• Leaf N % and chlorophyll readings taken at 10 day intervals until

natural senescence

• Crop N uptake, grain yield and nitrogen uptake efficiency was

assessed at harvest

Results

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 10 20 30 40 50 60 700

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

Site 1 Site 2

LPM

CF

Control

Days Post N Application

Lea

f C

hlor

ophy

ll U

nits

Effect of trial site and N source on leaf chlorophyll readings

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 10 20 30 40 50 60 700

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Site 1 Site 2

LPM

CF

Control

Days Post N Application

Lea

f N

Per

cent

age

(%)

Effect of trial site and N source on leaf N percent

10d 20d 30d 40d 50d 60d 70d 80d0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

G.S 31/32 G.S 33-37 G.S 39

Days post N application

Lea

f C

hlor

ophy

ll U

nits

Effect of manure application timing on leaf chlorophyll readings

11-M

ay

15-M

ay

19-M

ay

23-M

ay

27-M

ay

31-M

ay

04-Ju

n

08-Ju

n

12-Ju

n

16-Ju

n

20-Ju

n

24-Ju

n

28-Ju

n

02-Ju

l

06-Ju

l

10-Ju

l

14-Ju

l

18-Ju

l

22-Ju

l

26-Ju

l

30-Ju

l

03-A

ug

07-A

ug0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

G.S 30-31

G.S 33-35

G.S 37-39

Days Post N Application

Chl

orop

hyll

Uni

tsEffect of N application timing on leaf chlorophyll readings

10d 20d 30d 40d 50d 60d 70d0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

f(x) = − 25.25 x² + 115.964285714286 x + 433.142857142857R² = 0.991270963370298f(x) = − 0.0419047619047619 x² + 0.00166666666666632 x + 3.27R² = 0.979814401738733

Days post N application

Chl

orop

hyll

Met

er R

eadi

ng

Lea

f N

%

Linear Correlation = 0.94

Site 1

Polynomial regression of average leaf chlorophyll readings and leaf N content samples taken at 10 day intervals for 70 days post N application

10d 20d 30d 40d 50d 60d 70d0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

f(x) = − 12.7857142857143 x² + 78.2857142857144 x + 452.285714285714R² = 0.963487600258136

f(x) = − 0.0597619047619049 x² + 0.20452380952381 x + 3.54857142857143R² = 0.986686436954748

Days post N application

Chl

orop

hyll

Met

er R

eadi

ng

Lea

f N

%

Linear Correlation = 0.89

Site 2

Polynomial regression of average leaf chlorophyll readings and leaf N content samples taken at 10 day intervals for 70 days post N application

200 300 400 500 600 7000

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

R² = 0.820117725630813

N% - Day 40

Linear (N% - Day 40)

Lea

f N

%

Linear Correlation = 0.90

200 300 400 500 600 700

R² = 0.824757503277772

N% - Day 50

Linear Correlation = 0.90

Chlorophyll Units

Correlation between leaf N percentage and leaf chlorophyll readings

CF LPM Untreated CF LPM Untreated0

40

80

120

160

200

240

280

179.27

150.09

86.50

229.52 231.42

129.40

GNU SNU

Site 1 Site 2

Cro

p N

Upt

ake

(kgN

/ha)

Effect of N source on winter wheat crop N uptake

CF LPM Untreated CF LPM Untreated0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

9000

7640

4950

10110 9890

6930

Site 1 Site 2

Gra

in Y

ield

(kg

/ha)

Effect of N source on winter wheat grain yield (kg/ha)

G.S 31 G.S 33 G.S 390

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

8260 8120 7870

N application Timing

Gra

in Y

ield

(kg

/ha)

Effect of N application timing on grain yield

CF LPM CF LPM0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

77.31

52.99

83.4385.01

Site 1 Site 2

Nit

roge

n U

ptak

e E

ffic

ienc

y (%

)Nitrogen uptake efficiency as affected by N source and site

Conclusion

• LPM proved to be a useful N source for winter wheat production

• LPM increased grain yield and CNU by 48% and 74% respectively

compared to the zero N control.

• Timely LPM application can achieve similar grain yield levels to

chemical fertilisers

• LPM application may result in economic benefits for cereal producers

• CF proved to be a more efficient N source for grain yield production

Thank you for listening!

Any Questions????