Estimating Potential Ground and Surface Water Pollution from Land Application of Poultry Litter-II

摘要

In Arkansas, approximately 1 Tg of poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus) manure and litter is produced annually. These waste products are commonly applied to pastures as a soil amendment or fertilizer, but excessive application rates and poor management practices could result in nutrient contamination of ground and surface water. The study assessed the nutrient concentrations in poultry manure and evaluated the nitrogen loss from land-applied poultry litter and manure due to ammonia volatilization. Analyses for total Kjeldahl nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were compared in 12 wet and dry hen manure samples. The results indicated that a substantial amount of nitrogen in surface-applied poultry waste can be lost due to ammonia volatilization. Results indicate that soil and environmental conditions play a critical role in determining the potential for nitrate pollution of ground and surface water when poultry manure and litter are surface-applied to pastures.