Effects of Chicken Manure Application on Crop Yields and Soil Nutrients Accumulation in Wheat-Corn Rotation System

Abstract

Aimed at resolving the unreasonable disposition and disadvantage to environment of poultry manures, the research on the effect of different chicken manure rates on crop yields and the soil nutrients accumulation were carried out by a field plot experiment. The results showed that a appropriate application rate of chicken manure significantly increased the yield of wheat. No obvious differences of corn yield were observed among the treatments of different chicken manure application rates. The soil organic matter, total nitrogen(N), total phosphorus (P), total Zinc (Zn) and nitrate (NO3--N), available P and available Zn contents significantly increased with the increasing rates of the chicken manure respectively. The soil organic matter, N, P and Zn supply could be maintained by the combined application of the low chicken manure rate (15 t/hm2) and chemical fertilizer in the wheat season. Compared with the check treatment (CK) with no chicken manure, the contents of soil nitrate, available P and available Zn increased when the rate of chicken manure were 90 t/hm2 and 150 t/hm2, respectively. After one cycle of wheat-corn rotation, compared with CK, the chicken manures application at a rate of 90 t/hm2 increased soil NO3--N, available P and available Zn content by 68.29%, 91.37% and 77.02%, respectively. For the chicken manures treatment at 150 t/hm2, soil NO3--N, available P and available Zn content were increased by 69.58%, 133.16%and 177.7%, respectively.