Response of East Texas Mid-Rotation Loblolly Pine Plantations to Poultry Litter and Chemical Fertilizer Amendments

Improving site quality with fertilization is a common forestry practice. Where poultry production occurs, a common issue is the disposal of the poultry litter, which can cause nutrient overload on some soils. Forest plantations offer an alternative litter disposal site, while providing for possible tree growth increases similar to those found with chemical fertilizers. To test that hypothesis, 3 sites in east Texas, USA supporting loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations were treated at poultry or chemical fertilizers at mid-rotation, and the growth responses recorded over a four-year period. Only one of the three sites showed any growth response in quadratic mean diameter growth attributed to poultry litter, and that was only after four years. No other response was found significant, suggesting that longer-term responses may occur than what this study captured. Poultry litter, if economically feasible, does appear to be an alternative to petro-chemical fertilizers on these sites.