Nitrogen availability for corn in soils amended with urea, cattle slurry, and solid and composted manures

This study was conducted to determine whether manure N availability for corn (Zea mays L.) was best estimated by a component of the manure N or by soil inorganic N in May or June. Liquid dairy cattle manure, solid beef cattle manure, and composted beef cattle manure were applied in the spring of 1988, 1989 and 1990 at rates of 100, 200 and 300 kg N ha −1 . Urea was applied at rates of 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha −1 for comparison. The N recovery by the harvested portion of the corn (grain + stover) in 1988 and 1990 averaged 49, 18, and 5% of the total N in urea, liquid dairy cattle manure, and solid or composted beef cattle manure, respectively. There was no yield response to any N source in 1989 because of high soil fertility. Relative nitrogen uptake by the corn grain + stover in 1988 and 1990 was significantly correlated with inorganic N applied as manure or fertilizer (r 2 = 0.56), but not with total N applied (r 2 = 0.02). When the data from all 3 years were analyzed, relative nitrogen uptake was better correlated with soil NH 4 + NO 3 in mid-May and soil NO 3 in early-June (r 2 = 0.83 and 0.76, respectively), than with inorganic N applied as manure or fertilizer (r 2 = 0.20). A soil N test after manure application in mid-May to early June may be the best N management tool for corn production on livestock farms in Ontario. Key words: Animal manure, fertilizer, corn yields, soil nitrate test, nitrogen availability