Effect of Drying on Phosphorus Distribution in Poultry Manure

Authors

Heidi W. Dail, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service
Zhongqi He, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research ServiceFollow
M. Susan Erich, University of Maine
C. Wayne Honeycutt, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2007

Comments

Published in Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 38: 1879–1895, 2007. DOI: 10.1080/00103620701435639

Abstract

Laboratory drying may alter manure phosphorus (P) distribution. The effects of freeze, air (22 °C), and oven (65 °C) drying on sequentially fractioned poultry manure P were examined. Higher drying temperatures resulted in lower percentage of dry matter. Increased H₂O- and decreased sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃)-extractable P with drying provided evidence that drying increases poultry manure P solubility. Labile fractions were predominantly inorganic P (P_i), whereas sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) fractions had significant amounts of organic P (P_o). Drying altered H₂O- and NaHCO₃-extractable P_i but had no consistent effect on P_o in these fractions. This work suggests that variations due to drying should be taken into consideration when evaluating manures for P availability or when comparing data in which different drying methods have been utilized.