Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T13:24:27.310Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A two-level unreplicated factorial experiment to determine the effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on dry matter yield of permanent pasture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2007

T. Astatkie ,
A.A. Joseph  and
R.C. Martin
T. Astatkie*
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, NS, Canada, B2N 5E3.
A.A. Joseph
Affiliation:
Department of Plant and Animal Sciences, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, NS, Canada, B2N 5E3.
R.C. Martin
Affiliation:
Department of Plant and Animal Sciences, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, NS, Canada, B2N 5E3.
*
*Corresponding author: Email: tastatkie@nsac.ca
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In organic pasture systems, the balance of soil fertility is maintained by maximizing the cycling of on-farm nutrients. In this study, the effect of fertility management on dry matter yield in organic pasture systems was examined using an unreplicated 25 factorial design. The factors were nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), compost and seaweed extract, each at two levels (with [+] and without [−]). The trials were conducted in 2000 and 2001 at two fields on an organic dairy farm in Nova Scotia, Canada. The pasture mix is predominantly perennial ryegrass, orchardgrass and white clover. The fertility treatments were applied in spring, and forage yield was collected from early-, mid- and late-summer harvests. The analysis revealed the significance of several interaction effects, which varied considerably from harvest to harvest. Both +N and +Compost treatments were associated with increased yield. High levels of P and K already present in the soil either diminished or varied the effects of P and K treatments. Seaweed extract enhanced the effectiveness of N and compost, but reduced yield when used alone. The results suggest that the commonly recommended use of seaweed extract for organic pasture management can be detrimental to biomass production unless sufficient nitrogen is provided. Despite the unusually dry weather in the 2 years, the study demonstrated the applicability of unreplicated two-level factorial experiments in agricultural field studies.

Keywords

compostseaweedLenth methodorganic pasture
Type
Review Article
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , June 2006 , pp. 106 - 113
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

01United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). 1997. World Resources 1996–1997. United Nations Environment Program, 1707. Street,, H, Suite, NW Suite 300, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
02Isherwood, K.F. 1998. Fertilizer Use and the Environment.International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), Paris, France.Google Scholar
03Murphy, B. 1998. Greener Pastures on Your Side of the Fence. 4th ed Arriba Publishing, Colchester, VT.Google Scholar
04Holt, N.W. and Zentner, R.P. 1985. Effects of applying inorganic fertilizer and farmyard manure on forage production and economic returns in east-central Saskatchewan. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 65: 597–607.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
05Campbell, C.A., Leyshon, A.J., Ukrainetz, H. and Zentner, R.P. 1986. Time of application and source of nitrogen fertilizer on yield, quality, nitrogen recovery, and net returns for dryland forage grasses. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 66: 915–931.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
06Mikhailova, E.A., Cherney, J.H., Cherney, D.J.R. 2003. Impact of phosphorous from dairy manure and commercial fertilizer on perennial grass forage production. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 189: 367–375.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
07Patriquin, D.G. 1986. Biological husbandry and the ‘N problem’. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture 3: 167–189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
08Saunders, W.M.H. 1984. Mineral composition of soil and pasture from areas of grazed paddocks, affected and unaffected by dung and urine. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 27: 405–412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
09Kalmbacher, R.S., Martin, F.G. and Rechcigl, J.E. 1993. Effect of N-P-K fertilization on yield and tiller density of creeping bluestem. Journal of Range Management 46: 452–457.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Overman, A.R. and Wilkinson, S.R. 1995. Extended logistic model of forage grass response to applied nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Journal of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 38: 103–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Warman, P.R. and Cooper, J.M. 2000. Fertilization of a mixed forage crop with fresh and composted chicken manure and NPK fertilizer: effects on dry matter yield and soil tissue N, P and K. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 80: 337–344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Vervoort, R.W., Radcliffe, D.E., Cabrera, M.L., Latimore, M. Jr. 1998. Nutrient losses in surface and subsurface flow from pasture applied poultry litter and composted poultry litter. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 50: 287–290.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13Muir, J.P. 2001. Dairy compost, variety, and stand age effects on kenaf forage yield, nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations, and uptake. Agronomy Journal 93: 1169–1173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Edmeades, D.C. 2002. The effects of liquid fertilizers derived from natural products on crop, pasture, and animal production: a review. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53: 965–976.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15Zodape, S.T. 2001. Seaweeds as a biofertilizer. Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research 60: 378–382.Google Scholar
16Fike, J.H., Allen, V.G., Schmidt, R.E., Zhang, X., Fontenot, J.P., Bagley, C.P., Ivy, R.L., Evans, R.R., Coelho, R.W. and Wester, D.B. 2001. Tasco-Forage: 1. Influence of a seaweed extract on antioxidant activity in tall fescue and in ruminants. Journal of Animal Science 79: 1011–1021.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Montgomery, D.C. 2001. Design and Analysis of Experiments 5th ed Wiley, New York.Google Scholar
18Lynch, D.H., Jannasch, R.W., Fredeen, A.H. and Martin, R.C. 2003. Improving the nutrient status of a commercial dairy farm, an integrated approach. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 18: 137–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19Warman,, P.R. and Walsh,, I.Y. 1996. The Value of Animal Manure. Final report to: Canada/Nova Scotia Agreement on the Agricultural Component of the Green Plan.Google Scholar
20Daniel, C. 1959. Use of half-normal plots in interpreting factorial two-level experiments. Technometrics 1: 311–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21Lenth, R.V. 1989. Quick and easy analysis of unreplicated factorials. Technometrics 31: 469–473.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22Minitab Inc. 2003. Minitab Release 14 Statistical Software. State College, PA Minitab Inc.Google Scholar
23Hamada, M. and Balakrishnan, N. 1998. Analyzing unreplicated factorial experiments: a review with some new proposals (with discussion). Statistica Sinica 8: 1–41.Google Scholar
24SAS Institute 1999. SAS OnlineDoc®,Version 8. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
25Harris, S.L., Thom, E.R. and Clark, D.A. 1996. Effect of high rates of nitrogen fertilizer on perennial ryegrass growth and morphology in grazed dairy pasture in northern New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 30: 159–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26Tourte, L., Bugg, R.L. and Shennan, C. 2000. Foliar-applied seaweed and fish powder do not improve yield and fruit quality of organically grown processing tomatoes. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture 18: 15–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27Kowalski, B., Jager, A.K., Van Staden, J. 1999. The effect of a seaweed concentrate on the in vitro growth and acclimatization of potato plantlets. Potato Research 42: 131–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28Unkovich, M., Jamieson, N., Monaghan, R. and Barraclough, D. 1998. Nitrogen mineralization and plant nitrogen acquisition in a nitrogen-limited calcareous grassland. Environmental and Experimental Botany 40: 209–219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29Littell, R.C., Henry, P.R. and Ammerman, C.B. 1998. Statistical analysis of repeated measures data using SAS procedures. Journal of Animal Science 76: 1216–1231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar