Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture - Evaluating the Application of Liquid Dairy Manure to Barley at 4 to 5 Leaf Growth Stage

Abstract: Preplant and post-emergence application of liquid dairy manure to barley were compared to inorganic-N fertilizer at three rates in the field. The experimental set up was a 3 x 3 factorial randomized complete block design with a control and 4 replicates. The factors were N source (broadcast preplant NH4NO3, preplant manure and post-emergence manure) and N application rate (low, medium and high). The post-emergence manure treatments were applied at the 4 to 5 leaf growth stage of barley. Barley yield and protein contents were measured. Statistical analyses showed that there were no significant treatment differences in yield but that the preplant N-fertilizer and manure treatments resulted in significantly higher barley protein content than the post-emergence manure treatment and the control. The repeated yearly applications of manure at this site resulted in high soil fertility levels that overshadowed any yield response to N fertilizer. Post-emergence application of manure to barley is a promising alternative for spring application of manure although more detailed data on yield loss in the wheel tracks are required to establish its significance at the field scale.

¹Land Resources Branch, NBDARD, Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1
²Regional Office, NBDARD, Sussex, NB E4E 7H7