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Yield and nutrient export of grain corn fertilized with raw and treated liquid
swine manure

Article  in  Agronomy journal · January 2008

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 Yield and Nutrient Export of Grain Corn Fertilized with Raw and
Treated Liquid Swine Manure
Martin H. Chantigny,* Denis A. Angers, Gilles Bélanger, Philippe Rochette, Nikita Eriksen-
Hamel, Shabtai Bittman, Katherine Buckley, Daniel Massé, and Marc-Olivier Gasser

ABSTRACT
Treatment of liquid swine manure (LSM) is an option to improve nutrient management. Mineral fertilizer, raw LSM, and LSM
treated by anaerobic digestion, flocculation, fi ltration, or natural decantation were sidedressed (100 kg N ha−1) to grain corn
(Zea mays L.) on a clay and a loam soil. Over 3 yr, corn grain yield (6 to 11 Mg ha−1), N export (83 to 176 kg ha−1), and P export

Manure
(19 to 40 kg ha−1) were similar among LSM types and between LSMs and mineral fertilizer. Th is was attributed to the immedi-
ate incorporation of LSM to minimize N volatilization. Treated LSMs reduced P input to soil by 3 to 24 kg ha−1, compared with
raw LSM. Th is reduced corn P export by 2 to 4 kg ha−1 on the clay soil, but had no effect on the loam soil. Soil NO3 content after
harvest was higher with the mineral fertilizer (19–31 kg NO3 –N ha−1) than with LSMs (13–20 kg NO3 –N ha−1) in the clay soil,
but was similar for all treatments in the loam soil. We conclude that when sidedressed to corn and immediately incorporated,
raw and treated LSMs have a fertilizer value similar to the mineral fertilizer. Moreover, the risk of postharvest NO3 accumulation
with the raw and treated LSMs was similar to mineral fertilizer on the loam and lower on the clay.

M ore than 7 million hogs are produced annually

in the province of Québec, Canada, and 75% of this pro-
duction is concentrated in areas dominated by grain corn pro-
duction (Bureau d’Audiences Publiques sur l’Environnement,
2003), representing about 350,000 ha. In many soils of those
areas, applications of swine manure have long exceeded crop
nutrient requirements, resulting in soil P enrichment (Simard
et al., 1995) and increasing the transfer of P and NO3 to sur-
face and ground water (Beauchemin et al., 1998).
Swine manure is often managed as a slurry due to ease of
collection and application. The great availability of nutrients
in LSM makes it amenable to applications to standing crops.
However, separation of animal manure slurries into dry matter
(DM) rich and clarified liquid fractions can provide additional
flexibility in manure nutrient management by concentrating
P in the DM rich fraction, while most N remains in the liquid
fraction (Pain et al., 1978; Møller et al., 2000). Chantigny et
al. (2007) compared the effect of several manure treatments
on the partition of DM, N, and P in LSM. They reported that
anaerobic digestion and chemical flocculation removed 65 to
M.H. Chantigny, D.A. Angers, G. Bélanger, P. Rochette, and N. Eriksen-
Hamel, Agric. and Agri-Food Canada, Soils and Crops Res. and Dev. Cent.,
2560 Hochelaga Blvd, Québec, QC, Canada, G1V 2J3; S. Bittman, Agric.
and Agri-Food Canada, Pacific Agric. Res. Cent., Box 1000, Agassiz, BC,
Canada, V0M 1A0; K. Buckley, Agric. and Agri-Food Canada, Brandon Res.
Cent., 18th St. & Grand Valley Road, Brandon, MB, Canada, R7A 5Y3; D.
Massé, Agric. and Agri-Food Canada, Dairy Cattle and Swine Res. Cent.,
2000 College St., C.P. 90, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada, J1M 1Z3; and M.-O.
Gasser, Inst. de recherche et de dév. en agroenvironnement, 2700 Einstein
St., Québec, QC, Canada, G1P 3W8. Received 1 Nov. 2007. *Corresponding
author (chantignym@agr.gc.ca).
Published in Agron. J. 100:1303–1309 (2008).
doi:10.2134/agronj2007.0361
Copyright © 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy,
677 South Segoe Road, Madison, WI 53711. All rights
reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or
any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher.
70% of the initial DM in LSM, compared with 30 to 40% for
natural decantation and fi ltration. In addition, depending on
the treatment type, 30 to 80% of initial P could be removed
from LSM and concentrated in the DM rich fraction, whereas
>85% of initial N remained in the liquid fraction.
The DM rich fraction of treated LSMs can thus be used as a
P-based organic fertilizer. For farm operations facing a P surplus,
the DM rich fraction can be more easily exported to other farms
or to composting or fertilizer processing plants. Because it con-
tains >95% water, the liquid fraction of LSM usually remains on
farm where it is valued as a N-rich liquid fertilizer.
In field trials, LSM was found to be as efficient as mineral
fertilizers for the production of grain crops (Balik and Olfs,
1998; McLaughlin et al., 2000; Daudén and Quìlez, 2004;
Ball Coelho et al., 2005; Carter and Campbell, 2006; Kwaw-
Mensah and Al-Kaisi, 2006) due to its high nutrient availabil-
ity. In the province of Québec, however, only 70% of total N
is credited for LSM sidedressed to corn cropped on soils with
<30% clay, and 60% on soils with >30% clay; in contrast, 100%
of P is credited for LSM sidedressed to corn on all soil texture
classes (Centre de Référence en Agriculture et Agroalimentaire
du Québec, 2003).
Few field studies have assessed the effect of treated LSMs
on crop yield and nutrient uptake. Perennial forage yields
were similar to or slightly higher with anaerobically digested
(Rubaek et al., 1996), mechanically separated (Mattila et
al., 2003), and chemically flocculated LSM (Chantigny et
al., 2007) than with raw LSM. For corn, similar yields were
reported with anaerobically digested and raw LSM (Loria et al.,
2007). Nitrogen uptake by cereals receiving LSM was increased
by the mechanical removal of DM (Sørensen and Thomsen,
2005). Chantigny et al. (2007) observed that N uptake by
forage fertilized with anaerobically digested and chemically
Abbreviations: LSM, liquid swine manure; DM, dry matter; FUE, fertilizer
use efficiency; ANR, apparent N recovery.

A g r o n o my J o u r n a l • Vo l u m e 10 0 , I s s u e 5 • 2008 1303
flocculated LSM was similar to that obtained with mineral fer-
tilizers, but was lower with raw, decanted, and fi ltered LSMs.
Soil NO3 content after harvest was similar or lower with
LSM than with mineral fertilizers when both were managed
similarly (Beauchamp, 1986; Diez et al., 2001; Daudén and
Quìlez, 2004). In agreement, Chantigny et al. (2007) reported
similar soil NO3 content after harvest with mineral fertilizer,
raw LSM, and treated LSMs applied to perennial forage. We
are not aware of studies comparing the effect of mineral fertil-
izer, raw, and treated LSMs on crop P uptake or NO3 accumu-
lation in soils cropped to corn.
The objective of this study was to compare mineral fertilizer,
raw LSM, and treated LSMs (anaerobically digested, anaerobi-
cally digested/flocculated, fi ltered, and decanted) on two soils
of contrasting texture for corn grain yield, N and P exports,
and soil NO3 content after harvest.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Manure Collection and Analyses
Raw LSM was obtained during the winters of 2004, 2005,
and 2006 from a commercial farrow-to-finish swine operation.
Animals were fed a corn-soybean-based diet and raised in a
slatted-floor barn with minimal bedding. The LSM was col-
lected by composite subsampling during the emptying of the
transfer tank. The LSM had been accumulating for about 48
h in the transfer tank at time of collection. The collected LSM
was thoroughly stirred and part of it was transferred into an
anaerobic, psychrophilic batch digestor as described by Massé
et al. (1996). The rest of the manure was stored in four 1-m3
plastic containers for 6 wk in the dark at 15°C.
After this storage period, the upper half of raw LSM was
pumped out of two plastic containers and transferred to an
empty 1-m3 container. This manure was labeled Decanted
LSM and represented the clarified fraction of LSM after 6
wk of natural settling of solids. Manure from a third plastic
container was passed through a rotary vacuum (–66 kPa) fi lter
with porosity of 10 μm. The draining liquid was collected in
a plastic container and labeled Filtered LSM. Manure in the
fourth plastic container was used as is and labeled Raw LSM.
After digesting for 1 mo, part of the anaerobically digested
LSM was transferred into a 1-m3 plastic container and labeled
Digested LSM, whereas another part of the digested material
was transferred into a plastic tank and chemically flocculated
with the polymer Aquaperl (Les produits environnementaux
Atlas Inc., Sherbrooke, QC, Canada) and a copolymer of a
quaternary acrylate salt and acrylamide (Chemfloc CTT 8668,
CHEMCO Inc., St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC, Canada).
The flocks were allowed to precipitate at the bottom of the tank
for 48 h and 1 m3 of the surface liquid fraction was transferred
in a plastic container and labeled Digested/Flocculated LSM.
The various LSM types were transported to the experimental
sites, subsampled, and analyzed to determine application rates
based on total N content. The LSMs were continuously stirred
during field application and subsampled for detailed charac-
terization and to calculate actual N application rates. On each
application date, a 2-L composite sample was collected from
each LSM type. The LSM samples were homogenized with a
Polytron (Model PT 3100, Kinematica AG, Littau-Lucerne,
1304
Switzerland) for 2 min and tested for pH by direct reading
with a glass electrode.
All other analyses were made in triplicate for each LSM type.
The DM content was determined as the weight of material
remaining after drying 100 mL of LSM at 55°C for 96 h. Total
C concentration was measured by injecting 50 μL of homog-
enized LSM into an automated combustion C analyzer (Model
Formacs, Skalar Analytical, De Breda, The Netherlands).
Total N and P concentrations of the homogenized LSM
samples were determined by acid digestion as described by
Chantigny et al. (2007). The concentrations of NH4 and PO4
in the acid digests were measured with an automated continu-
ous-flow injection analyzer (Model QuickChem 8000 FIA+,
Lachat Instruments, Loveland, CO).
The mineral N content in LSM was determined by shaking
10 mL of LSM with 50 mL of 1 M KCl for 60 min. The extract
was fi ltered with prewashed (1 M KCl) fi lter papers (Whatman
#42). Blank samples were used to detect any N contaminations.
The NH4, NO3, and NO2 concentrations were measured in the
extracts with the automated continuous-flow injection analyzer
described above. The sum of NO3–N and NO2–N contents
always accounted for <0.1% of total mineral N in LSM.
Study Sites and Experimental Design
The field sites were located at the Chapais Research Farm of
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (latitude 46° 05´ N; lon-
gitude 71° 02´ W; altitude 110 m) on a clay soil (clayey, mixed,
frigid, Typic Humaquept) and a loam soil (loamy, mixed, frigid,
Typic Dystrochrept), with mean annual air temperature of 4°C
and annual precipitation of 1200 mm. Before the experiment,
the clay soil (508 g clay kg−1, 93 g sand kg−1) had been under
bare fallow for 2 yr, whereas the loam soil (163 g clay kg−1, 470
g sand kg−1) was cropped to alfalfa. Both soils were plowed
in autumn 2003 to a depth of 0.2 m. At the beginning of the
experiment (spring 2004), the clay soil had 46.8 g C kg−1, 3.4 g
N kg−1, 18.2 mg Mehlich-3 P kg−1, a pH (1:2, soil:water ratio)
of 6.5, and a bulk density of 1.04 g cm−3; the loam soil had 29.9
g C kg−1, 2.1 g N kg−1, 28.7 mg Mehlich-3 P kg−1, a pH of 6.0,
and a bulk density of 1.06 g cm−3.
The experimental plot size was 4.5 by 8 m. Each spring
(2004–2006), between 10 and 15 May, the soils were har-
rowed to a depth of 0.05 to 0.1 m. Each plot was manually
seeded with grain corn (cv. HL-2017, 2300 Corn Heat Units;
0.75 m between rows; 0.2 m seed spacing) between 15 and 21
May. The recommended N rate for grain corn in the area of
study is 130 kg N ha−1, split between 20 to 50 kg at planting
and the balance at the 4- to 6-leaf stage (Centre de Référence
en Agriculture et Agroalimentaire du Québec, 2003). In this
study, 30 kg N ha−1 was applied as NH4 NO3 (33.5–0–0) at
seeding to all but the control (0 N) plots. In addition, 20 kg
P ha−1 as triple superphosphate (0–46–0) and 40 kg K ha−1
as KCl (0–0–60) were also applied to all plots, including the
control plots, based on initial soil tests and recommended rates
in the area of study (Centre de Référence en Agriculture et
Agroalimentaire du Québec, 2003). All fertilizers were surface
banded 0.15 m from the corn row.
At the 4- to 6-leaf stage of corn, 100 kg N ha−1 was side-
dressed either as mineral fertilizer (NH4 NO3), as raw LSM, or
as one of the four treated LSMs described above; control plots
Agronomy Journal • Volume 100, Issue 5 • 2008
received no N. The rate of N applied as raw and treated LSMs
was based on their total N content. All fertilizers were band
applied in furrows (0.1 m deep, 0.15 m from the corn row),
which were manually covered with soil within 2 min of applica-
tion. With this method, N losses through volatilization were
assumed to be less than 5% of total N applied (Rochette et al.,
2001). Experimental treatments therefore included a control
(0 N), mineral fertilizer, raw LSM, and four pretreated LSMs.
Each treatment was replicated four times in a randomized com-
plete block design. Treatments were applied to the same plots
for 3 yr (2004–2006).
Crop Harvest and Analyses
Corn was harvested at maturity in early to mid-October of
each growing season. Grain DM yield was determined by har-
vesting all ears in a 4.5-m2 area on the three innermost rows of
each plot. Ears were also manually collected from the remain-
ing plants and discarded. Stover was chopped with a mechani-
cal harvester, evenly distributed on the surface of the plots, and
the soil was plowed to a depth of 0.2 m.
The harvested ears were dried at 55°C for 96 h. After drying,
the grain was manually separated from the cobs and weighed to
determine grain DM yield. Grain samples (100 g) were ground
using a Wiley mill (Standard model 3, Arthur H. Thomas
Co., Philadelphia, PA) fitted with a 1-mm screen, and N and
P concentrations were determined using a method adapted
from Isaac and Johnson (1976) as described by Chantigny et
al. (2007). Grain N and P export (kg ha−1) was the product of
grain DM yield by its N and P concentration.
The FUE and ANR of the grain portion were calculated
as: FUE (kg DM kg−1 N) = [grain DM yield in fertilized plot
(kg ha−1) – grain DM yield in control plot (kg ha−1)]/Total N
applied (kg N ha−1); ANR (%) = {[grain N export in treatment
plot (kg ha−1) – grain N export in control plot (kg ha−1)]/Total
N applied (kg ha−1)} × 100.
Soil Sampling and Analyses
Soils were sampled 2 to 3 wk after crop harvest to determine
soil residual NO3 contents. Three soil cores were collected
(0– 0.6 m) from each plot with a hydraulic steel auger (0.053 m
internal diam.). To standardize sampling across spatial variabil-
ity induced by the banding of fertilizers, one core was collected
in the fertilizer band, one in the interrow, and one directly in
the corn row. Each soil core was subdivided in 0- to 0.2-, 0.2- to
0.4-, and 0.4- to 0.6-m depths and the three cores of each soil
layer were mixed to make a composite sample. Soil samples
were brought to the laboratory and large aggregates were manu-
ally broken to make samples more
Table 1. Selected properties of the different types of raw and treated liquid swine manure used
homogeneous. The gravimetric in the 3 yr of the study.
water content of soil samples
was determined as the weight Raw
loss after drying at 105°C for 24 Property 2004 2005 2006 2004 2005 2006 2004 2005 2006 2004 2005 2006 2004 2005 2006
h. Soil mineral N content was pH 7.5 8.0 7.2
determined by extracting 25 g of DM, kg m–3† 52 58 116 27
field-moist soil with 125 mL of 1 Total N, kg m–3 7.0 7.7 9.1
NH4–N, kg m–3 4.3 5.7 5.9
M KCl. Soil slurries were shaken Total P, kg m–3 1.4 1.7 2.8
for 1 h on a reciprocal shaker, TN/TP‡ 5.0 4.5 3.2
centrifuged (3000 × g; 10 min), † DM, dry matter.
and fi ltered through Whatman ‡ Ratio of total N to total P.
Agronomy Journal • Volume 100, Issue 5 • 2008
no. 42 fi lter papers prewashed with 1 M KCl. The extracts were
frozen (–20°C) and stored until analyzed for NO3 by colorim-
etry with the automated analyzer described for LSM analysis.
Statistical Analyses
The treatment and year effects, and their interaction were
tested separately at each experimental site for corn grain
DM yield, grain N and P exports, FUE, ANR, and soil NO3
content after harvest with the MIXED procedure of SAS
Version 8 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC). In the MIXED model,
an unstructured covariance structure was fitted for all years
according to the selection criteria outlined by Park and Lee
(2002) and Wang and Goonewardene (2004). A separate
ANOVA was also conducted for each site and year to test the
treatment effects on grain DM yield, grain N and P exports,
FUE, ANR, and soil NO3 content using the GLM procedure.
The results on each year (GLM procedure) are presented along
with the 3-yr average even where the treatment by year interac-
tion was not significant with the MIXED analysis to provide
a more thorough perspective of the cumulative treatment
effects. Treatments were compared using orthogonal contrasts.
Comparisons were made between the control and fertilized
treatments (CTL vs. FERT), between the mineral fertilizer
and all LSM types (MF vs. all LSM), between the raw and all
treated LSMs (RAW vs. TREATED), between the biological/
chemical (Digested and Digested/Flocculated LSMs) and the
mechanical (Decanted and Filtered LSMs) treatments (BIOL
vs. MECH), between digested and digested/flocculated LSMs
(DIG vs. FLO), and between decanted and fi ltered LSMs
(DEC vs. FIL). Treatment differences were considered statisti-
cally significant at P < 0.05.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Liquid Swine Manure Characteristics
The composition of each LSM type was similar across years
with the exception of a two- to threefold increase in DM con-
tent in raw and decanted LSMs in 2006, compared with 2004
and 2005 (Table 1). The main explanation for this difference
is that manure collected from the transfer tank was derived
from both sow and fattening pigs in 2004 and 2005, whereas
it mostly originated from fattening pigs at time of collection
in 2006. This higher DM content of raw LSM in 2006 was
reflected in the DM content of decanted LSM, but had little
influence on the characteristics of other treated LSMs.
The DM content of raw LSM was decreased by 36 to 62%
with decantation, by 48 to 78% with digestion, and by 71 to
90% with fi ltration and digestion/flocculation (Table 1). Total
Digested/
Digested flocculated Decanted Filtered
8.2 8.4 8.2 8.4 8.5 8.3 7.8 8.1 7.3 7.9 8.2 8.0
29 25 10 12 11 24 22 74 15 16 13
4.9 6.6 6.1 4.6 5.2 5.4 6.2 6.5 8.4 5.7 5.3 5.6
4.2 5.1 4.8 3.8 4.6 4.5 4.4 5.4 6.2 3.6 4.2 5.1
0.9 1.4 1.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.6 0.5 1.0 0.2 0.2 0.2
5.4 4.7 4.7 23.0 26.0 27.0 10.3 13.0 8.4 28.5 26.5 28.0
1305
N concentration was decreased by 14 to 33% with digestion, accumulates on the sides of the anaerobic digester (Shu et al.,
by 8 to 16% with decantation, and by 18 to 41% with fi ltra- 2006). As the content of the digester was not agitated during
tion and digestion/flocculation. The NH4 –N concentration transfer of the digestate to the storage container, settled sol-
was less affected by treatments than total N, indicating that ids, struvite, and associated P were mostly excluded from the
the decrease in total N was mainly caused by the removal of digested LSM used in our study. Even though P content was
organic N. reduced in the digested LSM, the N to P ratio was about the
Compared with the raw LSM, P content was 18 to 53% same as raw LSM (Table 1). Greater decrease in P content with
lower in anaerobically digested LSM and 57 to 71% lower in decantation, fi ltration, and digestion/flocculation, however,
decanted LSM; P removal efficiency reached >85% with diges- raised the N to P ratio of LSM by two- to sixfold. In agreement
tion/flocculation and fi ltration (Table 1). While the decline with previous studies (Sommer and Husted, 1995; Chantigny
in P is explained by the removal of solids during decantation, et al., 2007), decantation had little effect on the pH of LSM,
fi ltration, and digestion/flocculation, the decline that occurred but anaerobic digestion, with or without flocculation, and fi l-
during anaerobic digestion was most likely due to (i) the set- tration increased it by up to 1.1 unit (Table 1).
tling of solids at the bottom of the digester and (ii) the forma- The application rates of LSM were based on preliminary
tion of struvite (MgNH4PO4 · 6H2O), which precipitates and analysis of the total N content before field application. The
various LSM types were sampled again during field applica-
Table 2. Actual amounts of N and P sidedressed† as mineral fer-
tilizer (MF) or as raw or treated liquid swine manure (LSM) at tion and analyzed to determine the actual amounts of N and
the 4- to 6-leaf stage of corn. P applied. Based on this second analysis, the actual amounts
N source 2004 2005 2006 Mean‡ 2004 2005 2006 Mean‡ of N applied were higher than expected for raw LSM in 2005,
kg N ha–1 kg P ha–1 and lower than expected for raw, digested, digested/floccu-
MF 100 100 100 100 0 0 0 0 lated, and decanted LSMs in 2006 (Table 2). When averaged
LSM type
over the 3 yr of the experiment, however, N application rates
Raw 107 124 87 106 21 28 27 25
Digested 110 113 88 104 24 25 17 22 were reasonably close to 100 kg ha−1 for all LSM types. As all
Digested/flocculated 97 103 87 96 4 4 3 4 LSMs were applied on a total N basis, P application rates were
Decanted 107 105 88 100 10 8 11 10 3 to 24 kg ha−1 yr−1 lower with the treated LSMs than with
Filtered 108 100 101 103 4 4 3 4
the raw LSM.
† Values do not include starter fertilizers: 20 kg P ha –1 as triple superphosphate to all
plots; 30 kg N ha –1 as NH4NO3 to all plots except the control.
‡ Average values for 2004 to 2006. Corn Yield and Nutrient Uptake
The treatment effect across years was sta-
Table 3. Analysis of variance (P values) comparing seven treatments over 3 yr for
corn grain yield, N and P exports, and postharvest soil NO3 content in a clay soil tistically significant in both soils for corn
and a loam soil. grain yield and N export, but not for P export
Clay Loam (Table 3). The year effect was highly sig-
Sources of N P Soil N P Soil nificant for grain yield and N and P exports,
variation Yield export export NO3 Yield export export NO3 indicating that crop growth and nutrient
P>F uptake were affected by interannual varia-
Treatment (TRT) <0.001 <0.001 0.12 0.042 0.020 <0.001 0.55 0.32
Year (Y) <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 0.043 <0.001 <0.001 0.002 <0.001
tions in growing conditions. In particular,
TRT × Y 0.63 0.30 0.60 0.83 0.48 0.028 0.47 0.94 grain yield (Table 4), N export (Table 5), and
P export (Table 6) were lower in 2004 than in
Table 4. Grain dry matter (DM) yield of corn sidedressed with mineral fertilizer 2005 and 2006 in both soils. Because of fre-
(MF) or with raw or treated liquid swine manure (LSM) and cropped on a clay quent and abundant precipitation, soils were
soil and a loam soil. particularly wet from mid-June to the end of
Clay Loam July 2004, especially the clay soil, which had
N source 2004 2005 2006 Mean† 2004 2005 2006 Mean† a water-filled pore space between 0.75 and
Mg DM ha–1 0.80 m 3 m−3 during this period. This nega-
Control (CTL) 4.7 9.4 8.6 7.5 7.3 8.4 9.4 8.4
MF 6.3 10.7 9.5 8.8 8.3 10.3 10.3 9.6 tively affected corn development and most
LSM type likely explains the low grain yield and nutrient
Raw 5.9 10.9 10.9 9.2 8.1 10.8 10.2 9.7 export measured in 2004. The treatment by
Digested (DIG) 6.2 10.8 10.6 9.2 8.1 10.2 10.2 9.5
year interaction was significant only on the
Digested/flocculated (FLO) 6.2 10.6 10.3 9.0 8.5 10.0 10.4 9.6
Decanted (DEC) 6.1 11.3 10.3 9.2 8.3 10.1 10.5 9.6 loam soil for N export (Table 3).
Filtered (FIL) 5.6 11.0 10.2 8.9 8.4 10.8 10.4 9.9 The application of N, either as mineral
SEM (n = 4; df = 18) 0.52 0.46 0.54 0.21 0.40 0.67 0.55 0.32 fertilizer or LSM, increased corn grain yield
Contrasts‡ P>F
by 0.9 to 2.3 Mg ha−1 on the clay soil and by
CTL vs. FERT 0.003 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 0.004 0.001 0.026 0.001
MF vs. all LSM 0.52 0.61 0.037 0.23 0.98 0.91 0.95 0.93 0.8 to 2.4 Mg ha−1 on the loam soil, compared
RAW vs. TREATED 0.68 0.83 0.24 0.71 0.42 0.37 0.69 0.96 with the control treatment (Table 4). Though
BIOL vs. MECH 0.31 0.18 0.66 0.87 0.78 0.47 0.69 0.49 N fertilization increased grain yield in both
DIG vs. FLO 0.98 0.64 0.58 0.56 0.30 0.71 0.71 0.75
soils and in all years, grain yield in the control
DEC vs. FIL 0.40 0.55 0.74 0.31 0.71 0.27 0.86 0.50
† Average values for 2004 to 2006.
treatment was always at least 75% of that in N
‡ FERT, fertilized treatments (MF, RAW, DIG, FLO, DEC, FIL); TREATED, treated LSMs (DIG, FLO,
treatments, indicating that the experimental
DEC, FIL); BIOL, biological/chemical treatments (DIG, FLO); MECH, mechanical treatments (DEC, FIL). sites were relatively fertile.

1306 Agronomy Journal • Volume 100, Issue 5 • 2008

 Similar (P > 0.05) grain yields were obtained Table 5. Nitrogen exported in grain of corn sidedressed with mineral fertilizer
(MF) or with raw or treated liquid swine manure (LSM) and cropped on a clay
with the mineral fertilizer and LSMs in both soil and a loam soil.
soils, except on the clay soil in 2006 when Clay Loam
grain yields were higher with the LSMs than N source 2004 2005 2006 Mean† 2004 2005 2006 Mean†
with the mineral fertilizer (Table 4). Th is is in kg N ha–1
agreement with other field studies, reporting Control (CTL) 68 121 128 106 100 101 120 107
similar yields for grain crops receiving LSM MF 94 170 156 140 130 169 166 155
or mineral fertilizers (Balik and Olfs, 1998; LSM type
Raw 86 165 176 142 125 174 155 151
McLaughlin et al., 2000; Daudén and Quílez,
Digested (DIG) 95 168 169 144 127 160 149 146
2004; Ball Coelho et al., 2005; Carter and Digested/flocculated (FLO) 91 161 159 137 133 164 156 151
Campbell, 2006; Kwaw-Mensah and Al-Kaisi, Decanted (DEC) 90 173 163 142 128 159 159 149
2006). Chantigny et al. (2007) reported simi- Filtered (FIL) 83 166 157 135 131 175 163 156
lar or lower yield for perennial forage fertilized SEM (n = 4; df = 18) 9.2 12.4 11.1 5.4 8.1 12.7 12.8 6.7
Contrasts‡ P>F
with LSM than with a mineral fertilizer. In
CTL vs. FERT 0.006 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001
their study, LSMs were surface applied and the MF vs. all LSM 0.49 0.75 0.29 0.94 0.81 0.79 0.35 0.49
reduction in crop yield was closely related to RAW vs. TREATED 0.60 0.86 0.13 0.62 0.50 0.36 0.84 0.88
the amount of NH3 –N volatilized from the BIOL vs. MECH 0.36 0.61 0.61 0.71 0.94 0.57 0.38 0.48
applied manure. In the present study, LSMs DIG vs. FLO 0.68 0.61 0.37 0.35 0.52 0.73 0.60 0.52
DEC vs. FIL 0.50 0.57 0.57 0.36 0.69 0.22 0.79 0.38
were immediately incorporated into soil to
† Average values for 2004 to 2006.
minimize N volatilization. Th is most likely
‡ FERT, fertilized treatments (MF, RAW, DIG, FLO, DEC, FIL); TREATED, treated LSMs (DIG, FLO, DEC,
explains why corn grain yields were generally FIL); BIOL, biological/chemical treatments (DIG, FLO); MECH, mechanical treatments (DEC, FIL).
similar with LSMs and the mineral fertilizer.
Table 6. Phosphorus exported in grain of corn sidedressed with mineral fertilizer
Grain yields were higher with LSMs than with (MF) or with raw or treated liquid swine manure (LSM) and cropped on a clay soil
the mineral fertilizer in the clay soil in 2006 and a loam soil.
(Table 4). This may be due to indirect effects of Clay Loam
LSM on soil quality and on the availability of N source 2004 2005 2006 Mean† 2004 2005 2006 Mean†
several nutrients (Ginting et al., 2003; Eghball kg P ha–1
et al., 2004), which may further stimulate crop Control (CTL) 18 30 33 27 26 26 34 29
growth compared with mineral fertilization. In MF 22 32 34 30 28 28 30 29
LSM type
contrast, the similar grain yield found between Raw 22 32 40 31 28 32 29 30
LSMs and the mineral fertilizer on the loam soil Digested (DIG) 22 27 34 28 28 27 29 28
in 2006 suggests that such beneficial effects of Digested/flocculated (FLO) 22 32 32 29 28 30 30 29
Decanted (DEC) 22 32 28 27 28 31 34 31
LSM may take longer to be expressed on loam
Filtered (FIL) 19 28 33 27 28 31 32 30
soils than on clay soils. Alternatively, the appar- SEM (n = 4; df = 18) 1.9 2.5 4.9 1.1 2.2 3.0 2.8 1.2
ently lower P availability (Mehlich-3) in the clay Contrasts‡ P>F
(18.2 mg kg−1) than in the loam soil (28.7 mg CTL vs. FERT 0.016 0.82 0.90 0.20 0.24 0.10 0.14 0.45
−1 MF vs. all LSM 0.84 0.33 0.77 0.38 0.99 0.33 0.72 0.38
kg ) may have interfered with corn response RAW vs. TREATED 0.72 0.31 0.055 0.011 0.96 0.46 0.42 0.97
to the treatments; the additional P applied with BIOL vs. MECH 0.29 0.63 0.46 0.34 0.95 0.32 0.096 0.10
LSMs may have stimulated corn yield in 2006 DIG vs. FLO 0.90 0.087 0.74 0.54 0.93 0.40 0.83 0.46
on the clay soil, compared with the mineral DEC vs. FIL 0.17 0.14 0.30 0.79 0.81 0.94 0.39 0.64
fertilizer. Another explanation would be that † Average values for 2004 to 2006.

the decomposition of alfalfa incorporated in ‡ FERT, fertilized treatments (MF, RAW, DIG, FLO, DEC, FIL); TREATED, treated LSMs (DIG, FLO, DEC, FIL);
BIOL, biological/chemical treatments (DIG, FLO); MECH, mechanical treatments (DEC, FIL).
the loam soil at the initiation of the experiment
likely increased the soil N supply and possibly
masked the beneficial effects of repeated LSM applications in this incorporated into soil in the present study to minimize N vola-
soil. Finally, the climatic conditions in 2006 may also have been tilization. Our results suggest that this resulted in similar N
favorable to N mineralization and supply to corn in the loam soil. availability from all LSM types.
This hypothesis is supported by the larger N export (+20 kg ha−1) The application of mineral fertilizer and LSMs increased N
in control plots in 2006 than in 2004 and 2005 in the loam soil export in grain by 20 to 48 kg N ha−1 on the clay soil, and by 25 to
(Table 5). 74 kg N ha−1 on the loam soil, compared with the control (Table 5).
Grain yields were similar between the raw and the treated The amount of N exported in grain was similar between the mineral
LSMs, and among the treated LSMs (Table 4). Similar or fertilizer and LSMs, between the raw and treated LSMs, and among
higher crop yields with treated than with raw LSM have been treated LSMs. The amount of N applied in each experimental treat-
reported (Rubaek et al., 1996; Mattila et al., 2003; Chantigny ment was not exactly the same in each year and among N treatments
et al., 2007; Loria et al., 2007). In those previous studies, the (Table 2). This may have induced additional variability in grain N
various LSMs were surface applied. Chantigny et al. (2007) export and may have masked differences among N treatments. To
observed that treated LSMs infi ltrated more rapidly in soil and, correct for this experimental variability, we compared the FUE
therefore, emitted less NH3 than raw LSM, resulting in higher and ANR among N treatments since these indicators compare the
N availability. As discussed above, LSMs were immediately crop response per unit of N applied. Confirming the results of grain

Agronomy Journal • Volume 100, Issue 5 • 2008 1307

Table 7. NO3 content in a clay soil and a loam soil after harvest of corn sid- form at time of application. As corn N export with
edressed with mineral fertilizer (MF) or with raw or treated liquid swine
manure (LSM). LSMs was similar to that of the mineral fertilizer,
Clay Loam
we assume that organic N in LSM became mostly
N source 2004 2005 2006 Mean† 2004 2005 2006 Mean†
available to the crop during the growing season.
kg NO3–N ha–1 Alternatively, as discussed above, it is possible that
Control (CTL) 13 12 17 14 25 14 11 17 LSM applications improved soil quality and the
MF 19 27 31 25 37 20 17 25 availability of several micronutrients. This could
LSM type
Raw 16 19 15 17 29 17 17 21
further stimulate crop growth and compensate for
Digested (DIG) 16 18 20 18 36 15 12 21 a lower N availability from LSM compared with
Digested/flocculated (FLO) 18 19 19 19 42 18 16 25 mineral fertilizers.
Decanted (DEC) 13 18 17 16 35 20 14 23
Filtered (FIL) 15 17 20 18 38 19 23 27
SEM (n = 4; df = 18) 3.9 4.0 4.0 2.5 10.8 3.4 5.3 3.7
Postharvest Soil NO3
Contrasts‡ P>F The accumulation of NO3 in soil after harvest is of
CTL vs. FERT 0.24
0.024 0.22 0.040 0.20 0.14 0.16 0.044 concern due to the risk of leaching and greenhouse
MF vs. all LSM 0.36
0.014 0.001 0.004 0.89 0.36 0.76 0.62 gas emissions. The content of soil NO3 after harvest
RAW vs. TREATED 0.90
0.82 0.22 0.68 0.34 0.63 0.86 0.38
BIOL vs. MECH 0.26
0.74 0.88 0.46 0.74 0.26 0.20 0.57
was influenced by treatment and year in the clay soil,
DIG vs. FLO 0.63
0.79 0.72 0.86 0.65 0.44 0.47 0.36 and by year in the loam soil, but there was no treat-
DEC vs. FIL 0.56
0.91 0.48 0.59 0.72 0.66 0.14 0.42 ment by year interaction (Table 3). The year effect
† Average values for 2004 to 2006. on NO3 content in the clay soil was reflected by the
‡ FERT, fertilized treatments (MF, RAW, DIG, FLO, DEC, FIL); TREATED, treated LSMs (DIG, FLO, generally lower NO3 content in 2004 than in 2005
DEC, FIL); BIOL, biological/chemical treatments (DIG, FLO); MECH, mechanical treatments (DEC, FIL).
and 2006 (Table 7). This might be explained by the
particularly high soil moisture content in 2004 in
N export, there were no significant differences in FUE and ANR this soil, as mentioned above, which likely favored NO3 loss
between the mineral fertilizer and LSMs, between the raw and through leaching and denitrification. In the loam soil, the
treated LSMs, and among the treated LSMs (data not shown). year effect was reflected by NO3 contents about twice as high
The amount of P exported in grain was similar in the in 2004 as in 2005 and 2006. The high NO3 content in 2004
control and fertilized plots, except on the clay soil in 2004 in the loam soil was likely due to the mineralization of alfalfa
(Table 6). This indicates that soil P supply and the amount residues incorporated in the autumn of 2003, combined with
of P applied at seeding to all plots (20 kg P ha−1) were gener- the low crop N export in 2004 (Table 5).
ally sufficient, as corn did not respond to the additional P On a yearly basis, the postharvest soil NO3 contents tended
applied with LSM. Indeed, total P inputs in the plots receiv- to be higher in the fertilized than in the control plots in both
ing LSM (23 to 48 kg ha−1) were generally similar to or soils, but the difference was significant only in the clay soil
slightly exceeded crop P exports (19 to 40 kg ha−1). in 2005 (Table 7). When averaged across years, however, soil
The P inputs from treated LSMs were 3 to 24 kg ha−1 NO3 contents were greater in the fertilized than in the control
yr−1 lower than that from raw LSM (Table 2). Nevertheless, plots on both soils. The postharvest soil NO3 contents were
P export in grain was generally similar between the raw higher with the mineral fertilizer than with LSMs in 2005
and treated LSMs, except on the clay soil in 2006 when P and 2006 in the clay soil. When averaged across years, soil
export tended (P = 0.055) to be higher (about 7 kg ha−1) NO3 contents were also higher with the mineral fertilizer
with raw than with treated LSMs (Table 6). When averaged than with LSMs in this soil.
across years, P exported in grain was higher (P = 0.011) with In contrast, there were no significant differences in NO3
raw than with treated LSMs on the clay soil. It is therefore contents after harvest between the mineral fertilizer and
possible that in the longer term repeated fertilization with LSMs in the loam soil. These findings are in agreement with
low-P treated LSM could affect corn P export. The absence previous studies reporting similar or lower soil NO3 contents
of differences in corn P export among LSM types on the with LSM than with mineral fertilizers (Beauchamp, 1986;
loam soil could be related to the apparently higher available Diez et al., 2001; Daudén and Quìlez, 2004). Th is could be
(Mehlich-3) P content in this soil (28.7 mg kg−1) than in the related to the presence of organic N in LSM, which progres-
clay soil (18.2 mg kg−1) at the beginning of experiment. sively mineralizes, thereby reducing the rate of NO3 accumula-
Our results on crop performance show that all LSM types tion in soil. Alternatively, the application of LSM may induce
were as efficient as mineral fertilizer for grain corn produc- soil N immobilization (Kirchmann and Lundvall, 1993),
tion on a clay soil and a loam soil. This is in agreement with thereby delaying the formation of NO3.
previous reports of comparable corn yield and N uptake The postharvest NO3 contents were similar between the
with raw LSM and mineral fertilizers (Balik and Olfs, 1998; raw and treated LSMs, and among treated LSMs in all years
McLaughlin et al., 2000; Daudén and Quílez, 2004; Ball and in both soils (Table 7). Th is indicates that the use of the
Coelho et al., 2005; Kwaw-Mensah and Al-Kaisi, 2006). liquid fraction of treated LSMs did not increase the risk of
Our results further demonstrate that this observation can postharvest NO3 leaching compared with the raw LSM. The
be extended to the liquid fractions of treated LSMs. risk of NO3 leaching losses after harvest was thus assumed to
Care was taken in the present study to minimize NH 3 be similar among all N treatments in the loam soil, whereas it
volatilization and preserve mineral N in the applied LSMs. was lower with the LSMs than with the mineral fertilizer in
Nevertheless, 20 to 30% of N in LSM was in the organic the clay soil.

1308 Agronomy Journal • Volume 100, Issue 5 • 2008

 CONCLUSIONS
Liquid swine manure sidedressed to corn on a total N basis
resulted in grain yield and N and P exports similar to that with
the mineral N fertilizer. This is most likely explained by the
fact that LSMs were immediately incorporated in soil follow-
ing application to minimize N volatilization losses. Though
N fertilization increased corn yield, values obtained in the
control plots were at least 75% of those with N treatments. The
soils used in this study were therefore relatively fertile. It is not
possible to state whether LSM would be as efficient as mineral
fertilizers for corn production in less fertile soils.
Lower P inputs with treated than with raw LSM reduced
corn P export in the clay soil, but not in the loam soil, which
contained more available P at the initiation of experiment.
Those results suggest that in the longer term, repeated fertil-
ization of corn with the liquid fraction of treated LSMs may
reduce P inputs and eventually reduce corn P export. The risk
of postharvest accumulation of NO3 for corn sidedressed with
raw and treated LSMs was similar to mineral fertilizer on the
loam soil and lower than mineral fertilizer on the clay soil.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was funded by the Program on Energy Res. and Dev.
of Natural Resources Canada, and the GAPS Initiative of Agric. and
Agri-Food Canada. We thank Johanne Tremblay, Gabriel Lévesque,
Normand Bertrand, Danielle Mongrain, and Céline Beaupré for their
assistance in field and laboratory work during this study.
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