Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2014KY234B

Phosphorus leaching from compost bedded pack dairy barn waste

Institute: Kentucky
Year Established: 2014 Start Date: 2014-03-01 End Date: 2015-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $10,000

Principal Investigators: Mark Coyne, Joseph Taraba

Abstract: This study will demonstrate changes in soil test phosphorus as a consequence of mineralization dynamics of composted bedded material amended soils. We will specifically provide phosphorus release characteristics for aerobically incubated material mixed with a common Kentucky soil, Crider silt loam, that has high and low soil test phosphorus values. We will show that, although, soil test phosphorus may increase by the addition of composted dairy manure, the water soluble inorganic phosphorus will be less in composted dairy amended soils relative to raw dairy manure amended soils. We predict that phosphorus should be conserved in the composting process and that inorganic and labile phosphorus forms will be reduced compared to raw dairy manure.