Broadcast and band application of poultry litter on soybean crop

Abstract

The development of the poultry industry in the central west region of Brazil have provided considerable quantities of organic waste, poultry litter, which have potential for use in agriculture. However there are few studies about the release dynamics of the poultry litter nutrients, what makes it difficult to define the dose as well the form of application of this organic residue. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of different doses of poultry litter, with two forms of application, on growth and yield of soybean. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design in a factorial scheme 5 x 2 + 2, being factors doses of poultry litter (0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 t ha^-1) and application forms, broadcast and band. On the control treatments were applied mineral fertilizer, one broadcast and one band. The variables plant height, shoot dry matter and chlorophyll were measured in stage R2 and yield at the end of the crop cycle. The increase in rates of poultry litter increases linearly the plant height while the shoot dry matter and yield had a quadratic response. The form of poultry litter application did not influence the yield and dry matter, affecting only plant height and leaf chlorophyll. The band application of poultry litter provides increased plant growth. The organic fertilization with poultry litter can replace mineral fertilizers on soybean.