Effect of sheep, deer and cattle dung on herbage production and soil nutrient content

A field experiment compared the effects of sheep, deer and cattle dung on pasture growth and soil nutrient status. Sheep and deer dung pellets degraded rapidly within three to eight weeks, while it was 12 months before all visible cattle dung had gone from the soil surface. The cattle dung initially reduced herbage yield owing to smothering. However, after 40 days, herbage around the edges of the dung patch responded positively to the dung and more dry matter was produced in this patch than in the control patch during the first 12 months. There was no measurable herbage response to sheep dung, but deer dung significantly increased herbage production. While the rate of nutrient application per unit area was similar for sheep and deer dung, the latter was more evenly spread within the patch area. Consequently, a greater percentage of pasture plants in the patch received nutrient additions from the deer dung and a measurable response was recorded. Twelve months after dung application, soil nitrate, phosphate and organic C were higher in dung patches than in the control patches. In cattle dung patches, this response was accompanied by higher microbial biomass C levels, arylsulphatase and arylphosphatase activities. Some residual effect on organic C levels was still evident three years after cattle dung application.