Comparative evaluation of broiler and layer poultry manure for greenhouse lettuce production

Abstract

Disposing poultry manure from broiler and layer flocks by its incorporation into the soil was evaluated on greenhouse lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Paris Island cos). Floor litter that contains the manure mixed with sawdust and wood shaving, was 8 weeks old from broilers and one year old from layers. Broiler manure had 19% moisture and 5.5% N, while layer manure had 22% moisture and 3.7% N. Application of 27.5 ton/ha broiler manure and 18 ton/ha layer manure, on wet basis, gave comparable yield of lettuce as did an application of 100 kg N/ha from NH₄NO₃ in 2 split applications, and an unfertilized treatment. The manure was effective for lettuce growth 10 months after its incorporation in the soil. The highest yield was in manure treated plots, however, the lack of significant response in yield is due to the sufficient levels of soil NO₃‐N and available P. There was no effect on soil EC, pH, and available P due to the treatments; however, soil NO3‐N was significantly increased under all fertilized treatments. Leaf concentration of PO4‐P was not affected by the treatments, but NO3‐N was significantly increased under all fertilized treatments. It may be concluded that broiler and layer poultry manure when disposed of by soil incorporation, are equally effective as a fertilizer for a leafy crop such as lettuce.     

Effects and rates of broiler and layer manures on the leaf yield and tissue nutrient contents of moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) in Swaziland

Abstract

Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam) has been gaining increasing attention in Swaziland as a medicinal plant increasingly being exploited due to its medicinal value especially amongst people living with HIV/AIDS. The tree is being cultivated in most homesteads and fertilized using poultry manure. A pot experiment was conducted in the greenhouse during the 2016/2017 cropping season. The aim was to investigate the effects two sources of manure (i.e. broiler and layer) at five rates (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 tonnes/ha) on dry matter yield (i.e. leaves, petioles, stems and roots) and tissue nutrient contents of moringa. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a factorial arrangement with four replicates. Data collected (i.e. number of leaves/plant, dry matter of leaflets, stems, roots and tissue nutrients- Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Cd) were analyzed using Statistical Analysis Software. Results showed that the application of broiler and layer manures at different rates had no significant effect (p?>?0.05) on the number of leaves/plant. The dry matter yields were significantly different considering the sources and rates of manure applications. Furthermore, results showed that the tissue nutrient contents of micronutrients (i.e. Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) and Cd were generally higher than the maximum permissible limits (MPL) of the World Health Organization as well as daily dietary intake for medicinal plants. Evidence from this study suggest that moringa can successfully be grown using poultry manures however, the application of the aforementioned manures was found to result in elevated contents of micronutrients and cadmium in plant tissue which may be harmful for human consumption.     

Fertilizer value of nitrogen in hen and broiler manure after application to spring barley using different application timing

The nitrogen (N) fertilizer effect of layer hen and broiler manure applied at different times on spring barley yield was studied in seven Swedish field experiments during 2005–2008. Two experiments had parallel field incubations to study N release after fertilizer application. The effect of total N in manure on N offtake was 30–40% that of mineral N, except in a dry year, when the effect was very low. Although the relative proportions of ammonium N, uric acid N and other N differed between the hen and broiler manure, the effect of total N was similar for both. In field incubations, mineral N decreased from 75 to 60% of total N applied in hen manure, whereas it increased from 20 to 50% in broiler manure, because of net immobilization and release, respectively. The limited fertilizer nitrogen replacement value, corresponding to only 30–40% of total N, could be as a result of ammonia volatilization after rather shallow incorporation with harrow. Net N release from broiler manure lasted for 6–8 weeks after application, after which it generally ceased. In some cases, manure application in early spring gave better yield effects than application at sowing, probably because of better synchronization of the N release with crop N requirements. The residual N effect on the N offtake in crop in the year after manure application was on average 3% of the total N applied, equivalent to a fertilizer replacement value of about 6%.     

Increased total nitrogen content of poultry manure by decreasing water content through composting processes

Microbial mineralization of urea and uric acid in poultry litter can lead to loss of nitrogen (N) content and its value as a fertilizer. To minimize the loss of N in the composting processes, controlling the water content in litters is a key to reduce the mineralization processes of N compounds. The N content of litter may be influenced by diets, hen age and the type of poultry houses used. The objectives of the present study were i) to determine the relationship between the water content and the decomposition rate of uric acid in poultry litter and ii) to investigate the effect of hen age and crude protein (CP) percentages in diets on the N content of poultry litter. A layer feeding trial was conducted in two poultry farms with windowless and open-floor houses. An incubation study of poultry litter was performed under different levels of water content. Our study found that the diet CP percentage (16.5–18%) and the growth stage of laying hens did not have a significant effect on the amount of total N (52–56?g?kg^?1) and uric acid-N (26–31g?kg^?1) in fresh litters. At the 7^th day of litter incubation study, the concentration of uric acid-N was 22 g kg^?1 in litters with a water content of 35%, whereas it further decreased to less than 1.3 g kg^?1 in litters with a water content of 55% and higher levels. The decomposition rate of uric acid-N in litter was 0.3–3.1g?kg^?1?day^?1 in the windowless house and 3.1–7.1g?kg^?1?day^?1 in the open-floor house. Decomposition of uric acid in litters was positively correlated to the litter moisture content that is controlled to be lower in windowless houses (40–50%) than in open-floor houses (55–80%) during the composting period. Our study suggests that the use of windowless houses for layer chicken production is effective for producing poultry manure with a high N content.     

蛋鸡舍冬季CO2浓度控制标准与最小通风量确定

中国现行的蛋鸡舍内CO_2浓度控制的农业行业标准为1 500 mg/m~3,主要适用于传统的刮板式清粪鸡舍。目前新建、改建鸡舍都采用传送带清粪方式,鸡舍内的相对湿度和氨气等有害气体浓度均明显减少,其冬季最小通风量和舍内CO_2浓度参数标准均有待重新研究。该文通过总结分析国内外相关学者对不同清粪方式蛋鸡舍内NH_3、CO_2浓度的测试数据,提出传送带清粪蛋鸡舍内CO_2浓度取值建议,并根据CO_2浓度平衡原理,提出该类蛋鸡舍冬季最小通风量的取值建议。结果表明:传送带清粪蛋鸡舍内CO_2浓度参数控制标准建议可取5 000 mg/m~3;蛋鸡舍冬季连续通风最小通风量为0.40~0.50 m~3/(h·kg)。该研究为中国新建、改建传送带清粪模式蛋鸡舍CO_2浓度参数标准的取值以及调控蛋鸡舍冬季通风与保温矛盾等问题提供了参考依据。     

A survey of the production and use of animal manures in England and Wales. III. Cattle manures

Abstract. A survey of cattle manure management was undertaken in England and Wales, in 1997, by postal questionnaire sent out to a stratified sample (by unit size) of 1750 dairy and 1750 beef producers. The level of response obtained, with 471 dairy farmers (27%) and 515 beef farmers (29%) returning questionnaires, reflects well on the interest shown by the industry and on the survey design. The survey provided information on manure production and storage, when and how applied and nutrient value. Dairy farms are estimated to produce manures in the form of c. 65% slurry and 35% farmyard manures (FYM) and, beef units, 80%FYM and 20%slurry (based on survey response data, animal numbers and calculations of undiluted outputs of excreta). Slurry storage within both dairy and beef systems is typically up to 3–6 months capacity, although there is no storage for an estimated 16% of dairy and 25% of beef slurry. Autumn and winter spreading is common practice, with 40–50% of slurry and 50–60% of FYM applied at that time. Although some evidence suggests that farmers make little allowance for the nutrient content of manures in planning fertilizer inputs, the results of this survey suggest that many farmers do make some effort to utilize manure nutrients. However, they currently fail to be assured by the advice available to them or they lack confidence in manures as nutrient sources for a number of technical reasons. Information provided by the survey may be important to policy makers, researchers and consultants, as well as farmers.     

Nitrogen mineralization in soils amended with composted and uncomposted poultry litter

Abstract

When applied to land, poultry litter can be a valuable source of plant macro‐ and micro‐nutrients. However, if poultry litter is overapplied, then its mineralized nitrogen (N) can contaminate ground and surface waters. Composting poultry litter may slow down the rate of N mineralization thereby reducing the risk of environmental pollution. The objective of this work was to determine if N mineralization from composted poultry litter is slower than that from uncomposted poultry litter when these materials are mixed with soil. Two composted broiler litters, one composted hen manure, and two uncomposted broiler litters were mixed with Dothan loamy sand (pH 4.3) and Hiwassee fine sandy loam (pH 5.5), and incubated at 25°C for 56 d. Subsamples for inorganic N determinations were taken at 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 56 d. After 56 d, the proportion of organic N mineralized ranged from 0.4 to 5.8% for the composted materials, and from 25.4 to 39.8% for uncomposted broiler litters. These results indicate that composted poultry litter releases N more slowly than uncomposted poultry litter, and therefore poses less environmental risk than uncomposted poultry litter.     

Developing an Environmental Manure Test for the Phosphorus Index

Abstract

Widespread implementation of the phosphorus (P) index has focused attention on environmental manure tests that can be used to estimate the relative availability of P in manure to runoff water. This article describes the development and use of a water extractable P (WEP) test to assess the capacity of land‐applied manure to enrich P in runoff water. WEP of surface‐applied manure has been shown to be strongly correlated to dissolved P concentrations in runoff from agricultural soils. WEP tests that have a defined water‐to‐manure‐solids ratio and involve extraction times of 30 to 120 min provide the best prediction of dissolved P in runoff across a wide range of manures. Consistent measurement of manure WEP can be achieved with manure sample storage times of up to 22 days (4°C), acidified extract holding times of 18 days, and solid separation by either centrifugation or paper filtration. Reproducibility of WEP tests is comparable to that of other common manure tests (e.g., total P), as verified by within‐laboratory and inter laboratory evaluations. A survey of 140 livestock manures revealed significant differences in mean WEP among different livestock manures, with swine greater than poultry (turkey, broiler and layer chickens) and dairy cattle greater than beef cattle. Such results support the use of WEP‐based coefficients to modify the source component of the P index.     

Poultry litter and tillage influences on corn production and soil nutrients in a Kentucky silt loam soil

Broiler chicken (Gallus gallus) manure, a rich source of plant nutrients, is generated in large quantities in southeastern USA where many row crops, such as corn (Zea mays L.), are also extensively grown. However, the use of broiler manure as an economical alternative source of nutrients for corn production has not been extensively explored in this region. This study was conducted to examine the use of broiler litter as a source of nutrients for corn production, as influenced by tillage and litter rate, and any residual effects following application. In addition, the consequence of litter application to soil test nutrient levels, particularly P, Zn and Cu, was explored. The treatments consisted of two rates of broiler litter application, 11 and 22 Mg ha⁻¹ on a wet weight basis, and one rate of chemical fertilizer applied under no-till and conventional tillage systems. Treatments were replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. Corn was grown with broiler litter and inorganic fertilizer applied to the same plots each year from 1998 to 2001. In 2002 and 2003, corn was planted no-till, but only N fertilizer was applied in order to make use of other residual litter nutrients. Soil samples were taken yearly in the spring prior to litter application and 4 years after the cessation of litter application to evaluate the status of the residual nutrients in soil. Two years out of the 4-year experiment, broiler litter application produced significantly greater corn grain yield than equivalent chemical fertilizer application and produced similar grain yield in the other 2 years. Corn grain yield was significantly greater under no-till in 1999, but significantly greater under conventional-till in 2000, and no difference between the two tillage systems were observed in 1998 and 2001. With 4 years of litter application, Mehlich-3 P increased from an initial 18 mg kg⁻¹ to 156 mg kg⁻¹ with 11 Mg ha⁻¹ litter and to 257 mg kg⁻¹ with 22 Mg ha⁻¹ litter. For every 6 kg ha⁻¹ of P applied in poultry litter Mehlich-3 P was increased by 1 mg kg⁻¹. Modest increases in Mehlich-3 Cu and Zn did not result in phytotoxic levels. This study indicated that an optimum rate of broiler litter as a primary fertilizer at 11 Mg ha⁻¹ applied in 4 consecutive years on a silt loam soil produced corn grain yields similar to chemical fertilizer under both no-till and conventional tillage systems and kept soil test P, Cu and Zn levels below values considered to be harmful to surface water quality or the crop.     

A survey of the production and use of animal manures in England and Wales. I. Pig manure

Abstract. A survey was undertaken in 1996, by postal questionnaire sent to a stratified sample of 1500 pig producers in England and Wales; 576 (37%) responded. The survey provided data on manure production, manure storage and application strategies (timing, techniques and nutrient recycling to crops).
Total pig manure production, in England and Wales is estimated to be at about 10.03 m t per year, with about 45% as slurry and 55% as FYM, according to this survey, where calculations have been based on undiluted outputs of excreta. About 45% of slurry is stored in above-ground tanks or earth-banked lagoons. Above-ground tanks most commonly held an amount of slurry equivalent to 3–6 months production, but earth-banked lagoons were more variable in capacity and over 20% could hold more than 9 months production of slurry.
Annual statistics on fertilizer use indicate that farmers make little allowance for the nutrient content of manures. However, the results of this survey suggest that farmers generally make a genuine effort to allow for the nutrients applied, but that they currently fail to be assured by the advice available to them or their confidence is lacking for other technical reasons. Autumn represents the peak period for spreading, with 30% of slurry and 50% of FYM applied at that time.     

Temporal variation of soil nutrients under the influence of different organic amendments

Maintenance of tropical soil quality for crop production without damaging the environment is a challenge and thus the development of an efficient nutrient-management technique is important. Soil amendment by organic manures has been widely accepted as an efficient nutrient-management technique in tropical agriculture. In this study, a long-term laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of organic manures of different sources (e.g. cattle manure, poultry manure, vermicompost and oil cakes) on changes in pH, electrical conductivity, organic C and nutrient content (mineral N, available phosphorous and potassium) in tropical alluvial soil. Applications of organic amendments in this study indicated considerable changes in the basic soil physico-chemical properties and different nutrient levels. Soil pH declined slightly, whereas organic C and all the other nutrients increased distinctly, due to the application of organic manures. Thus, the magnitude of changes in the soil properties was dependent on the nature of the organic manure.     

Impact of Time to First Rainfall Event on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Following Manure Applications

Use of inorganic fertilizers and manures are known to result in the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) to the atmosphere, and rainfall events can also increase GHG emissions from soils. The objective of this study was to examine how the time between fertilizer or manure application and the first rainfall event affects carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and methane (CH₄) fluxes. Swine manure, poultry litter, and urea were surface applied to plots. Rainfall was simulated 1, 4, 8, 15, or 29 days after application. Gas fluxes were determined before and after each rainfall simulation. Postrain CO₂ fluxes were the greatest from poultry litter at 4 to 8 days after fertilization, and all fertilizer treatments produced similar N₂O emissions with a peak 4 days after fertilization. These data seem to indicate that if manures are applied during drier periods of the year, GHG emissions can be minimized, in addition to reducing nutrient runoff losses.     

不同类型粪肥还田对土壤酶活性及微生物群落的影响

畜禽粪便作为有机肥还田可以维持和提高土壤有机质、改良土壤,有利于农业可持续发展。不同类型粪肥还田后对土壤生物学性状的影响不同,为探究这一问题,在内蒙古乌兰察布市设置田间试验,包括化肥(F)、羊粪(GM)、猪粪(PM)、牛粪(CM)4个处理,研究其对土壤养分、酶活性及微生物群落的影响。结果表明,施用粪肥较化肥具有增加土壤有机质、全氮、有效磷、铵态氮等养分含量的趋势。不同粪肥较化肥处理的土壤脲酶、蔗糖酶、碱性磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶活性最高增幅分别为32.4%、150.4%、26.8%和30.1%。牛粪处理的土壤微生物生物量碳氮显著提高,分别较化肥增加33.2%和33.4%。不同处理在细菌门水平上的优势种群较一致,放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)、绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)是优势种群。本试验条件下,牛粪处理更能提高土壤微生物生物量碳氮,短期内施用不同粪肥对于提高土壤微生物群落多样性差异不显著,土壤pH、有效磷、铵态氮是影响土壤微生物群落结构的主要环境因子。     

考虑种养平衡的黄淮海小麦-玉米模式下畜禽承载量估算

黄淮海地区作为中国种植业与养殖业优势区,随着国家对农作物秸秆和畜禽粪便所带来农村环境问题的日益重视,研究该区域"以种定养"、实现种养业废弃物资源化利用、践行绿色发展理念显得尤为重要。以区域种植业实际生产情况为基础,确定典型种植模式下可施用畜禽粪便类有机肥量,经推导计算后确定区域畜禽养殖种类与数量。该文选取河北、河南和山东为黄淮海地区典型代表,在保障粮食产量和满足农田环境风险评估的基础上,研究小麦-玉米生产模式中,畜禽粪便类有机肥每年可施用量,经推导得到高温好氧堆肥处理前的畜禽粪污资源量,进而计算得到每年可承载的不同种类畜禽养殖量。这样既可满足种植业生产的肥料需求,也能缓解养殖业粪污带来的环境压力。研究结果表明:黄淮海地区小麦-玉米生产模式中,每公顷农田每年可利用6头奶牛或18头肉牛或47～51头生猪或731～789只蛋鸡或8 062～8 705只肉鸡粪便N量。在实际生产中,土壤肥力和土壤微生物等多因素影响有机肥可施用量,不同种类畜禽的农田承载量还需进一步优化。该研究为促进黄淮海地区种养结合提供一定的理论基础。     

有机无机配施对生菜生长及其CdPb含量的影响

为了比较等氮水平下不同有机肥及其与无机肥配施对土壤重金属的钝化效果,通过在0.2 g·kg-1氮水平下单施商品有机肥、猪粪、牛粪、鸡粪和花生麸,及5种有机肥分别与无机肥（尿素＋磷酸二氢钙＋硫酸钾）配施（N∶N=1∶1）的盆栽试验,研究它们对重金属污染土壤上生菜（Lactuca sativa）生长及其Cd、Pb含量的影响。结果表明,与CK相比,有机肥可提高生菜的生物量（商品有机肥单施除外）,有机肥单施时,鸡粪处理生菜的鲜重最高,配施时牛粪和鸡粪处理生菜的生物量最大。无论单施或配施,花生麸和鸡粪处理降低生菜地上部Cd含量的效果最好,且鸡粪较好地降低了生菜地上部Pb含量。牛粪和花生麸配施的Pb含量显著低于单施,猪粪和商品有机肥单施的Pb含量显著低于配施,其余单施和配施之间没有显著差异。因此,鸡粪是5种有机肥中较适合施用于重金属污染菜地土壤的有机肥。     

华北地区蛋鸡养殖产业碳排放核算

华北地区是中国蛋鸡养殖的主要区域,摸清华北地区蛋鸡养殖产业碳排放清单,开展科学规范的蛋鸡养殖产业碳排放核算,可为中国畜牧业碳减排技术筛选和政策制定提供依据。该研究利用混合生命周期评价和联合国政府间气候变化专门委员会（intergovernmental panel on climate change,IPCC）国家温室气体清单指南的相关核算方法,结合实地调研数据、GABI 软件中Ecoinvent 数据库和中国蛋鸡养殖业文献Meta分析数据,对华北地区蛋鸡养殖产业碳排放因子进行完善,构建出“饲料种植-蛋鸡饲养-鸡蛋包装-粪污存储-粪污处理”全生命周期的蛋鸡养殖产业碳排放核算方法。并将该方法用在华北某区域362家蛋鸡养殖场,综合分析蛋鸡养殖产业链各环节碳排放量,找到目前存在的碳排放问题,并提出碳减排建议。结果表明：1）大规模养殖场每羽蛋鸡1 a的碳排放量（以二氧化碳当量计,CO2-eq）为23.0 kg,较小规模养殖场的25.6 kg和中等规模养殖场的24.4 kg少10.1%和5.7%。2）对每羽蛋鸡不同养殖环节1 a的碳排情况进行分析,发现饲料种植、蛋鸡肠道发酵、鸡蛋包装和粪便存储处理为主要排放源,排放量分别为13.0、2.2、2.2和1.2 kg 。3）建议通过精准饲养,提高饲料利用率、提升畜禽粪污的处理水平、打破蛋鸡养殖固化模式等方式减少蛋鸡养殖碳排放。该研究可为蛋鸡养殖产业碳排放核算提供方法,并为制定碳减排政策提供科学依据。     

Phytate Quantification using HPIC in the Presence of Iron and Aluminum

Phytate is an organic form of P that is difficult to analyze in complex matrices. To test if high concentrations of aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) hinder accurate quantification of phytate in dairy manure and broiler litter when measured by high-performance ion chromatography (HPIC), researchers spiked dairy manure and broiler litter samples with Al, Fe, and phytate. Samples were alkaline extracted, acidified, and filtered, and then phytate spike recovery was analyzed with HPIC. High concentrations of Fe did not hinder phytate recovery in manure or litter samples. While phytate recovery was complete at typical manure and litter Al concentrations, high concentrations of Al inhibited phytate recovery in litter samples and in some manure samples. Overall, alkaline extraction of dairy manure and broiler litter and analysis with HPIC proved to be relatively accurate, fast, and cheap within normal Al and Fe ranges, compared to the commonly used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method.     

Leaching of nitrate and phosphorus after autumn and spring application of separated solid animal manures to winter wheat

Animal slurry can be separated into solid and liquid manure fractions to facilitate the transport of nutrients from livestock farms. In Denmark, untreated slurry is normally applied in spring whereas the solid fraction may be applied in autumn, causing increased risk of nitrate and phosphorus (P) leaching. We studied the leaching of nitrate and P in lysimeters with winter wheat crops (Triticum aestivum L.) after autumn incorporation versus spring surface application of solid manure fractions, and we compared also spring applications of mineral N fertilizer and pig slurry. Leaching was compared on a loamy sand and a sandy loam soil. The leaching experiment lasted for 2 yr, and the whole experiment was replicated twice. Nitrate leaching was generally low (19–34 kg N/ha) after spring applications of mineral fertilizer and manures. Nitrate leaching increased significantly after autumn application of the solid manures, and the extra nitrate leached was equivalent to 23–35% of total manure N and corresponded to the ammonium content of the manures. After spring application of solid manures and pig slurry, only a slight rise in N leaching was observed during the following autumn/winter (<5% of total manure N). Total P leaching was 40–165 g P/ha/yr, and the application of solid manure in autumn did not increase P leaching. The nitrogen fertilizer replacement value of solid manure N was similar after autumn and spring application (17–32% of total N). We conclude that from an environmental perspective, solid manure fractions should not be applied to winter wheat on sandy and sandy loam soils under humid North European conditions.     

Utilizing the nitrogen content of organic manures on farms—problems and practical solutions

Abstract. Organic manures contain valuable quantities of nitrogen, phosphate and potash, but many farmers regard them as 'waste materials' rather than as sources of plant nutrients. Utilization of the plant-available nitrogen content is poor at present because of manure management practices which lead to leaching and atmospheric losses. Experiments studying the effect of timing suggest that, in order to decrease nitrate leaching, applications of manures which contain much available nitrogen should not be made during the period September to December on freely draining grassland and arable soils. Spring top dressings of dilute pig or cattle slurries and poultry manures to growing cereal crops are generally more efficient than autumn applications, particularly on freely draining soils. Legislation requiring manures to be applied in an environmentally acceptable manner and the economic need for farmers to realize the nutrient value of organic manures are likely to change the farming industry's perception of manures as 'waste materials'.     

Response of kentucky‐31 tall fescue to broiler litter and composts made from broiler litter

Abstract

Recycled paper treated with boric acid (BA) is gaining acceptance as bedding in broiler houses. Applying this litter to Kentucky 31 (K‐31) tall fescue, Festuca Arundinacea Shreb, pastures raises the issue of potential boron (B) toxicity. There is also the question of nitrogen (N) availability from composts made with borated paper and broiler manure. The effect of five N sources at 224, 448, and 896 kg N/ha in a factorial arrangement plus an unfertilized control and high nitrogen‐phosphorus‐potassium (NPK) + additional boron at 45 kg B/ha on growth and NPKB uptake of K‐31 tall fescue was determined in a greenhouse during the spring of 1992. The five N sources were (1) inorganic salts, (2) compost made from hen manure, broiler manure, fescue hay and bark (M1), (3) fresh broiler litter (M2), (4) compost made from broiler manure and borated paper bedding (M3), (5) compost from hen manure, oak leaves, broiler litter (M4). The soil was Cecil sandy clay loam subsoil. Six harvests were made at 4‐cm cutting heights for determination of dry matter, N, P, K, and B uptake in tops, stubble, roots, and residue. Relative yield response of M2 was 65% of that from inorganic NPK, whereas the yield of the three composts was 22–30% of that from inorganic NPK. Over 50% of the N applied in compost residue remained at the soil surface. Boron toxicity to K‐31 as estimated from yield reduction or from visual symptoms did not occur from 20 kg B/ha in compost made with borated paper (M3). However, a 12% yield reduction did occur at the 45 kg B/ha rate from inorganic B. Industry efforts to reduce the amount of boric acid used in the treatment of recycled paper, the high mobility of B in humid areas, the apparent ability of K‐31 tall fescue to tolerate massive quantities of compost and high rates of B application suggest that the application of the broiler litter from houses where BA‐treated recycled paper is used as bedding would be environmentally safe at application rates based on N requirements of K‐31 tall fescue.