Incorporating Poultry Litter Ash as a Pre-plant Fertilizer to Reduce Nutrient Leaching during Bermudagrass Establishment

ABSTRACT

Pre-plant fertilizers are used to adjust soil fertility for nutrients such as phosphorus (P) during turfgrass establishment. However, nutrient applications of water-soluble sources in coarse-textured soils are prone to leaching compared to slow-release sources. Poultry litter ash (PLA), a by-product of poultry litter combustion, concentrates macronutrients into less water-soluble forms. The objective of this study was to evaluate PLA with triple superphosphate (TSP), in ratios of P in PLA to that in TSP of 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25; 100:0 as a pre-plant fertilizer incorporated into a 90:10 (v/v) sand and peat mixture seeded with bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) ‘Sahara’. Bermudagrass groundcover, shoot, and root biomass were measured at 6 weeks. Leachate was captured weekly and analyzed for P, K, Ca, and Mg. Bermudagrass groundcover and biomass accumulation were similar across all treatments at 6 weeks after planting (WAP). The benefit of PLA compared to TSP was the reduction in P, K, Ca, and Mg leached during the first two WAP. As the percentage of PLA increased relative to TSP, nutrient leaching decreased, with 100% PLA resulting in the lowest cumulative nutrient masses leached. Application of 100% PLA as a pre-plant fertilizer can limit nutrient leaching in coarse-textured media compared to more water-soluble nutrient sources, particularly TSP, without delaying bermudagrass establishment.