2003; Sims 1995). Arsenic is fed to chickens in the organic form of roxarsone to prevent doi:10.2489/jswc.68.3.212 coccidiosis, increase weight gain, and to improve feed efficiency (US Code of Federal Regulations; Garbarino et al. 2003). Limited information exists on the fate Transport of dissolved trace elements in of trace elements derived from land appli- cation of manures. Several studies have surface runoff and leachate from a Coastal reported significant concentrations of As in soils and drainage waters of poultry opera- Plain soil after poultry litter application tions (Moore 1998). Church et al. (2010) found that the greatest As concentrations in L.C. Kibet, A.L. Allen, C. Church, P.J.A. Kleinman, G.W. Feyereisen, L.S. Saporito, F. Hashem, E.B. drainage ditch effluent were associated with May, and T.R. Way point sources on a poultry farm, but also found concentrations of As to be as high as Abstract: The application of poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus) litter to agricultural soils may 0.026 mg L–1 (0.026 ppm) in fields draining Copyright © 2013 Soil and Water Conservation Society. All rights reserved. exacerbate losses of trace elements in runoff water, an emerging concern to water quality. We nonpoint sources (fields that had received Journal of Soil and Water Conservation evaluated trace elements (arsenic [As], mercury [Hg], selenium [Se], and zinc [Zn]) in sur- poultry litter as a amendment). Elsewhere, face runoff and leachate from an agricultural soil with and without poultry litter application. Kingery et al. (1994) observed vertical strat- Litter from a commercial operation was applied by three methods—broadcast application, ification of As in surface soils (Ap horizons) subsurface placement, and broadcast application followed by disking—to no-till soils with a receiving poultry litter, with concentrations history of receiving litter. Soil monolith lysimeters (61 by 61 by 61 cm)(24 by 24 by 24 in) declining with depth. were extracted from each of the treatments and subjected to rainfall simulation (1 hour, 61 There is also evidence that other trace ele- mm h–1 [2.4 in hr–1]) 15 and 42 days after litter application. Broadcasting poultry litter sig- ments, particularly Zn and Cu, may either nificantly increased concentrations (mg L–1) and loads (g ha–1) of As and Zn in runoff during accumulate in soils amended with poultry the first event relative to other application methods. Notably, incorporating litter, either by litter or be transferred to runoff water (both disking after broadcasting or by subsurface placement, lowered As and Zn in runoff to near surface and subsurface flow). Nicholson et background levels by the second event, and there were no significant differences in As and al. (1999) reported that at an application –1 Zn between any of the treatments. While Hg and Se were detected in runoff, they likely level supplying 250 kg of N ha (280 lb N 68(3):212-220 derived from edaphic sources as they were not detected in the litter nor did they differ signifi- ac–1) of poultry manure would add 1.1 and cantly between treatments. Results point to poultry litter as a temporary source of some trace 0.5 kg ha–1 (1.2 and 0.56 lb ac–1) of Cu and elements to runoff. This source can be readily controlled by adjusting application method. Zn, respectively. Elsewhere, Kingery et al. (1994) found that Zn accumulated in soils Key words: leachate—lysimeters—no-till—poultry litter—runoff—trace elements amended with manure up to a depth of 45 www.swcs.org cm (18 in). Moore et al. (1998) found Cu and Zn levels in runoff as high as 0.93 and The Delmarva Peninsula of the mid-Atlan- et al. 1994; Moore 1998; Gupta and Charles 2 tic United States comprises 14,126 km 1999; Church et al. 2010). Leonard C. Kibet is a research graduate stu- 2 (5,454 mi ), is home to a poultry (Gallus Poultry litter contains certain trace ele- dent, Arthur L. Allen is a professor and asso- gallus domesticus) industry that produces ments, including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), ciate research director, and Fawzy Hashem approximately 600 million birds annually copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb) and is an associate professor in the Department (Delmarva Poultry Inc. 2009), and is esti- zinc (Zn). Gupta and Charles (1999) exam- of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences, mated to generate more than 700,000 Mg ined litter from research and commercial University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess –1 –1 Anne, Maryland. Clinton Church is a research y (772 tn yr ) of manure in the form of houses and reported significant variability chemist, Peter J.A. Kleinman is a research soil litter (Feyereisen et al. 2010). Most poultry in trace element content in association with scientist, and Lou S. Saporito is a support sci- litter produced on the Delmarva Peninsula differences in management practices. On entist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service is applied as an amendment to agricultural average, litter tested in that study contained Pasture Systems and Watershed Management soils. In recent years, there has been height- 37 mg As kg–1, 20 mg Cd kg–1, 390 mg Cu Research Unit, University Park, Pennsylvania. ened concern over the water quality effects kg–1, 655 mg Mn kg–1, 35 mg Pb kg–1, and Gary W. Feyereisen is a research soil scientist –1 –4 –1 at the USDA Agricultural Research Service Soil of land-applied litter given the proximity of 377 mg Zn kg (5.89 × 10 oz As lb , 3.18 and Water Management Research Unit, St. Paul, –4 –1 –3 –1 the Delmarva Peninsula to the Chesapeake × 10 oz Cd lb , 6.2 × 10 oz Cu lb , 1 × Minnesota. Eric B. May is an associate pro- Bay. Much of this concern centers on lit- 10–2 oz Mn lb–1, 5.56 × 10–4 oz Pb lb–1, 5.99 fessor in the Department of Natural Sciences, ter’s contribution of nutrients to runoff. × 10–3 oz Zn lb–1). Most of these elements University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess However, there is growing concern over the are added as trace element salts to increase Anne, Maryland. Thomas R. Way is an agricul- potential for land-applied litter to contribute feed efficiency as well as egg production, tural engineer at the USDA Agricultural Research other contaminants to runoff water (Kingery prevent diseases, and act as growth promot- Service National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, Auburn, Alabama. ers or biocides in poultry feed (Jackson et al. 212 MAY/JUNE 2013—VOL. 68, NO. 3 JOURNAL OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION Figure 1 Location of University of Maryland Eastern Shore Research and Teaching Farm on the Delmarva 0.44 mg L–1 (0.93 and 0.44 ppm) respec- Peninsula within the northeastern United States. tively, at the highest litter application rates –1 –1 Delmarva Peninsula tested (8.98 Mg ha [4 tn ac ]), indicating a Northeastern United States potential problem to aquatic life in the case of Cu, as it is extremely toxic to algae. A paucity of research exists on the effects of alternative manure management methods on trace elements. Literature on managing N nutrients in manures highlights application method, rate of application, and timing of application as key determinants of nutrient contamination of surface and ground waters University (Sharpley et al. 2002; Gupta and Charles of Maryland 1999). Significant advances have been made Eastern Shore in the arena of land application methods for poultry litter, including the develop- Copyright © 2013 Soil and Water Conservation Society. All rights reserved. ment of subsurface placement technologies Journal of Soil and Water Conservation formerly available only for liquid manures. These technologies have been shown to Materials and Methods (fine-silty, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic significantly reduce nutrient runoff from Field Site. The study was initiated at the Hapludults). These soils are comprised of litter-amended soils and even increase crop University of Maryland Eastern Shore eolian materials underlain by sandy marine yields (Pote et al. 2011). Their benefit is (UMES) Research and Teaching Farm in sediments (Matthews and Hall 1966), result- derived from the removal of litter from the Princess Anne, Maryland (38°12′22″ N and ing in a silt-loam epipedon (~20% clay from soil surface where it serves as a concentrated 75°40′35″ W), located within the Manokin 0 to 20 cm [0 to 7.9 in]), a silty clay loam source of contaminants, placing the litter River Watershed approximately 10 km (6.2 argillic horizon (~35% clay from 35 to 45 near the roots of plants where litter-derived mi) from the Chesapeake Bay (figure 1). cm [13.8 to 17.7 in]), and a sandy C hori- nutrients can be beneficially used. The ques- Prior to its purchase in 1997, the farm was zon (<10% clay at depths greater than 50 tion arises: can manure application methods a commercial broiler operation with roughly cm [19.7 in]). Surface soils possess high con- that are effective in curbing runoff losses of 30 years of intensive litter application. Prior centrations of phosphorus (P; Mehlich-3 P 68(3):212-220 litter-derived nutrients also affect the fate of to that, the farm had been used for vege- averages roughly 400 mg kg–1 [6.36 × 10–3 trace elements in land applied litter? table crop production, including tomato oz lb–1]) due to their past history of receiving This project evaluates the effect of con- production. Fields on the Research Farm are poultry litter at rates often exceeding annual ventional and novel poultry litter application maintained in a corn (Zea mays L.)–wheat crop removal (Kleinman et al.