2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf Greenhouse and Field Applications of Various Organic Nitrogen Sources NJ Manning, MC Vann, DH Suchoff, & A Woodley Department of Crop & Soil Sciences North Carolina State University MS McGinnis North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Agronomic Division TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed Introduction 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf • North Carolina is the leading organic tobacco producing state – 2,587 ha of certified organic tobacco in North Carolina – 119 family farming operations – >38.9 million dollars to the farm economy • Despite major success, limited research is available for organic tobacco farmers – Limited information in other crops as well TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed Introduction Greenhouse Production Field Production 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf • Peruvian Seabird Guano • Hydrolyzed Feather Meal – Numerous sources • Issues: • Issues: – Low mineral N content – Solubility – Variable rate of mineralization – Alkalinity/Bicarbonates – Variation in particle size - • Brand dependent – Low NO3 concentration + – Expensive – High NH4 concentration • >$US 1,000 ha-1 There are no N-P-K products available to organic tobacco producers TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed Objectives: 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf 1. Identify organic N sources that could be useful in tobacco seedling and field production 2. Identify potential limitations of those materials 3. Generate useful information that applies to multiple crops TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed Organic Seedling Fertility Programs Fertilizer Sources Targeted Nutrient Concentration (mg kg-1) N P K Total N P K 16-5-16 Ultrasol - - 125 40 125 Premium 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf 12-11-2 Seabird 0-0-52 Allganic - 125 114 21 + 104 Guano Potassium Sulfate 0-11-0 Seabird 0-0-52 Allganic 13-0-0 Feather Meal 125 114 125 Guano Potassium Sulfate 0-11-0 Seabird 0-0-52 Allganic 12-0-0 Blood Meal 125 114 125 Guano Potassium Sulfate 3-0-3 Liquid Chicken 0-11-0 Seabird - 125 114 125 Litter Guano 15-0-2 Allganic 0-11-0 Seabird 0-0-52 Allganic 125 114 16 + 108 Sodium Nitrate Guano Potassium Sulfate 0-11-0 Seabird 0-0-52 Allganic 12-0-0 Corn Gluten 125 114 125 Guano Potassium Sulfate 0-11-0 Seabird 0-0-52 Allganic 12-0-1 Soy Protein 125 114 10 + 115 Guano Potassium Sulfate 0-11-0 Seabird 0-0-52 Allganic 5-4-3 Chicken Litter 125 100 + 14 75 + 50 Guano Potassium Sulfate 0-11-0 Seabird 0-0-52 Allganic 5-1-1 Fish Emulsion 125 25 + 89 25 + 100 Guano Potassium Sulfate TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed Materials & Methods 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf • NC State Method Road Complex • Solution Measurements: – March 16th – May 15th, 2018 – Nutrient, dissolved oxygen, and – March 6th – May 6th, 2019 water temperature quantification 10 – 60 DAS • Single 288 cell tray floatbeds – 100 center cells used for data • Media Measurements: collection – nutrient quantification 30 and 60 • K 326 (Goldleaf Seed Co.) DAS • Study duration of 60 days • Seedling Measurements: • Fertilized 9 and 21 DAS – Total plants, usable plants, stem height, stem diameter, and dry – N sources ground to <1-mm seedling mass TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed 2018 2019 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed 2018 2019 14 14 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf a a a 12 12 a a ab abc ab ab 10 bc b a 10 a O) c b 2 bc a b /L H 8 d 8 - c c c b 3 a a c a bc b 6 ab 6 ab d d b bc d a bc cd d bcd e de b d (meq HCO (meq 4 cd bc 4 ab cd a de ef de b c e f e fg c bc d e e 2 gh 2 cd cd Float Water Concentration Bicarbonate b f d e de f g h d e f f 0 0 e 10 20 30 40 50 60 10 20 30 40 50 60 Days After Seeding Days after Seeding 16-5-16 Feather Meal Liquid Chicken Litter Corn Gluten Dry Chicken Litter Seabird Guano Blood Meal Sodium Nitrate Soy Protein Fish Emulsion TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed Additional Observations Float Water Solution Soilless Media 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf • Very little P mineralization • Similar trends relative to solution – Limiting factor for growth samples • Low DO concentration in most • Urea concentration was negligible treatments – Except 16-5-16 and sodium nitrate • Significant pH fluctuation (5.5 – 6.5) • Lowest pH measured in 16-5-16 treatment (5.5 – 6.5) • Insufficient P – 6.5 – 8.0 in other treatments TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed 25 Days After Seeding 2 1.) 16-5-16 4 1 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf 2.) Liquid Chicken Litter 6 3 3.) Feather Meal 8 5 4.) Dry Chicken Litter 5.) Seabird Guano 10 7 6.) Blood Meal 7.) Soy Protein 9 8.) Fish Emulsion 9.) Sodium Nitrate 10.) Corn Gluten TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed Table 2. Tobacco seedling height, diameter, and dry mass 30 and 60 days after seeding (DAS) as influenced by organic nitrogen sourcea. N Source Height (cm) Diameter (mm) 30 DAS Mass (g/30 60 DAS Mass (g/30 plants) plants) 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 16-5-16 6.3 a 4.9 a 4.1 a 4.0 a 3.44 a 1.84 a 5.32 a 4.18 ab Seabird Guano 5.3 a-d 4.4 ab 3.8 ab 3.1 b 2.11 b 1.10 a-c 5.24 a 4.33 ab Feather Meal 4.7 cd 2.4 bc 3.5 c-e 2.5 d 1.70 c-e 0.40 bc 5.30 a 3.40 a-c Blood Meal 3.4 e 0.3 c 3.2 e 1.5 e 1.57 e 0.30 bc 4.09 a 0.57 d Liquid Litter 5.8 a-c 4.7 a 4.1 a 3.9 a 3.30 a 1.64 ab 5.70 a 4.89 a Sodium Nitrate 3.2 e 1.7 c 3.7 b-d 2.5 d 2.16 b 1.25 a-c 4.48 a 3.03 bc Corn Gluten 4.3 de 2.5 bc 3.8 a-c 2.6 cd 1.58 de 0.54 a-c 4.08 a 3.38 a-c Soy Protein 4.8 b-d 1.2 c 3.4 de 2.4 d 1.41 e 0.20 c 4.32 a 1.76 cd Chicken Litter 5.1 a-d 4.6 ab 3.8 ab 3.0 bc 1.97 bc 0.94 a-c 4.67 a 4.72 ab Fish Emulsion 6.0 ab 5.2 a 4.0 ab 3.1 b 1.97 b-d 1.10 a-c 5.40 a 4.50 ab a Treatment means followed by the same letter within the same column are not significantly different at the α=0.05 level. TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed 100 2018 2019 a a 80 a A AB a A AB 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf 60 AB ab 40 bc bc Usable Seedlings (%) bc 20 C C C c C c C 0 Blood Liquid Sodium Corn Soy 16-5-16 Seabird Feather Meal Chicken Litter Nitrate Gluten Protein Fish Guano Meal Litter Emulsion Organic Nitrogen Source Figure 3. The influence of organic N source to seedling usability. Treatment means followed by the same lower or uppercase letters within the same year are not significantly different at the α=0.05 level. TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed Field Testing of Organic N Sources 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf • Four growing environments throughout the study – RCBD experimental design, four replications per environment – Individual plots consisted of four treated rows • Center two rows harvested and cured for sample collection – Cultivar was NC 196 in each environment • All nutrients sidedress applied 10 DAT – 78 kg N/ha & 134 - 164 kg K2O/ha – SPAD measurements collected at layby and flowering – Tissue samples collected at layby, flowering, and after curing – Yield, Quality, and Value quantified after harvest – Data analyzed using PROC Mixed in SAS ver. 9.4 • Fisher’s Protected LSD0.10 TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf Rocky Mount 2019- Layby application TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed Field Application of Organic N Sources Product %N %P %K Manufacturer Form 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf Sodium Nitrate 15 0 2 SQM Allganic Pellet Soy Protein 12 0 1 NutriAg Powder Blood Meal 12 0 0 Wilbur-Ellis Powder Corn Gluten 8 0 0 Eartheasy Pellet Seabird Guano 12 11 2 Sunleaves Pellet Feather Meal 13 0 0 Nature Safe Pellet Chicken Litter 5 4 3 BioSystems LLC Pellet TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed 60 Layby Topping A AB BC BC 50 C BC C a a a 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf a a a a 40 30 20 10 SPAD Quantification at Layby and Toppingand Layby at Quantification SPAD 0 Blood Meal Soy Protein Corn Gluten Feather Meal Chicken Litter Sodium Nitrate Seabird Guano Organic N Source TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed 2018 Results Layby Flowering Cured Leaf 12000 3000 250 a a 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf 10000 2500 200 a b 8000 2000 ab 150 ab 6000 1500 b b b b 100 b b b b b Concentration (mg/kg) c b - 3 4000 1000 b b 50 2000 c 500 FoliarNO 0 0 0 SN SP BM CG SG FM CL NT SN SP BM CG SG FM CL NT SN SP BM CG SG FM CL NT Organic N Source SN, sodium nitrate SP, soy protein BM, blood meal CG corn gluten; SG, seabird guano FM, feather meal CL, chicken litter NT, non-treated control TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed 3500 100 a ab abc ab a a 3000 abc bc a a a a c a 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf 80 2500 60 2000 1500 40 1000 Quality Leaf Cured Cured Leaf Yield (kg/ha) Yield Leaf Cured 20 500 0 0 Blood Meal Blood Meal Soy Protein Corn Gluten Soy Protein Corn Gluten Feather MealChicken Litter Feather MealChicken Litter Sodium Nitrate Seabird Guano Sodium Nitrate Seabird Guano Organic N Source TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed 12000 a ab a ab ab b b 10000 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf 8000 6000 4000 Cured Leaf Value ($/ha) Value Leaf Cured conventional price structure price conventional 2000 0 Blood Meal Soy Protein Corn Gluten Feather Meal Chicken Litter Sodium Nitrate Seabird Guano Organic N Source TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed 14000 12000 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf 10000 8000 6000 4000 conventional price structure conventional N input cost and leaf value ($/ha) input cost and N leaf value 2000 0 Sodium Blood Corn Seabird Feather Chicken Nitrate Meal Gluten Guano Meal Litter Organic N Source TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed Preliminary Conclusions 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf Greenhouse Field • Seabird Guano, Liquid Litter and • Sodium nitrate is king Fish Emulsion were exceptional – Cheapest source by $US 245 – 2,206 -1 – Dry litter was moderate ha • Organic P source greatly needed – Limited use in organic systems… – Provide help for sodium nitrate and • Soy protein, surprising find feather meal sources – Needs to have better physical • Potential bicarbonate issue for properties • Opportunity for improvement in Norg sources field production • Greenhouse media selection is – Incubation studies would be useful critical TWC2020(49) - Document not peer-reviewed Questions?? 2020_TWC55_Manning.pdf Nicholas J.