Nitrogen Availability to Turfgrass from Pelletized Broiler Litter.

As management of heavy-use athletic fields becomes more intense, improved cultural practices are essential for providing an attractive and wear resistant playing surface.  One possibility is the use of organic fertilizers such as pelletized broiler litter (PBL).  Pelletized broiler litter is produced by applying pressure and high temperatures (~70°C) to broiler litter, resulting in a dry, stabilized product with an analysis of 4-3-2.  Although land application of PBL is a common practice in agriculture, relatively little is known about the value of using this product in turfgrass systems.  The availability of plant nutrients from PBL, particularly nitrogen (N), is a key research question.  In 2006, a study was initiated on three intensively managed turf fields at a local high school.  The objectives of the study are to determine available N in PBL, to evaluate the value of PBL for improving turf quality, and to compare core aeration with vibrating aeration.  The field study includes four treatments: synthetic fertilizer with vibrating aeration, synthetic fertilizer with core aeration, PBL with vibrating aeration, and PBL with core aeration.  The PBL was applied at an equivalent N rate as the synthetic fertilizer, assuming 50% availability of N in the first year.  Soil samples, plant samples, multispectral images, and penetrometer readings were collected prior to the start of the study and before each semi-annual fertilization.  A laboratory mineralization study was also conducted to determine the plant available N from PBL.  Early results suggest that PBL is at least equivalent to standard inorganic fertilization in terms of turf quality.