Influence of low-disturbance fall liquid dairy manure application on corn silage yield, soil nitrate, and rye cover crop growth

Tillage incorporation of manure can mitigate nutrient loss but increases erosion potential and damages cover crops. More information on the effects of low-disturbance manure application (LDMA) on corn yield, cover crop establishment, and soil properties is needed to better predict manure management practice trade-offs. Here, corn silage (Zea mays L.) yield, winter rye (Secale cereale L.) establishment, and soil nitrate concentrations were compared for a range of manure application methods, including broadcast incorporation, broadcast/disk, fertilizer N (spring applied at 67, 134, and 202 kg N ha(-1)), and a no-manure control, at the University of Wisconsin's Marshfield Agricultural Research Station from 2012 to 2015. Compared with the control, manure and fertilizer N treatments increased corn yield by an average of 1.1 to 1.6-fold and 1.4- to 1.6-fold, respectively. Of the LDMA treatments (sweep-, strip till-, and coulter-injection; aerator/band; broadcast), corn yield was greatest for sweep injection, which did not differ from the high N fertilizer rate (P < .0001). Corn yield averaged across LDMA treatments did not differ from the 134 or 202 kg N ha(-1) yields. Compared with disking, LDMA maintained more crop residue (P < .0001), with levels comparable to the control. Soil nitrate-N at depths of 0-30 and 30-60 cm was influenced by LDMA and fertilizer N; however, leaching to 60-90 cm was comparable among treatments. Results indicate that LDMA with injection conserved more N, caused less damage to winter rye, and had similar yields to fertilizer N treatments with improved soil aggregate stability and higher total carbon content.