Field-scale application of oily food waste and nitrogen fertilizer requirements of corn at different landscape positions

• Published in: Journal of environmental quality 2005-05, Vol.34 (3), p.963-969
• Main Authors: Rashid, M.T, Voroney, R.P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; cooking fats and oils; Corn; Crop production; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; economic analysis; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Exact sciences and technology; Fats; Fertilizer application; fertilizer requirements; Fertilizers; Food; food processing wastes; Food Services; Food waste; food wastes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Grain; grain yield; Grease; Industrial wastes; landfills; nitrate nitrogen; Nitrogen; Nitrogen - analysis; nitrogen fertilizers; nutrient availability; Oils; Oils & fats; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Sandy loam; sandy loam soils; slope; spatial variation; Vegetables; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Zea mays; Zea mays - growth & development
• ISSN: 0047-2425; 1537-2537
• DOI: 10.2134/jeq2004.0299

Oily food waste (FOG; fat + oil + greases) containing high concentrations of fat, oil and grease is produced by the food service, production, and processing industries. It has a high C to N ratio (90:1) and can recycle soil available N through immobilization and remineralization during its decomposition. Experiments were conducted at a farm (Hillsburg fine sandy loam; Typic Hapludalf) having rolling topography (5 and 9% slope) during 1995 and 1996. Objectives of this study were to (i) examine the variability of available N and corn (Zea mays L.) grain yield at different landscape positions of FOG-amended fields and (ii) determine whether N fertilizer management could be improved by considering the spatial variability of soil NO3-N at different landscape positions in FOG-amended fields. A spatial and temporal variability in soil NO3-N was observed during both years. Corn grain yields at all N fertilizer application rates were affected by slope position and followed the pattern: lower > upper greater than or equal to middle. Nitrogen fertilizer requirements for corn production in conjunction with FOG management were also affected by slope position. Essentially no additional fertilizer N was required for corn production at the lower landscape position. It was estimated that site-specific fertilizer N management on FOG-amended fields could result in an average savings of 51 and 63 kg N ha(-1) (with a potential economical savings of US$42 and US$52 ha(-1)) during 1995 and 1996, respectively.