Nitrogen Transformations in Broiler Litter-Amended Soils
Table 6
First-order rate constants for decomposition of organic N in soil alone and broiler litter-amended soils.
Soil series
Broiler Litter Sample ID
Decomposition rate (week−1)†
Percentage of N mineralized at each Phase
Half-life of N Remaining (weeks)
Appling
none
0.00132
0.0003
6.73
1.38
75
Cecil
none
0.0127
0.0019
3.54
2.01
52
Colbert
none
0.004
0.002
2.27
1.34
50
Decatur
none
0.003
0.001
6.03
1.57
33
Dothan
none
0.006
0.002
3.80
1.78
50
Hartsells
none
0.0015
0.0006
1.85
0.78
66
Linker
none
0.007
0.003
5.10
0.37
33
Maytag
none
0.0105
0.0016
4.15
1.43
62
Sucarnoochee
none
0.012
0.001
4.68
2.31
38
Troup
none
0.0025
0.0026
2.49
0.95
40
Appling
1
0.0065
0.0023
18.8
1.10
15
Cecil
1
0.0026
0.0014
17.7
1.86
38
Colbert
1
0.0038
0.0025
18.2
3.32
26
Decatur
1
0.004
0.0018
11.3
2.40
25
Dothan
1
0.0028
0.0015
14.1
1.25
35
Hartsells
1
0.003
0.0014
20.7
2.29
33
Linker
1
0.0036
0.0012
20.4
2.32
28
Maytag
1
0.0044
0.0015
19.7
2.43
23
Sucarnoochee
1
0.003
0.0029
17.5
—
33
Troup
1
0.0023
0.00115
5.55
1.37
43
Appling
2
0.0039
0.0012
51.1
1.49
25
Cecil
2
0.0028
0.0014
29.9
—
35
Colbert
2
0.0031
0.0021
19.7
3.49
32
Decatur
2
0.0045
0.002
17.8
3.41
22
Dothan
2
0.0029
0.0018
33.7
1.56
34
Hartsells
2
0.0043
0.0021
28.6
2.69
23
Linker
2
0.0035
0.0014
26.6
2.58
28
Maytag
2
0.0044
0.0013
35.3
2.36
23
Sucarnoochee
2
0.0049
0.0018
28.7
2.93
20
Troup
2
0.0025
0.00095
18.5
1.29
40
† and were calculated from graphs prepared by plotting organic N remaining after each incubation time against time. No second phase was identified in Sucarnoochee and Cecil soils amended with broiler litter 2.
