Comparison of N fertilizer, source-separated municipal solid waste compost and semi-solid beef manure on the nutrient concentration in boot-stage barley and wheat tissue

Composting of source-separated municipal solid waste (SSMSW) is an option currently used to divert refuse from landfills. There is interest in using this material to alleviate soil constraints. Since many livestock producers ensile their cereals, after harvesting at boot-stage, the purpose of this project was to determine the effect that SSMSW compost and semi-solid beef manure, with and without supplemental N fertilizer, would have on the concent ration of minerals in this feed. The addition of N fertilizer increased the concentration of N, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, and Zn in boot-stage tissue of barley in 1996 and wheat in 1997, but only increased the concentration of B in wheat tissue. Cereal boot-stage N, K, and Mn concentrations were higher in the manure than compost-amended plots. However, boot-stage Mg and Cu concentrations tended to be higher in the compost-amended plots. As manure addition increased, the concentration of N and K in barley and wheat , Ca and Cu in wheat, and Mn in barley increased. As the rate of compost addition increased, the concentration of Mg in barley and wheat decreased, while that of Cu in barley increased. Even though the SSMSW compost was applied at higher than normal agronomic rates, tissue Cu and Zn concentrations were not at levels considered to be harmful to plants or livestock. Key Words: Barley, wheat, boot-stage, compost, fertilizer, mineral concentrations, municipal solid waste manure