1. Figure 1.
The Effects of Farm Animal Fecal Matter on Soil Quality and Nutrients
Sarah Zagurski, Casey Smith, Jesse Allen, Jacalyn Jones, Hannah Haydon
Stephen F. Austin State University
Background
Soil nutrients levels can help determine use of land.
Nutrients in soil can come from many sources such
as fecal matter of animals that inhabit the land. The
impact of animals on the soil has been widely
studied. These studies include a study done at
Purdue on animal manure as a plant nutrient
resource. These results showed that fine textured
soils held nutrients better and the amount of
nutrients needed is based off the specific yield
potential of the crop. The conclusion of this
experiment revealed that per pound per ton of
manure, out of poultry, swine, and cattle, poultry
has the highest level of nutrients followed by swine,
and lastly cattle. The effects of nutrients in animal’s
fecal matter can either cause excessive nutrients or
can deplete nutrients, both which deplete soil
quality and uses. However, manure can also bring
nutrients to soil that that once has insufficient
amount of nutrients. How the animal manure is
managed is also a factor to be considered due to the
fact that manure is often dealt with in a variety of
ways such as simply leaving the fecal matter where
it lies, spreading manure in the pasture where it is
found, or of moving the manure to different
pastures. The type of soil that the animals are on is
also a factor that affects whether certain animals are
helping or hurting the soil. Studies so far have
shown that overall, poultry manure tends to lead to
the richest soils compared to pig and goat feces.
Chickens tend to produce the highest amount of
nitrogen and phosphorous levels per pound per day,
followed by Sheep, then swine, then equine, and
ending with beef cows. This can be seen in table 2.
The optimum amount of nitrogen, phosphorous,
and potassium levels in soils depends on the soil
type, climate, location, land use, and crop species.
An experiment was conducted in order to compare
and contrast Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and
pH levels of soils with fecal matter from cattle,
swine, goats, horses, and chickens in order to
determine the animal’s effect on soil quality and
plant growth. This experiment will better determine
the best enrichment sources for farmers on similar
soils.
Table 2. Results from a study done through Ecochem to
determine what is the most beneficial manure fertilizer for
crop growth.
Tools used in the experiment:
● telescopic auger with a 3 and 1/4in inlet
● 36 inch hoffer soil probe
● Rubber mallet
● Lab grade sand
● Soil bags
● Lamotte Soil testing kit
● Deionized water
Procedure:
1. The layout was designed as a stratified random sample
to collect composite samples at the Walter C. Todd
agricultural farm.
2. An auger and soil probe were used to collect 3 samples
from each location site. The locations were from a pig
pen, a cow pasture, a horse pasture, a goat pen, and a
pasture where chicken litter was spread. A travel blank
and s trip blank were used to account for possible
contamination.
3. The 3 samples from each location were mixed together
until they were homogeneous and then split between
two different soil bags to create composite samples.
4. One soil bag from each location was sent to the SFA
soils lab and the results can be seen in Table 3 and 4.
The other sample bag was tested using the LaMotte soil
testing kit and the results can be seen in Table 1.
Data analysis:
The soil samples were tested by the SFA soil analysis lab and using the
LaMotte soil testing kit. Based off both sources, it was found that goats
produce the highest amount of nutrients and organic matter that are optimal
for plant growth. This data is reveal in Table 1, Table 2, and Table 3. The
goats has the high amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and
organic matter along with a slightly acidic pH. Cattle and swine showed
some of the lowest levels of nutrients based off of the collected data.
Conclusion:
Agricultural Animals have varying impacts on the amounts of nutrients
present in the soil. After collecting and analyzing data from the Walter C.
Todd Agricultural Farm, both sources of data analysis, the LaMotte Soil
Testing Kit as well as the SFA Soils Analysis Lab, point to the soil
sample location that provided the best soil for nutrients for plant growth
was soil located in the goat pen. Although the amount of manure per year
is not as great for goats in comparison to other farm animals such as cattle,
it is the most efficient in providing nutrients to the soil per pound or
manure. It would be helpful to farmers to rotate the grazing fields of the
farm animals to allow for an increase in nutrients across different fields
since not all animals fertilize and increase soil quality equally.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Dr. Sheryll Jerez, Stephen F.
Austin, and Farish and the soils lab for allowing us to use their
equipment and for funding our attempts.
Figure 2.