Residual Benefits of Poultry Litter Applied by Subsurface Band vs. Surface Broadcast to Cotton

Poultry litter (PL) is known to have residual effects on crop productivity long after applications cease. Whether this advantage is greater if applied by subsurface vs. surface broadcast is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine whether the residual benefit of PL to corn and cotton production is greater if applied in subsurface bands vs. surface broadcast and identify PL components contributing to this effect. The residual effect of PL applied by the two methods or synthetic nitrogen (sN) at seven plant available N rates (0–292 kg ha−1 yr−1) in 2014–2015 was tested on corn and cotton in 2016–2019. Corn was grown without applying PL or sN in 2016, and cotton was grown in 2017–2019 after applying 90 kg ha−1 yr−1 sN to all plots. Corn produced 40% greater grain and cotton produced 29% more lint yield due to residuals from PL than sN. Residuals from PL distinctly increased cotton leaf K over sN regardless of the method of application. Corn and cotton yield benefits from PL residual were greater if applied by subsurface banding vs. surface broadcast. This difference diminished with time. The overall results show PL components persist in the soil for up to 4 years and affect corn and cotton production, but this persistence is greater if the PL is applied by subsurface banding. This study identified K as the key PL nutrient that persisted in the soil and benefited cotton yield 4 years after the last application.