Fertilization with broiler litter in the production of organic corn in integrated crop-livestock

Abstract

The experiment was carried out with the objective of evaluating the effect on corn crop in crop-livestock integration system of fertilization with chicken litter in the pasture (winter) and in the corn (summer), as alternative to organic production. The winter treatments consisted in the doses of 0 and 5 Mg ha-1 of chicken litter, with or without grazing of ovines and the summer treatments in the doses of 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 Mg ha-1 of chicken litter in the corn. From the results obtained, it was checked that the grazing did not affect the grain yield of corn in summer. The use of chicken litter in winter presented significant effect on mass of one thousand grains of corn, evidencing residual effect of fertilization however, it was not sufficient to provide significant difference in corn yield. There was positive linear effect to number of grains per row and quadratic to corn yield by increase of chicken litter levels in summer. In areas without grazing the maximum corn yield would be obtained with application of 9 Mg ha-1 of chicken litter in summer, whereas this same yield would be obtained with 7 Mg ha-1 in grazed areas, representing an economy of 2 Mg ha-1 of chicken litter corresponding to 45 kg ha-1 of nitrogen. Thus, it was found technical viability by use of chicken litter in corn production in crop-livestock integration system.