Cotton Production Improvement and Environmental Concerns from Poultry Litter Application in Southern and Southeastern USA Soils

Much of the poultry litter generated in the US is concentrated in six southern and southeastern states which also produce the majority of the nation’s cotton. The enormous amount of litter generated in the region can be an environmental burden if not managed properly. Research has been conducted in the region to encourage the utilization of poultry litter as a row crop fertilizer away from the traditional application to pastures around chicken houses. This chapter reviews results of the research on the effectiveness of poultry litter as cotton fertilizer and environmental concerns associated with its land application. The results which have been published in at least 55 refereed journal articles have shown that poultry litter is an excellent cotton fertilizer. Litter supplies all essential plant nutrients, builds soil organic matter, does not further acidify low pH soils unlike synthetic fertilizers, and may control or suppress harmful plant parasitic nematodes. Fertilizing cotton with poultry litter has been shown to increase lint yield above that possible with synthetic fertilizers in many soils in the region. Land-applying litter as cotton fertilizer should benefit cotton and other row crop farmers by increasing farm profits and poultry producers by generating new income if its use can be effectively and fully integrated into the cropping systems of the region. However, the potential of litter-derived P, Cu, and Zn to accumulate in the soil is a concern that future research should address.