Poultry Litter Ash Fertilizer: Phosphorus Availability and Mobility in Low Fertility Soil.

Combustion of poultry litter is a potential heat and power source, and leaves a marketable fertilizer material (poultry litter ash, PLA), in which nonvolatile elements, including phosphorus (P), are concentrated.  Release of P and other nutrients from PLA with time and at different pH values was examined in batch studies.  Release was fast, with maximum concentrations reached in < 1 d.  Solubility of P increased with decreasing pH.  The efficacy of PLA compared with soluble P and K fertilizer on bermudagrass (BG; Cynodon dactylon) growth in a low fertility Ruston soil (fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Typic Paleudults) at pH 5, 6 and 7 was examined in a greenhouse study.  Loss of P in drainage was also examined.