Land Application of Broiler Litter & Water Quality in Southwestern Missouri

Background

Rapid expansion of broiler production in southwestern Missouri has increased the risk of surface and groundwater contamination from land application of broiler litter. This region is especially vulnerable to water contamination from land application of broiler litter because the area has karst topography and large openings in the aquifer. Contamination of water in this region could have adverse economic and health effects because water-based recreation is a significant activity and groundwater is a major source of drinking water. Growth in broiler production is especially high in the vicinity of Georges broiler processing facility in Shoal Creek watershed near Butterfield, Missouri. Spatial variability in land use, soil types and hydrogeologic features make large portions of the area surrounding the facility vulnerable to surface and ground water contamination from land application of broiler litter. Accounting for this spatial variability when determining the locations and rates of litter application can reduce the risk of water contamination.

Objectives

1. Evaluate the capacity of Shoal Creek watershed for land application of broiler litter.
2. Determine the quantity and composition of litter generated by broilers.
3. Develop an economic optimization model to determine the locations and rates of broiler litter application on areas of the watershed that maximize the economic value of applied litter while protecting water quality.

Methods

• A geographic information system (GIS) was developed to assess, rank and evaluate different land application rates, locations and litter management practices. Data layers included: streams, springs, roads, soil type, slope and aspect, land cover, watershed and field boundaries, and location of broiler houses.
• Litter amount and composition was determined from a sample of nine broiler houses in Shoal Creek watershed. Samples were tested for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, carbon, chemical oxygen demand, energy content and other elements.
• A mathematical programming model was used to determine the effects on net returns to broiler production of efficient utilization of broiler litter as a forage.

Major Findings

• Objective 1. Litter amounts, broiler production capacities and number of broiler houses required were determined for a once-a-year and twice-a-year cleanout schedule and two land availability scenarios, 100 percent or 75 percent of available land suitable for litter spreading. For the 127 houses in the watershed in 1990, the litter loading is 14,290 tons containing 793.8 tons of nitrogen from 13,335,000 birds with one-a-year cleanout and 19,863 tons of litter containing 821.1 tons of nitrogen from 16,002,000 birds with twice-a-year cleanout. The percent of suitable land in Shoal Creek watershed that is being utilized for litter application ranges from 48 and 74 percent.
• Objective 2. The broiler houses included in the sampling were cleaned out after 3 to 5 flocks. Growing and brooding areas produced the greatest quantity of litter. Quantity of litter produced by a single broiler in a 3- and 5-flock cleanout was 1.79 and 1.24 lb. on a dry matter basis, respectively. Total nitrogen removed per broiler house with 3 and 5 flocks was 0.74 and 0.69 lb., respectively. Approximately 75 percent of this nitrogen is available for plant use when the litter is spread on pasture. Phosphorus removal per broiler was 0.55 and 0.38 lb. for the 3- and 5-flock cleanouts, respectively. Mean nitrogen composition was 4.14 to 4.13 percent (on a dry-matter basis) for the 3-flock units and 5.66 and 5.44 percent for the 5-flock units for the starting and growing areas, respectively. Approximately 25 percent of the N is available as ammonia. Phosphorus values were not influenced by the number of flocks produced and had a mean value of 3.09 percent of the litter. Mean potassium value was 2.22 percent.
• Objective 3. Improved management of broiler litter, which occurs when broiler growers have a small number of broiler houses and a relatively large number of forage acres per house (FAH), would simultaneously increase economic returns to producers and reduce over-application of litter. Net returns to producers increased by several thousand dollars when FAH exceeded 100 and litter was applied at the optimal phosphorus application rate. Broiler farms in Shoal Creek watershed had an FAH below 100. Economic returns to land and litter management on a broiler farm were at a maximum using a 6-flock cleanout schedule. The shadow price of broiler litter was found to be less than the market price of commercial fertilizer which implies that all the litter generated in Shoal Creek watershed should be applied to the land. Applying litter to land based on its phosphorus content provides the greater net return but requires more land area than when applied based on its nitrogen or potassium content.

Publications

Prato, Tony, Joe Vandepopuliere, Charles Fulhage and Tim Haithcoat. Managing Broiler Litter for Economic Profitability and Water Quality Protection. Proceedings: First Annual Water Quality Conference, Center for Water Quality, University of Missouri-Columbia, MO, February 1, 1991.

Prato, Tony, Joe Vandepopuliere, Charles Fulhage, Tim Haithcoat, Xu Feng, Chris Fulcher and Mark Jenner. Managing Land Application of Broiler Litter to Optimize Economic Value and Water Quality. Report No. G-1572-04, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior and Missouri Water Resources Center, University of Missouri-Columbia, August 1991.

Prato, Tony, Feng Xu and M. Jenner. An Economic Analysis of Land Application of Broiler Litter in the Shoal Creek Watershed, Barry County, Missouri. Proceedings: Second Annual Water Quality Conference, Center for Water Quality, University of Missouri-Columbia, MO, January 30-31, 1992.

Prato, Tony, Feng Xu and Mark Jenner. Economics of Broiler Litter Utilization in an Agricultural Watershed. Proceedings: Fourth North American Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Madison, WI, May 1992.

Prato, Tony, Feng Xu and Mark Jenner. Land Application of Broiler Litter to Protect Water Quality. Research Report No. 2, Center for Agricultural, Resource and Environmental Systems, University of Missouri-Columbia, August 1992.

Xu, Feng and Tony Prato. Optimal Farm-Level Use and Value of Broiler Litter. Research Report No. 4, Center for Agricultural, Resource and Environmental Systems, University of Missouri-Columbia, December 1992.

Prato, Tony, Feng Xu and M. Jenner. Managing Land Application of Broiler Litter to Optimize Economic Value and Water Quality. So. J. Agr. Econ. 24(1992):301.

Xu, Feng, Tony Prato and Chris Fulcher. Broiler Litter Application to Land in an Agricultural Watershed: A GIS Approach. Water Science and Technology 28(1993):111-118.

Xu, Feng and Tony Prato. Optimal Farm-Level Use and Value of Broiler Litter, So. J. Agr. Econ. 25(1993):285.

Xu, Feng, Tony Prato and Chris Fulcher. Broiler Litter Application to Land in an Agricultural Watershed. Water Science and Technology 28(1993):111-118. Jenner, Mark, Tony Prato and Feng Xu. The Impact of Management on the Classification of Broiler Litter, J. Agr. and Applied Econ. volume(1994):pages.

Xu, Feng and Tony Prato. Optimal Farm-Level Use and Value of Broiler Litter. 1995. _Animal_Waste_and_the_Land-Water_Interface_, Kenneth Steele (ed.) (New York: Lewis Publishers), pp. 293-291.

Presentations

Prato, Tony, Joe Vandepopuliere and Tim Haithcoat. Managing Broiler Litter for Economic Profitability and Water Quality Protection. First Annual Conference on Water Quality, Center for Water Quality, University of Missouri-Columbia, February 1, 1991.

Prato, Tony. Efficient Use of Broiler Litter to Protect Water Quality. Soil and Water Resources Seminar, University of Missouri-Columbia, November 4, 1991.

Prato, Tony, Feng Xu and M. Jenner. An Economic Analysis of Land Application of Broiler Litter in the Shoal Creek Watershed, Barry County, Missouri. Second Annual Water Quality Conference, Center for Water Quality, University of Missouri-Columbia, January 30-31, 1992.

Prato, Tony, Feng Xu and M. Jenner. Managing Land Application of Broiler Litter to Optimize Economic Value and Water Quality. Southern Agricultural Economics Association, Lexington, KY, February 2-5, 1992.

Prato, Tony, Feng Xu and Mark Jenner. Economics of Broiler Litter Utilization in a Watershed. 4th North American Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Madison, WI, May 17-20, 1992.

Xu, Feng, Tony Prato and M. Jenner. Economics of Litter Utilization on Broiler Grower Farms in an Agricultural Watershed with High Litter Concentration. 47th Soil and Water Conservation Society, Baltimore, MD, August 9-12, 1992.

Prato, Tony, Feng Xu and Mark Jenner. Land Application of Broiler Litter to Protect Water Quality. 47th Soil and Water Conservation Society, Baltimore, MD, August 9-12, 1992.

Prato, Tony. Efficient Utilization of Broiler Litter to Protect Water Quality. Centre for Water Policy Research, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, October 2, 1992.

Xu, Feng and Tony Prato. Optimal Farm-Level Use and Value of Broiler Litter, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, Tulsa, OK, January 31-February 3, 1993.

Jenner, Mark, Tony Prato and Feng Xu. The Impact of Management on the Classification of Broiler Litter. Southern Agricultural Economics Association, Nashville, TN, February 7-9, 1994.

Jenner, Mark and Tony Prato. The Impact of Management on the Classification of Broiler Litter. American Agricultural Economics Association, San Diego, CA, August 7-10, 1994.

Xu, F. and T. Prato. Optimal Farm-Level Use and Value of Broiler Litter. Interdisciplinary Conference on Animal Waste Resources Association and the Land-Water Interface, Fayetteville, AK, July 16-19, 1995.

Investigators: Tony Prato, Joe Vandepopuliere, Charles Fulhage, Feng Xu and Mark Jenner

Funding Amount: $81,654

Funding Source: Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station and Missouri Water Resources Center, MU

Project Duration: May 1990 - December 1993