By Blake Jackson
Applying poultry litter as fertilizer provides essential nutrients such as phosphorus, but it can also create environmental challenges. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, phosphorus can dissolve in water and run off into nearby streams, leading to pollution and financial losses for farmers. This issue is especially significant in regions like the Chesapeake Bay watershed, where poultry production is extensive.
To address this problem, researchers from Penn State University evaluated a soil additive called RhizoSorb. Developed within the university’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the product is designed to improve phosphorus efficiency. Its active ingredient, a modified aluminum oxide blend, binds phosphorus and helps keep it in the soil, reducing runoff while improving crop uptake.
The study found that applying RhizoSorb before poultry litter reduced water-extractable phosphorus-the form most likely to run off-by 26% to 53%. “Rhizosorb is commercialized around using it with a phosphorus fertilizer as a way to modulate the availability of phosphorus so that its efficiency is improved and losses are reduced,” said Lead researcher Charles White.
“But this research is unique in that we used that same active ingredient, the aluminum oxide material, as a way to manage phosphorus losses from manure.”
The research also highlighted growing concerns in no-till farming systems, where nutrients remain on the soil surface. “In no-till, manure is placed on the soil surface where it's very vulnerable to run off with water,” White said.
The study was conducted at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center over three years. While results are promising, White noted that further research is needed to confirm reductions in actual runoff.
Industry leaders, including Steve Levitsky of Phospholutions, see potential for broader applications. “We have tested our product in 14 countries now and our vision is to replace the phosphorus fertilizers that are currently out there with our 8-39-0 product,” he said.
Photo Credit: pexels-jan-kroon
Categories: Pennsylvania, Livestock, Poultry