From the Archives: Using Animal Manure as Fertilizer

In a correspondence between Prof. W. L. Drew and Link & Bagley, dealers of Stable and Dairy fertilizers, Drew brings up the idea that their fertilizer could aid in the growth of his citrus groves. He credits the Citrus Industry magazine for the idea that animal manure would work very well in the growth of citrus.

There are several benefits to using animal manure as fertilizer, besides the low cost. Animal manure is rich in nutrients that plants depend on such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen is essential for chlorophyll production aiding in the overall health and growth of plants; phosphorus is used for ATP, or energy production, which is very important for flowering and blooming in plants; potassium is necessary for the use of several enzymes within plants and is essential for photosynthesis and water uptake in plants.

In some cases, animal manure can also help to regulate the pH levels of the soil. When soil is too acidic, this can lead to a decrease in the important nutrients discussed earlier. It can also stunt plant growth and cause browning of the leaves; in some cases, it can even lead to plant death.

Using animal manure also decreases the chances of runoff taking place. When using chemical fertilizers, excess nutrients can get washed into bodies of water. This can be very detrimental to the surrounding environment and lead to excessive algae growth. This is known as algae blooms, and it is caused by excessive nitrogen and phosphorus, the main nutrients in chemical fertilizers.

The addition of manure to soils helps improve the structure of soil making it better at holding water for longer periods of time. This is beneficial because during dry periods plants continue to have access to water stores being held in the soil. This reinforced soil structure is also less likely to erode when compared to regular soil structures.

Overall, the use of animal manure makes sense for various reasons.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Furiness, Cari, Ellis Cowling, Lee Allen, Robert Abt, Doug Fresrick, Kelly Zering, and Robert Campbell. “Using Animal Manures in Forest Fertilization.” North Carolina State Extension, January 1, 2011. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/using-animal-manures-in-forest-fertilization.

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts II: A Portion of Florida Citrus History. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1998.

From the Archives: Soil Science Foundation

In 1939, the Soil Science Foundation was started by a group of farmers in Dade City who were looking to come up with solutions that they were facing with their various crops; the Soil Science Foundation is credited with several scientific accomplishments. Their first headquarters was a small building on the campus of Florida Southern College, and they did not relocate off campus for 10 years.

When the Foundation started, they were running experiments on the fertilization of sandy soils at the Short Grove in Lake County. Sandy soils do not hold nutrients well, meaning fertilization is necessary to ensure that crops are able to obtain the necessary nutrients for growth. However, over fertilization can be harmful for plants as it will change the pH of the soil, suffocate the soil, and cause root damage. The goal of the experiments being run by the foundation was to determine the necessary amount of fertilizer.

During this time, the Foundation also researched the sustainability of Florida flatwoods for citrus planting. Florida flatwoods make up a large portion of Florida’s landscape. Flatwoods are ideal for citrus cultivation because of their sandy moist soils. Citrus does well in sandy soils because it provides good drainage, which prevents root damage from taking place. Planting in flatwoods also helps with irrigation because of the water deposits that are typically found within these flatwoods. However, there may be some disadvantages to planting citrus on these lands. During wet seasons, the soil can become overly saturated due to the water deposits already existing in the soil, they are at risk to develop frost that can cause freeze in citrus, and cultivating citrus in these regions could negatively impact the environment and decrease the biodiversity of the region. The goal of the experiments targeting citrus cultivation on the flatwoods was to determine if using the flatwoods would result in significantly better yields.


To learn more about the Soil Science Foundation, please check out the Soil Science Foundation Records at the McKay Archives: https://www.flsouthern.edu/getattachment/96400c75-e443-47c6-9fc7-690feef0137c/Soil-Science-Foundation-Records-Finding-Aid.pdf.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Source:
 

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1992.