1999 Annual Report for FS99-101
Sustainable Winter Squash Production Using Poultry Litter
Summary
As the public in the southeast is becoming more knowledgeable about the effects of agricultural chemicals on the environment and on public health, the demand for sustainably produced, chemical-free food is growing. Yet a large percentage of the sustainably grown produce sold in Georgia is imported from California, even though much of it could be grown in the southeast.
One such example is winter squash. It could be grown in the southeast using poultry litter as a non-chemical soil amendment to provide nitrogen and other needed nutrients. One drawback however, is that the use of poultry litter to meet nitrogen requirements often results in excess phosphorus being applied to the soil. The excess phosphorus can contaminate stream water.
The producer will plant a variety of winter squash using poultry litter as a soil amendment and will use a legume in rotation preceding winter squash in an attempt to control the excess phosphorus. He will then remove the legume from the site, rather than incorporating it into the soil, thereby removing the phosphorus it has taken up from the soil.