Project Number: 5341-31410-003-05
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jun 09, 2006
End Date: May 01, 2009

Objective:
1) determine the release rate of nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) from three fish by-products in soil; 2) determine the nutrient uptake rate by crop plants from those materials; 3) determine the optimal application rate for each by-product for crop production; and 4) demonstrate the nutritional value of the by-products in organic producer's field.

Approach:
A laboratory incubation and three field experiments will be conducted. Analyses for soil samples: total N and P, NH4+, NO3-, Melhich 3 extractable P, K and micronutrients, pH, EC. (EC will be done at Soil Research Laboratory in Fairbanks, the rest will be done in the AFES Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory at Palmer). Analyses for plant samples will include biomass, N, P, K, and micronutrients (all analyses except biomass will be done at the AFES Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory at Palmer. Analyses for grain samples will be yield, test weight, N, P, K, minerals, acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (ADF) (indicators of feed quality). The elemental analysis will be done at the AFES Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory at Palmer, the rest will be done at Fairbanks. Documents SCA with University of Alaska Fairbanks.