Tile water quality following liquid swine manure application into standing corn

The quality of water draining fields fertilized with liquid swine (Sus scrofa) manure (LSM) sidedressed into standing corn (Zea mays L.) at rates ranging from 0 to 94 m(3) ha(-1), either topdressed (TD) onto the surface, or injected (INJ) into the soil once annually for each of three consecutive years was evaluated. Liquid swine manure application rate was a critical driver of preferential flow of LSM to tile as detected by turbidity, concentrations of NH4+-N, dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), and the presence of enteric bacteria (Escherichia coli). Contaminant movement to drains occurred immediately after 75 and 94 m(3) LSM ha(-1) were injected (e.g., 2.5 mg DRP L-1, 3-yr average). With injection of 56 m(3) ha(-1) or less, drainage water was not turbid and concentrations of NH4+-N, DRP, and enteric bacteria were dramatically lower than with the higher rates, even when tiles flowed freely during manure application. Application method also affected tile water quality. With TD applications (37 and 56 m(3) ha(-1)), nutrients and bacteria did not move to tiles at the time of application, but with rains that fell within 3 d after application, concentrations increased (e.g., 0.1 mg DRP L-1), although less than with INJ. Overall, sidedress injection rates that supplied adequate crop nutrients did not compromise drainage water quality.