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Despite rapid expansion of organic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) production in the US, limited research has been conducted comparing the numerous organic fertilizer sources. Organic flue‐cured tobacco traditionally relies on feather meal as the organic N fertility source, as it is readily available, but there is limited information on alternative organic N fertilizers. The objective of this research was to investigate seven different organic fertilizer sources to determine their effect on the growth and development of flue‐cured tobacco. From 2018 to 2019, field sites were established at four locations in North Carolina. Fertilizer treatments included sodium nitrate, composted layer manure, feather meal, corn gluten, soy protein, blood meal, and seabird guano. Both years, these organic N treatments were banded at sidedress (10 d after transplanting) at a rate of 78 kg total N ha−1. Sodium nitrate resulted in higher foliar nitrate‐N concentration than composted layer manure at layby and higher cured leaf yield compared with feather meal and composted layer manure. However, soy protein and seabird guano were often similar to sodium nitrate in yield response and resulted in higher yields when compared with other sources of organic N, such as feather meal and composted layer manure. While feather meal and composted layer manure resulted in a 10 and 11% reduction in yield, respectively, there was no significant difference in tobacco value among treatments. Our results suggest that organic tobacco farmers have other options for N selection beyond the current feather meal standard. Core Ideas: Sodium nitrate, seabird guano, and soy protein resulted in the higher yields than composted layer manure.Composted layer manure and feather meal resulted in lower yields than sodium nitrate.While there were differences in yield, cured leaf economic value per ha was not significantly different among N sources.Numerous organic nitrogen sources appear to be suitable for commercial tobacco production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional surface application of poultry litter leaves nutrients vulnerable to loss through volatilization and runoff. However, injection can increase capture of these nutrients in agricultural fields. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of poultry litter injection on orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerataL.) hay yield and quality. Poultry litter was injected or surface applied using the Subsurfer poultry litter injector at the recommended agronomic rate (high) and half that rate (low) in 2012 and 2013 in an established field of orchardgrass. Soil was sampled to 15 cm and analyzed for soil nitrate. No significant differences in soil nitrate were detected between treatments. Although not always statistically significant, first cutting orchardgrass yields tended to be greater with surface litter application. Injected treatments had greater protein concentrations than their respective surface treatment, showing greater nitrogen uptake, when protein was weighted by yield. Protein was the same for high surface and low injected treatments showing that similar nitrogen (N) uptake was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]